Double Journal Entry #10

1. What are the features of the forms of language that are spoken in a home environment that align with academic varieties of language?

 

The features include children telling regular events as stories, parents reading to children, and children using clear language to answer questions.

2. What are the features of Leona's specialized form of language?

Leona groups her lines into stanzas wherein each line tends to have a parallel structure with other lines in the stanza and to match them in content, just as biblical poetry. The stanzas show structure and patterning. These forms of language are connected to forms of life.

3. Why is Leona's specialized form of language not accepted in school?

 

Teachers expect more report like narratives that are step-by-step. Facts organized around one topic and linear events with no poetry or emotion.

 

4. Explain the contradiction between the research conducted by Snow et al. (1998) and the recommendations made by Snow et al. (1998).

 

Snow states that the "Black-White Gap" in reading test scores was closing fast from the 1960's until the mid 1980's. Snow contradicts himself when he admits that this improvement was much greater than any progress that has been made as a result of early phonemic awareness training that he recommends.

5. What other factors besides early skills training will make or break good readers?

 

Some other factors that will make or break good readers is the factor that people feel like they belong to and are valued in their learning environment. Also some students may have been exposed to another language form through modern technology and media. These seem more motivating and compelling.

 

6. Why do some children fail to identify with, or find alienating, the "ways with words" taught in school?

 

Children cannot feel valued at schooll when their home-based practices are ignored, denigrated, or unused. Also children way find the academic language alienating because the adults in their home do.