RES 5535: Race, Class, and Gender in Literacy Research (summer 2010)

Reading this chapter made me think back a few years to a group that I taught in first grade that consisted on mostly boys. I found the story of Jake to be similar to the experience that most boys have in school (especially with reading). Boys (like Jake) are so interested in learning with their hands. They want to move and learn by doing not sit in a space and read and write. I have noticed in my teaching experience that many boys are very active because that is the life they live at home. I also believe that boys stuggle more with reading because books are limited about topics that are of interest to them. I do believe that more and more books are being written about topics of interest to boys, but for the longest time teachers would buy magizines to interest boys in the classroom.

I feel that boys have a harder time with school than girls (for the most part). It seems that boys do look to their fathers for inspiration (as girls look to their mothers). In a working class family, a boy learns that the man is the person responsible for taking care of the family. Boys see their fathers get up early and go to work, often coming home late and repeating the same thing day after day. I believe that most fathers that are working class also struggled in school and find it hard to encourage their children to put in the extra effort needed to be successful in school. Since boys aspire to be like their fathers, I think this may be why boys stuggle to find a balance between school and home. I think boys that are encouraged to be successful by their fathers find more success in the classroom. Many times the mother is the person who is involved with the school life (attending school meetings and events) and boys may feel that their fathers have little or no interest in their successes in school.

I found the difference between literacy for Jake at school and home to be very interesting. Jake appears to be more successful with reading and writing at home. His mother and grandmother discuss how he is doing so many things successfully (such as his knowledge of the presidents). I understand that Jake is involving himself with things of interest at home. I just wonder if Jake's family is in denile about his abilities to read and write. It seems like the things they work with him on at home is memorized in an effort to please his family and they see this as an ability to read and write.

I think every year I have had a student in my room (a boy) that I have had to struggle to find books that they would read that was of interest to them. I find most boys to be more active in the hands on activities (such as math and science) and less involved in reading because they believe that books are written to appeal to girls more than boys. I do believe that teachers need to work hard to find books that appeal to boys as well as girls so that all children can find success in the classroom. Sure this puts a little more work on the teacher, but in the end isn't it worth it?

I agree that as teachers it is our responsibility to go outside of our comfort areas in order to help our students become successful. Learning about our students and where they come from will help us to provide better instruction, allowing our students the comfort to become successful.