Double Journal Entry #2

"... But I also know that whether we interpret differences among children-or adults- as deficit or difference depends primarily on our perceptions, attitudes toward, and stereotypes we hold toward the individual children's communities and cultures."

You can't judge a book by its cover. How many times have you heard that worn-out, overused statement? I can remember hearing that phrase (or some variance of it)  in elementary school, Sunday school, and even at home from my parents. Growing up, I was the independent sibling while my younger brother required much more attention. I frequently hear my mother say "Sarah came out of the womb speaking 'adult' while Ethan came out speaking gibberish." We've remained that way our entire lives. My brother came out of kindergarten with little knowledge of words, or even the sounds letters made. Then first grade came, and again was not prepared for the next grade. My mom approached each teacher and they passed it off as nothing. When Ethan got into the third grade my mom went straight to the principal and guidance counselor. Ethan was tested and he was diagnosed with ADD and another learning disability. Now that I'm older, more observant and aware, I have come to realize my dad has that same LD. He struggles on a regular basis but was passed through school, grade by grade, regardless of his ability. Education was not a top priority for my grandparents, who's livelihood depended on the farm and hard work. My dad never got the attention that was necessary for him to learn to read and write.

While reading this article, I was angered by the lack of concern for this little boy, Donny. Even though the mother was illiterate, she understood that her son was not ready to move on in school and needed help. She wanted the best education for her son and he deserved that education. I chose the quote above because the statement rang so true to me. What you think about a person is based on your perception. As a teacher, it's a great responsibility to put that judgement aside to better assist the student. Every child deserves to have the best opportunity of education. I think about that as my dad struggles to type out a simple sentence. If someone had only cast aside their judgement and spent a little extra time with a struggling student, my dad could have excelled in his literacy, as my brother is now.

I selected the following video because it recognized the disadvantages the Appalachian child had, and the clip was made in the nineteen forties.

Literacy knowledge is what the child knows about language (spoken, written, and read). For example, a child may be aware that to read there must be something written, even if they cannot read or write themselves. Stereotypes play a major role in literacy instruction because judgments are made instantly by recognizing the child's cultural background, economical status, community, faith and many other things. Schools and teachers sometimes pass over students that they feel are behind, or that would "take too much time" to give the extra attention necessary because they feel the child will never grow beyond that stereotype. The teacher should make a point to define the difference between spoken English and "proper English."

References:

Purcell Gates, V. (2002). As soon as she opened her mouth. In L. Delpit & J.K Dowdy (Eds.), In The skin that we speak: An anthology of essays on language culture and power. (Print: Anthology)

O'Brien, J. (2003, May 10). Tall tales of appalachia. . Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/10/opinion/tall-tales-of-appalachia.html