Does achievement gap occur at school or at home?

[Anonymous]

Also, some of these parents may not read well themselves--I went to school with some of these kids (I am AA and grew up in a pretty blue-collar environment). So it may be that these parents value education, but don't want to show their kids that they themselves have difficulty with reading? Just a thought.

I LOVE reading to my young child--but I read smoothly and with a ton of expression, different voices for different characters, movements to accompany the action of the plot, etc. If a less-educated parent doesn't read very well, it may not be engaging for the kid, hence not much reading at home.

Not to mention the myriad other reasons AA kids from poor backgrounds may have more challenges at school--parents may be juggling difficult work schedules, caring for multiple kids, may not be able to volunteer as much, etc.

I also posted on another thread, although can't find the links right now--some AA working-class or low SES families may not feel as welcome by the school. There is data to suggest that cultural differences between the family and the school may lead some families to feel alienated.

Just a few thoughts.

[Anonymous]

In DCUMland, when white kids don't do their homework, it is because their Mommies think it is developmentally inappropriate. When black and latiino kids don't do their homework, it is because their parents don't care about education.

If parents are telling their kids not to do the homework--they are sending a whole different message to their kids. One that will not work out well for them when they have to go to work.

There were many times I felt like DS had waaay too much homework. Especially, from one particular teacher. NEVER would I have told him that he did not have to do it.

[Anonymous]

Look at the research around the summer slide- low income kids lose so much knowledge compared to their peers. It's definitel a problem at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yet DCUM has posters who proudly state they are anti-homework for early grades, research shows it's not appropriate, they don't like their child being pushed so young blah blah blah. The double standard starting as early as K is so interesting

So, you want your five year old in school all day doing "academics" and then you want him to come home and do homework? Really?

I have no problem with a homework folder for K, if it is something like reading a book with your parent every day--counting something, etc. Something that takes a very short period of time and requires that the parent understand what the child is learning at school.

Same for first grade-- maybe a five minute worksheet at home, just for review and to let the parent see what is going on.

If you expect a young child to be at school all day and then come home and do homework, please let me know when he plays?

In DCUMland, when white kids don't do their homework, it is because their Mommies think it is developmentally inappropriate. When black and latiino kids don't do their homework, it is because their parents don't care about education.

First poster here, thank you for getting my point re: the double standard.

And to the middle poster, my child has not yet entered K so I haven't formed an opinion yet about homework. But it's good to know that if DH and I choose to have him skip an assignment some busybody parent (23:07) will be taking notes and making assumptions because my kid has brown skin.

I am not a busybody parent. I volunteer in your kid's class and help plan events for the school. Ultimately I care about my kid and his achievement. The same 5 kids never brought their homework back on Friday. I genuinely felt bad for the kids.

If you skip homework once in a while, that is your choice. No need to be defensive about it.

This thread is about the achievement gap and I saw first hand how it starts in kindergarten. I will admit that I spend a lot of time and energy to enrich my children. Homework is a priority and my kids know that it needs to be done. We never skip. Of course there are occasions where we can't do it that day and then we double up the next day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look at the research around the summer slide- low income kids lose so much knowledge compared to their peers. It's definitel a problem at home.

What is summer slide?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look at the research around the summer slide- low income kids lose so much knowledge compared to their peers. It's definitel a problem at home.

What is summer slide?

The amount of progress students lose over the summer.

I think it was in "Outliers" that I read how with wealthier children over the summer they had more activities, camps, and reading materials available so the progress lost over the summer was minimized. Poorer children have less access to things like these, so they backslide a lot more. The effect winds up being cumulative with each summer break, so less affluent kids wind up getting further and further behind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look at the research around the summer slide- low income kids lose so much knowledge compared to their peers. It's definitel a problem at home.

What is summer slide?

The amount of progress students lose over the summer.

I think it was in "Outliers" that I read how with wealthier children over the summer they had more activities, camps, and reading materials available so the progress lost over the summer was minimized. Poorer children have less access to things like these, so they backslide a lot more. The effect winds up being cumulative with each summer break, so less affluent kids wind up getting further and further behind.

Library is free, museums are free, lots of free ways to keep momentum going and to get enrichment over summer - but there are some families that don't even bother to take advantage of all of the great free resources out there.

[Anonymous]

to combat summer slide, should public schools go year round?

I think that would be better - cut the number of hours of school per day but lengthen the school year to 48 weeks.