When it comes to reaching students who may need education the most, it is often about more than just putting more work in inside the classroom. Understanding what language is spoken within a cultural subset and how life affects individuals can help with greater ability to reach those students who need teachers the most.
The statistics show low income students start three to four years behind their peers and are three times more likely to drop out of school. 43 percent of children born in poverty remain in poverty.
While it is understood that education can be a road out of poverty, what is happening in the here and now in the lives of those who live in low income households can help explain decisions made for survival on a day to day basis.
Different registers of language used in the home and in education were defined for the board before the discussion.
• Frozen: Language that is always the same. For example: Lord's Prayer, wedding vows, etc.
• Formal: The standard sentence syntax and word choice of work and school. Has complete sentences and specific word choice.
• Consultative: Formal register when used in conversation. Discourse patter not quite as direct as formal register.
• Casual: Language between friends and is characterized by a 400 to 800 word vocabulary. Word choice general and not specific. Conversation dependent upon non-verbal assists. Sentence syntax often incomplete.
• Intimate: Language between lovers or twins. Language of sexual harassment.
The rest of the story and how it relates to education can be found in the Monday, March 20, 2017 edition of the Guymon Daily Herald.