Change a Child’s Trajectory with Reading

In my previous blog, I shared the devastating impact on Timothy’s self-efficacy.  Shifting gears let’s take a look at how reading or the lack thereof will change the trajectory of Timothy’s entire life.    

I am a firm believer that facts should be our friends. Facts should help us to make thoughtful and laser-like decisions in both our personal and professional lives.  As you read the findings, imagine a young life counting on adults to guide his/her academic career from cradle to graduation.   More importantly, be willing to start the discussion at home, at work, in your churches and synagogues about the facts you are about to read: 

These findings are excerpts from the paper:  "Developing a Minnesota Reading Initiative to Promote Early Literacy" by Marika Ginsburg-Block, Ph.D. and Ann M. Casey, Ph.D., NCSP.

Learning to read is perhaps the most important skill for success in society that a child can gain from public education. Without reading competency, students are at-risk for many negative life outcomes, such as poorer income potential, limited employment options, and quality of life issues (such as reading for pleasure). Poor reading skills also lead to more immediate consequences in school. Without well-developed literacy skills, students will not gain the content knowledge they need to be successful in school. Academic success defined as high school graduation can be predicted by third grade reading skills (Snow, Burns, and Griffin, 1998). For full employment in our modern, technological environment, a person must have more than basic literacy. In 1994, fewer than 50 percent of high school dropouts were employed (National Center for Education Statistics, as cited in Snow et al., 1998). As one can see, there is a downward spiral for students who don't gain basic literacy skills. This trajectory begins in first grade when some children learn to read and others don’t. By the end of second grade, students who have not mastered basic reading skills begin this downward spiral that continues without significant intervention, resulting in students ill-prepared for school and for life.

There are several reasons for the development of reading problems. While reading problems are represented across income groups and educational settings, students from low socio-economic backgrounds are at greater risk for reading failure. Language ability is one of the most important precursors to learning to read. In their seminal work, Hart and Risley (1995) found that vast differences in language development exist between middle-class children and children from less advantaged backgrounds. The development of language and vocabulary is foundational and prerequisite to the development of literacy skills. Some children entering kindergarten already have a large vocabulary and early literacy experiences. Many children from middle-class homes have had hundreds of hours of storybook reading during their early developmental years. These experiences have helped foster their cognitive and language development, which leads to larger vocabularies. In contrast, children from disadvantaged homes may have had no experience with books and likely have had far fewer conversations with adults. Both of these lead to children entering kindergarten without the prerequisite language skills necessary for reading achievement. To be specific, these students lack a particular language skill - phonemic awareness.  

The association of poor reading outcomes with poverty and minority status no doubt reflects the accumulated effects of several risk factors, including lack of access to literacy-stimulating preschool experiences and to excellent, coherent reading instruction. 

Reading is the greatest predictor of life's outcomes.  Keep in mind the young are voiceless. They look to you and me for their most basic of needs.  The need to read and read well is like the need for food, water, and shelter.  Let us all actively ensure the basic need of reading is met.

So how do we heal Timothy's hurt, rejection and sense of unworthiness?

And though Timothy's pain is not as visible as the amputee soldier who comes home from Iraq, or the injured passenger removed from a wrecked carnage or even the burned skin of a cancer patient from rounds and rounds of chemo; nevertheless, there is a gaping hole in Timothy's soul.

The soul is like the motherboard. From it we launch our dreams, we shape our destiny, and we endure the challenges that life throws our way.

But if the motherboard is damaged, if it is already frailed from life's young experiences, how can it be ready, willing, and able to launch a "whole" human being ---a human being with aspirations of life, with the hope of liberty, and yes, grasping for that all encompassing yet elusive pursuit of happiness.

At the tender age of 8 or 9, we ask ourselves, is it already too late for Timothy?

Some say it is. Our prisons are built on the failures of young Timothys. It is a fact that our third grade failures in "these" United States dictate the number of prisons we will build later.

But I write, not to discourage you, but to encourage. To ask you not to give up, but to get up.  To STAND for Timothy.

So contrary to what some say, I say  "No it's not too late--- if we are willing to roll up our sleeves and do the necessary work.  I say it's not too late ---if we understand that by saving others we save ourselves."

Where do we start? At the very beginning.

We give Timothy his self-respect and his self-worth back.

Well how do we do that? Notice Timothy.

Acknowledge his hurt. Prescribe a word of encouragement or a kind act. Give Timothy a task/ chore. Help him feel a sense of accomplishment. Give him a few minutes of YOUR time. Look him in the eyes and tell him he matters.

How may Timothys are we talking about?  Millions...

Are there Timothy's in my neighborhoods? At my schools? In my churches, mosque, synagogues and temples? Yes...

Honoring Timothy's Existence: Encourage students with words that create self-efficacy

There is a part of me that says leave this precious valued third grader nameless, but my instinct says to give honor to his existence and give him a name.

Because when I name him you, the reader, are assured he is real. His name is Timothy. And Timothy, despite how he felt crossing that stage, is still a child of significance and purpose.

But we all sadly and conveniently forgot that.  We forgot that our priority, as a community and as a family of humankind, is to instill in every child significance and purpose.

Timothy is not alone. There are millions of children that feel the same way---broken, hurt, and insignificant.

It is so very important that we feel and acknowledge Timothy's pain. It is only when we acknowledge his hurt and pain can we begin to heal such a worthy and precious child.

Most times "healing" simply requires an encouraging word to a child. An encouraging word is a dream maker; it builds and sustains life.

An encouraging word is the unconquerable and undeniable love that allows us all to stand in the face of life's adversities.

The next time you are in the presence of children, in the presence of our most divine gifts, encourage them with words that create self-efficacy ---words that mend tiny souls and, ultimately, build great nations and compassionate people.

The Gift and How Self-Efficacy Matters

It's not the red soled shoes that we wear; it's not the car that we drive; it's not even the house that we live in, but the greatest gift of all is the gift of life. And if you have ever experienced the birth of a child then you understand. Sudden everything that we possess pales in comparison to the miracle of life---the precious and undeniable miracle of life. It is what we celebrate at birth and cling to at the hour of death.

It is with that understanding that we begin.

It is the premise that life and the collective lives of many becomes our nation's greatest investment . It is an investment in human capital.

And at the time of that birth, that gift of life, we have not a clue who he or she will become. We simply don't know if we are holding the next Dr. Ben Carson, the next Sonya Sanchez, or the next George Lucas.

But what we should know is that we are holding a child that when given the nurturing and guidance required will sprout wings and soar.

I believe there is, not only a potential that lies inside each of us, but there is a human propensity for greatness that resides within all of us.

So what happens when a little 3rd grade boy says to me, " This is my first time on stage. I'm not smart. I'm bad.

" What happens... well, we typically build another prison cell for yet another little boy who grows up with a shattered self-image and consumed with self-hate.

And who do we blame? You? Me? His parents? His school? His religious institution? His community? Or maybe when we run out of folks to blame we just simply blame him?

When I experienced his self-dehumanization, I had a sense that I had failed him. You had failed him. We all had failed him.

And the one thing I was certain of was that the one thing he needed was acknowledgement of worth. He needed self-efficacy. He needed to be valued, accepted, and yes loved.

This little boy needed to know he was a gift. He needed to know he had value and that he mattered.

Somewhere between birth and 8 years of life on earth this little boy had already loss his love of self.

Social cognitive theory identifies self-efficacy as achievement that results from interplay between one's actions, thoughts, and beliefs, and the external conditions in which one lives.

No one will argue that self- efficacy predicts student academic achievement and learning.

And no one will argue that a student's ability, beliefs, and expectancies for success predict student's performance outcomes.

And here's the kicker: the feedback effect. Yes, it's the effect that says higher levels of self-worth and self efficacy can lead to higher rates of success and higher rates of success lead to self- efficacy.

We, mere mortals, are the receivers of the gift of life and thus we must be accountable for the feedback effect and baste in the glory when it works and live with the shame when it doesn't.

Footnote1. As quoted from "Social Foundations of Thought and Action: A Social Cognitive Theory, "Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall