Two of the most impactful social ills that Americans face today, in one of the most progressive and technologically advanced nations on earth, is poverty and crime. Many would argue that they are akin. Is there a link and what can be done to diminish or eliminate it? The connection between poverty, crime and illiteracy has been well documented. Holzman-Escareno writes in a 2008 article,
American prisoners have a much higher illiteracy rate, than our nation as a whole.
Of the adult inmate population 19% are illiterate, compared to 4% nationally. In addition to this, up to 60% of the adult inmate population is functionally illiterate, compared to 23% nationally. Also, 34.9% of local jail inmates cited behavioral or academic problems as …show more content…
Vygotsky’s theory was focused on his zone of proximal development. He felt that a child “could not yet learn independently but can learn with appropriate adult support,” (Clay, 2015, p.65). It is that support, how much and what kind of support is the challenge for the teacher to discover. Just as children’s early home experiences differ, they themselves are different in terms of the way and the rate at which they learn. Any one of the theories outlined above, is usually not the answer to the puzzle of helping our little ones become successful on their journey to literacy. In the video, Get In Step With Responsive Teaching, Embler (2008) drives home the points that reading to young children help them develop a desire or at least an appreciation for reading, helps lengthen their attention span and gets them ready for reading at school. Just as we can’t use the same size shoes or shirts for all children we can’t expect one theory, program, strategy or intervention alone to serve the needs of all child. It would result in some being barefoot and or shirtless to follow the analogy …show more content…
According to Nemeth (2015), the percentage of English language learners, ELL or duel language learners, DLL in almost double from about 22 percent to 40 percent of school aged students over the next 13 years! (Nemeth, 2016, p. 5). Children move through the stages of learning a language at different rate whether they are learning one language or more than one language. I was enlightened by finding how important it is to support a DLL in their own language as the learn a second language. It is worthy to note that, Collier said, as cited in Nemeth (2009), in the Meeting the Meeting the Home Language Mandate article, that it could take eight years or longer for children to reach fluency. (p. 37) It is equally worthy to consider that Chang asserted, also as cited by Nemeth (2009) in the same article. that children can be so negatively affected by being, subjected to social discrimination by their peers and teachers simply because of having not being properly supported in their primary language as they attempt to learn English. Furthermore, that they could become social outcast and even bullied as well! (p. 37). The impact on the relationship within their own families is yet another effect that should considered. It is inevitable that the classrooms of the future will has
American prisoners have a much higher illiteracy rate, than our nation as a whole.
Of the adult inmate population 19% are illiterate, compared to 4% nationally. In addition to this, up to 60% of the adult inmate population is functionally illiterate, compared to 23% nationally. Also, 34.9% of local jail inmates cited behavioral or academic problems as …show more content…
Vygotsky’s theory was focused on his zone of proximal development. He felt that a child “could not yet learn independently but can learn with appropriate adult support,” (Clay, 2015, p.65). It is that support, how much and what kind of support is the challenge for the teacher to discover. Just as children’s early home experiences differ, they themselves are different in terms of the way and the rate at which they learn. Any one of the theories outlined above, is usually not the answer to the puzzle of helping our little ones become successful on their journey to literacy. In the video, Get In Step With Responsive Teaching, Embler (2008) drives home the points that reading to young children help them develop a desire or at least an appreciation for reading, helps lengthen their attention span and gets them ready for reading at school. Just as we can’t use the same size shoes or shirts for all children we can’t expect one theory, program, strategy or intervention alone to serve the needs of all child. It would result in some being barefoot and or shirtless to follow the analogy …show more content…
According to Nemeth (2015), the percentage of English language learners, ELL or duel language learners, DLL in almost double from about 22 percent to 40 percent of school aged students over the next 13 years! (Nemeth, 2016, p. 5). Children move through the stages of learning a language at different rate whether they are learning one language or more than one language. I was enlightened by finding how important it is to support a DLL in their own language as the learn a second language. It is worthy to note that, Collier said, as cited in Nemeth (2009), in the Meeting the Meeting the Home Language Mandate article, that it could take eight years or longer for children to reach fluency. (p. 37) It is equally worthy to consider that Chang asserted, also as cited by Nemeth (2009) in the same article. that children can be so negatively affected by being, subjected to social discrimination by their peers and teachers simply because of having not being properly supported in their primary language as they attempt to learn English. Furthermore, that they could become social outcast and even bullied as well! (p. 37). The impact on the relationship within their own families is yet another effect that should considered. It is inevitable that the classrooms of the future will has