Double Entry Journal #2 ( As soon as she opened her mouth)

Quote:

" This sterotype prevented school personnel from interpreting her complaintsand concerns from a middle-class mother"

This quote from the passage shocked me and infuriated me to say the least. I can't believe that a person would be dismissed just because someone had a sterotype on someone. A childs education and wellbeing was at stake here. As a soon to be teacher I hope that I will give every student and parent a voice and a chance. Also as a West Virginian I know what it's like to be a part of a sterotype. I have been judged on my education only because I am from West Virginia. It is one of the most frustrarting things to be judged because of where you are from or who you talk.

Questions:

Literacy knowledge is something children already bring to school with them. Literacy knowledge is the concepts that children during their preschool years, the years after the begining of formal literaacy instruction, in kindergaten, and first grade in reading, writing, and printed laguage.An example of print literay knowledge is when a child scribbles on a piece of paper and askes an adult what they have written. When a child moves an adults mouth to pretend like they are reading or saying something when they are not really talking is an example of non print literacy knowledge.

Sadley, sterotypes are apart of outr society today. Even teachers have sterotypes against their own students and parents. If teachers didn't know the literacy background of their students and just taught them all the same it may be better. Although students may learn differently, they can all learn one way or the other. Teachers need to stop sterotyping their students and try to teach the students literacy the best way possible for that studnet no matter what that students background in litercy is.

A few schools and teachers don't do anything about poor literacy instruction in their schools as in Donny's case in the reading. If they think I child has little literact knowledge they may just write them off and say that they will never catch up with the other children in the class. Although most of the time they are pretty good about getting a student with less literacy knowledge any help they can provide them with. They devise a plan for that student and provide specialists if necessary.

There is a relationship between language, social class, and the denial of educational opportunity. A student that comes from a low social class has had less educational and language experience. So they will have less literacy knowledge and literacy experience than other students. If a student comes from a middle or high social class they are more likely to have more literacy knowlede and experience. So they will be more advanced than the students that came from a low social class.

There are many misconception in the schools between language and literacy. Many people have different laguages and many poeople talk differently than one another. Just because one students talks differntly or has a different language then the other doesn't mean they are illiterat or cant learn. The student just needs to learn to read and write in their own langauge.

There are ways that schools and teachers can improve literacy instruction. For one thing teachers need to accept that just because children are born in poverty they can still learn and are willing to learn. Secondly, teachers need to accept each and every students language they have learned and that has helped them begin their education. Also they need to realize that a student will orally speak in the language they have know their whole lives.

During my schooling I have heard the term use "proper english" probably more than any phrase. I don't agree with this phrase because like I stated before may students grew up around different languages and talk differently than others. As long as the child is getting the correct point acroos I believe that is all that matters. Not how they are talking.

Reference:
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.