Week 8 Discussion - Elementary Curricula

Elementary Curricula

Both articles highlight the fact that middle-class students seem to benefit more from summer reading programs than their lower-SES peers. While we would hope that summer reading programs would have the same positive impact on all students, this information did not totally surprise me. Differences in funding, materials, and ability to recruit enough high-quality teachers for summer programs could be more difficult in lower-socioeconomic areas. In addition, the articles did not dive into other factors in the students’ lives that may be contributing to their performance such as attendance, how well-rested they are, trauma they have experiences that impacts their ability to focus during instruction, and the impact of being taught by a teacher who the students may not know or have a relationship with. Additionally, there could be a mismatch between the instructional practices and the specific needs of the students. Even though summer reading programs are only for a short time, I would challenge teachers to put energy into getting to know the students and building trust with them. This is a key foundation that is needed for learning to take place.

In challenging teachers during summer program and the regular school year to ”break out of the mold” to create better outcomes for students classified with low SES, in addition to building relationships with students, I would encourage them to build connections with their families. This may involve thinking outside the box and leaving their comfort zone. It could entail holding a parent-teacher conference off campus, closer to their home or in their community. It could also include providing resources and instructional videos to parents so they can help support their children at home. There are many parents who want to support their children academically, but they do not know how and may be uncomfortable asking the teacher for assistance. In addition, I would urge teachers to capitalize on the strengths and interests of their students to engage them in learning activities and provide them with opportunities to shine. We do not have to, and should not, be satisfied with the idea that low SES students will automatically not be able to perform. These students are capable of learning and growth just as much as any other student. I think data from test scores that demonstrate a gap between the performance of students classified as economically disadvantaged and not economically disadvantaged has led some people to hold the belief that students classified as low SES will not perform well. I think the way that school “report card” grades are published also perpetuates this belief, as it shows the test scores, but does not provide an explanation of or include any solutions for the many larger societal factors that contribute to those scores including high teacher turn over, lack of resources, child trauma, lack of sleep, lack of nutrition, crime & safety, and education level of parents.

 

It was interesting for me to read about the mixed results on the impact of summer reading programs since I teach in a year-round school. From research, I have conducted in the past, there are also mixed results about the impact of year-round schools. From my personal experience working in both traditional and year-round schools, I see a big improvement in the retention of material from year to year and after track-out breaks for all of my students on the year-round schedule as opposed to retention after the long summer break with traditional schools.