Homeschooling Solves Literacy Gap
Jul. 20, 2006 at 10:21 AM
Homeschooling
In separate research, Judith Kleinfield may have found the root cause,The research, by psychology professor Judith Kleinfeld at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, finds that nearly one-quarter of high school seniors across the United States who are sons of white, college-educated parents have woeful reading skills, ranking "below basic" on a national standardized test.
"These boys cannot read a newspaper and get the main point," Kleinfeld told LiveScience. "These boys cannot read directions for how to use equipment and follow them.
"Many boys are disengaging from school," Kleinfeld says. "The U.S. Department of Education's surveys of student commitment show that boys are far less likely than girls to do homework or to come to school with the supplies they need."
I think the lack of a literacy gap among homeschooled boys and girls not only because we can tailor the reading to their interests, but also because at home they don't lose the desire to learn, simply because they can't read well. Most schools use reading as the primary means of learning. A slow or unenthusiastic reader in the early years is going to be seen as an under achiever and eventually lose the motivation to read and possibly learn all together."Here's a fascinating fact," she said. "There is no literacy gap in home-schooled boys and girls."
"Why? In school, teachers emphasize reading literature and talking about character and feelings," she said. "This way of teaching reading does not turn boys on. Boys prefer reading nonfiction, such as history and adventure books. When they are taught at home, parents are more likely to let them follow their interests."
In our home, both my boys and girls love reading , but my older son didn't start out that way. He is an auditory learner. He would sit and listen to me read a story, but had no interest in reading them. I loved it and so did he. When my voice went dry, he would listen to books or stories on tape. Lots of them. I didn't worry too much (thank you Dr. Moore), I knew that his love for books was there, his love for reading them on his own would come with time. And it has. He is now 15 and a fine reader. But if his early learning depended on his reading ability, he would have fallen behind and been one of these statistics.
Have you noticed a difference between your homeschooled boys and girls in reading? Why do you think homeschooled students don't have the same literacy gap that public schooled students have?
(HT: The Common Room)
Related Tags: home education, homeschooling, reading, public schools
4 Comments and Trackbacks
posted by Midlandmama on Jul. 20, 2006 at 10:27 AM
As a teacher in a small private school, I find that boys, much more than girls, use video games as their main source of entertainment and socializing. Girls are more likely to read books. Well educated people are likely to have computers in their homes, complete with all the "stuff" for video entertainment. And many of us don't make our sons read . . .
posted by jacobsacademy on Jul. 20, 2006 at 7:07 PM
My oldest son was born with a love for books - the pages, the illustrations, the very typed words themselves - I wondered often if he had a library tucked away somewhere during his "incubation".....
15 mo.s later - came precious son #2. Like your son, he too loved to be "read to" or look at the pictures - "talk about" the pictures; verbal and logical from the word go; exceptional vocabulary from age 3; he is my artistic little butterfly.
He blooms according to God's time table. I left him alone to bloom.
Now his reading has really jumped over the last year. He can read all the computer language for designing graphics how to's or baseball statistics and the latest sports reports - just don't ask him to read Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn - he rather be read to w/eyes glazed.
I agree, thank you Dr. Moore - our society does not grasp the concept of allowing our individual children to grow at their individual rates. One size does not fit all.
but my butterfly still exhausts me.............I just know that "Law School" is gonna love him........
(giggle)
;-)
Harriette
posted by InjoyLife on Jul. 20, 2006 at 7:38 PM
Spunky, you are so right!
Although my daughters, who are exceptionally gifted artistically, are the late bloomers around here. I agree that it doesn't matter as much when you homeschool. Everyday we read aloud about all sorts of things, and all sorts of novels and books, and nobody "misses out". When it's unbearable for them not to read, they sit and teach themselves--although I do make sure they have the basics in phonics and sounding out (without being pushy--just giving them the tools for when they need it).
Since they don't sense any stigma, when they begin to take off they enjoy it to the fullest, without the baggage of feeling like failures. I think that's why lots of folks are thought "literate" who have no reading comprehension--they have been forced to read and so do not internalize the pleasure that they could normally receive from the joy of learning on their own.
Folks are really duped into thinking the current way we teach children is the way it's always been--not so. Even in the old one-room schoolhouse, when our nation enjoyed 90 percent literacy, there were levels, but not necessarily "grades"--at least not according to age. Folks advanced according to their ability and desire, not according to some arbitrary labeling.
After talking to some of the kids, especially boys, in the youth group at church, your heart just aches. They are convinced that learning is boring or they are stupid, when you can just sense their brilliance.
When I started homeschooling, it was because I wanted my children to have a Christian education, which I thought only pertained to the content of what was taught. Now I see that it is not only content that is harmful in the public school setting, but also method. I am convinced that if the devil could sit and dictate a way to crush the human spirit and keep people from being free to serve God to the utmost, our public school system (and the private ones, including homeschools, that emulate them) would look pretty close.
posted by GAhomeschoolmom on Jul. 21, 2006 at 12:43 AM