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I find it terribly sad that three and four year old children need to be in school in order to learn how to recognize their names in print, count, sing the ABCs, etc. Where are these kids' parents?
A lot of these children have parents who are or should still be in high school. The parents have sometimes turned their children over to their own parents, who are often relatively young themselves. It doesn't always occur to family members to read to the children. They are much more likely to teach them to play sports and games and dance.
The kids often grow up relatively unfamiliar with routines for their early years. When there is no regular child-care, kids don't get used to procedures like snack time, story time, play time, nap time. Planning for the future doesn't always happen, and the children don't have any clear expectation of what will happen next.
These factors and many others complicate the lives of children in circumstances like Akeeleon's. When they arrive at school, they are suddenly put in the situation of having somebody tell them what to do and how to do it every minute of the day. Often, this person is calling them by a name they don't know, because so many of them have only been called by their nicknames. Children go from a time of relative freedom to a very regimented place where people are always making them do what they don't want to do and punishing them when they don't co-operate.
Because my students know children in these situations, I challenge them to get involved and try to close the achievement gap themselves. I routinely give my students the assignments of reading to children over the school breaks and giving them books and crayons and paper for Christmas. During the summer I add taking a kid to the zoo. I also tell them to learn to swim or teach someone to swim. It's not much, but every little bit helps. Plus, you never know what the spark will be for those few children who DO decide that education is the way up and out. It also helps instill a sense of duty and loyalty to those who came before and those who will come after them. I want that to be part of my legacy.
I find it terribly sad that three and four year old children need to be in school in order to learn how to recognize their names in print, count, sing the ABCs, etc. Where are these kids' parents?
Working, sometimes 80 or more hours a week.
I had a student who just graduated last year. Her parents both worked two full time jobs to support the family and make sure their daughter could go to a good school. Making sure the family was fed, clothed and housed was most important.
Low-income parents often have other priorities. They may be working hard to make ends meet.
These children may have parents who had substandard prenatal care. They may not be getting enough nutrition. They may live near high levels of pollution and be around a lot of people who smoke. They may be too tired or ill to read to their children even if they can read themselves. They may simply not see education as a way to get ahead.
This article describes many of my students' families. They are not totally illiterate, but their vocabulary and comprehension skills are severely limited. People don't think about things like children not knowing nursery rhymes and fairy tales. It's very telling when none of my high school students can tell me what Old Mother Hubbard went to her cupboard to get for her poor doggie.
There was one thing that did not accurately descibe them. Many of them don't use banks, so having a bank book is nor something they use.
Wow. One of the pictures is right down the street from my school. That neighborhood has just been rezoned to our school.
It looks so much worse on a national website. I guess I'm just too used to seeing it. People don't seem to understand what I mean when I say that some of our students live in homes without front doors--just sheets.
So when I say that these kids have challenges facing them that most Americans can't fathom, this is what I mean. If you haven't looked at these links, then do. Then do something about it. After 26 years, I'm getting pretty damn tired.
Low-income parents often have other priorities. They may be working hard to make ends meet.
These children may have parents who had substandard prenatal care. They may not be getting enough nutrition. They may live near high levels of pollution and be around a lot of people who smoke. They may be too tired or ill to read to their children even if they can read themselves. They may simply not see education as a way to get ahead.
I didn't think of that.
My parents didn't have any extra money when I was young, but we always had books in the house, and my mom was and is an avid reader.
Such a sad situation that this could be happening in a first world country, and probably within a (insert number here; I'm not familiar with the geography of the area)-minute drive from areas where families have plenty.
While Mississippi might be the worst, it IS a reflection on what is going on all over the US.
It's more noticeable because the percentages are higher.
The priorities of many of these poor are so out of touch. The kids all have cellphones and game systems and not a book in the house. They stopped doing the Scholastic Book club at some rural schools here because none were buying books.
And the AR program can be looked at like a joke in some instances. A 6th grader reading a 3rd grade book and taking several months to finish is considered progress ?
They stopped doing the Scholastic Book club at some rural schools here because none were buying books.
Have you seen the merchandise Scholastic is selling these days? Lots of movie posters, sports posters, light-up pens, and so on. Emphasis on bling and distractions, not so much on books anymore.
While Mississippi might be the worst, it IS a reflection on what is going on all over the US.
It's more noticeable because the percentages are higher.
The priorities of many of these poor are so out of touch. The kids all have cellphones and game systems and not a book in the house. They stopped doing the Scholastic Book club at some rural schools here because none were buying books.
And the AR program can be looked at like a joke in some instances. A 6th grader reading a 3rd grade book and taking several months to finish is considered progress ?
I wonder why Mississippi is so much worse than the rest of the US in terms of educational outcomes though? Perhaps someone could shed some light on this issue for me. There are poor people everywhere so why is MS so much worse than other areas? There has to be a reason.
Have you seen the merchandise Scholastic is selling these days? Lots of movie posters, sports posters, light-up pens, and so on. Emphasis on bling and distractions, not so much on books anymore.
I complained once about that and got in trouble for criticizing a money-maker for our library. It was sickening to see all the toys and useless crap for sale in a school where kids couldn't afford food. They'd come in with a few dollars and spend it on junk instead of books, not to mention that just having to be dragged through all that "bling" as part of the classroom routine was just plain torture for the kids who couldn't hope to buy anything. Scholastic should be ashamed.
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I didn't think of that. 
