This is a summary of the book "Educating Everybody's Children: Diverse Teaching Strategies for Diverse Learners", 2nd Edition, Edited by Robert W. Cole Table of Contents Chapter 2. Diverse Teaching Strategies for Diverse Learners by Marietta Saravia-Shore
As previously discussed in our blog, SES students' academic needs are best met through high academic standards and high expectations along with a deep understanding of and empathy for their family background. In this reading, Dr. Saravia advocates educational programs that, like Head Start, take into account not only academic needs but conceive of children as whole persons with social, emotional, and physical needs and strengths, in a family context (2003).
Overall, the evidence that high-quality education before the child's fifth birthday can yield lifetime benefits is undebatable. We know how to do it. Why don't we make such programs available to all? There are few federal programs in any agency that can support results like these, yet Head Start enrollment has usually hovered below 50% of those eligible. (p. 11)
Unfortunately, many schools do not have the opportunity to work with children at such a young age particularly in districts where Latinos and African-American children are the majority. However, we should try to have heterogeneous grouping of high- and low-achievers in all classes and accelerated learning by gradually eliminating remedial classes and offering all students rigorous classes in mathematics, global history, International Baccalaureate English, and history—classes previously offered only to the highest achievers. "Students learn more when they are challenged by teachers who have high expectations for them, encourage them to identify problems, involve them in collaborative activities, and accelerate their learning ". They ask open-ended questions requiring students to use their judgment and form opinions. They choose activities where students must use analytic skills, evaluate, and make connections. They expect students to conduct research, complete their homework, and manage their time effectively.
We need to continue providing quality teaching to all students and, particularly, to the SES students so that the gap between the low and high-achievers can be diminished.
My opinion is that two of the reasons that high-quality pre-school education doesn’t have more participation is because of commonly held perceptions by some people that it is a bad thing to take children away from the home any earlier than is necessary, and that those children who don’t participate in preschool programs including kindergarten will catch up with their peers within a year or so. I am not sure what the research reveals. However, it would seem that for children of lower socio-economic status pre-school programs and kindergarten may help to overcome the lack of educational opportunities in the home and community.
ReplyDeleteI see your point, Bill. I think we need to assure the families of these students that pre-school education will better prepare their children in the future. Every parent, rich or poor, Black or White, Latino or Asian, will tell you that he/she cares for the child's wellbeing.
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