Terry Miller “Why can’t she remember that?”The importance of reading in multilingual, multicultural classrooms.

Erika W.
QUOTES:

1. "Children who don’t have many early book reading experiences learn their cultural lessons through interactions with family and other community members, from oral stories, and observations of other people’s behaviors."
This points out that there are many cultural traditions in which books are not the main way of providing children with lessons and stories of morality. Not all cultures uphold book reading like the dominate white middle-class does. In lower class families life lessons are learned through experience and stories from family members.

2. "Many children who are unused to books and being read to find it difficult to sit still for the time it takes the teacher to read even a fairly short picture book. Unfamiliar with book reading routines many teachers assume as common knowledge, children who have not been read to at home find these routines aversive, puzzling, or simply boring."
Children whom are not used to being read to don’t know “the rules” of reading. It’s not common knowledge for them that they must sit and listen carefully. The loaded word in this quote is assume. Teachers (who are likely white and middle-class) need to understand the needs of a multicultural classroom.

3. "Teach book reading behaviors explicitly."
So simple and so important. This point ties in to our Silenced Dialogue reading. We need to provide the students with the behaviors expected of them explicitly, so they will have these attributes in the future. It will provide them with success in the classroom setting. When the students know the rules for book reading they will feel more comfortable and confident when book reading takes place.


QUESTIONS/COMMENTS/POINTS TO SHARE;

What a great article. I loved how Meier listed explicitly how to remedy the problem. She took her own advice and using it on the audience. This article really ties in to other things we have read about cultural differences. It explains how schools/teachers need to “see” these differences and how to draw on them to mend the deficits. Books are a powerful tool in schools and children who are engaged in books do well. So, by teaching the students what is expected of them and making the books more relevant to their lives will greatly increase their odds of doing well in school. Children have active imaginations and more creativity during book reading should be encouraged. I believe that the students would get more out of the books.

It was really interesting that the children go so into the book series. They integrated it into their daily lives. I see this a lot with television shows. In fact a lot of children watch more television than they read books. I know mine does. That is another place they learn lesson and morals. They can relate to the characters struggles and achievements. I think television can be more appealing to children because it’s alive, it’s there, and it’s in your face. If we can take some of these attributes and put them to use with book students will be more engaged.