Reducing the reading achievement gap for African-American children

1
Reducing the reading achievement gap for
African-American children
William Labov University of Pennsylvania
Fourth Annual Readng First Superintendents
Summit November 2, 2006
2
Reducing the reading achievement gap for
African-American children
Fourth Annual Readng First Superintendents
Summit November 2, 2006
3
The minority differential in reading
achievementAverage national NAEP reading score
by race
4
The local minority differential in reading
achievementProportion below BASIC on STAR
reading test, L.A. county, 2005
Phila Black
5
The local minority differential in reading
achievementProportion below PROFICIENT on STAR
reading test, L.A. county, 2005
Phila Black
6
Some causes of reading failure
Lead poisoning
Malnutrition
Cognitive problems
Attentional disorders
Inadequate family support
Reading failure
Discouragement
Inadequate school resources
Loss of confidence in the alphabet
Inadequate instruction
Behavioral problems
Inadequate knowledge of childrens language and
culture
Alienation
Suspension
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Some approaches to reading improvement
Lead poisoning
Malnutrition
Cognitive impairment
Attentional disorders
Involve family in reading
Reading improvement
Encouragement
Add to school resources
Restore confidence in the alphabet
Improve instruction
Reduce behavioral problems
Knowledge of childrens language and culture
Integration
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Studies of African-American English across the
U.S., 1966-2002
Wolfram, Detroit, 1969
Labov et al. NYC, 1966
Mitchell-Kernan, Berkeley 1966
Individualized Reading Program, 2001-2006
Labov,Myhill, Ash Phila, 1983
Fasold, WashDC, 1972
Rickford et al. E. Palo Alto 1991
Baugh, L.A., 1983
Atlanta
Bailey, Cukor-Avila, Springville, Texas 1991-
Summerlin. Gainesvillle, 1972
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Four ways of using knowledge of African-American
childrens language and culture to raise reading
levels

• Relating the logic and sequence of instruction to
  the phonology of African-American English
• Using knowledge of African-American English to
  guide Intervention in oral reading
• 3. Explicit teaching of Standard English where
  grammatical differences intersect with the
  reading process
• 4. Re-integrating the alienated reader by drawing
  on subjects of maximal interest for
  African-American children

10
Four ways of using knowledge of African-American
childrens language and culture to raise reading
levels

• Relating the logic and sequence of instruction to
  the phonology of African-American English
• Using knowledge of African-American English to
  guide Intervention in oral reading
• 3. Explicit teaching of Standard English where
  grammatical differences intersect with the
  reading process
• 4. Re-integrating the alienated reader by drawing
  on subjects of maximal interest for
  African-American children

11
Progress in reducing the minority
differentialThe effect of 40 hours of
instruction with the Individualized Reading
Program (Labov and Baker 2004)
National percentile scores on the
Woodcock-Johnson III Word-ID Test, before and
after instruction in California schools, grades
2-4, 2001-2004
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Relating the logic and sequence of instruction to
the sound patterns of African-American English
a. Focusing attention on combinatory patterns
b. Teaching spelling-to-sound
relations c. Giving equal attention to the ends
of words
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Relating the logic and sequence of instruction to
the sound patterns of African-American English
a. Focusing attention on combinatory patterns
b. Teaching spelling-to-sound
relations c. Giving equal attention to the ends
of words
14
Percent errors in decoding initial consonants by
race in California (RX diagnosis, 2002)
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Error rates in decoding initial consonants for
whites by region, 2001-2004
Cat CHat
SCat SCRap
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Percent error in decoding initial consonants by
race in Philadelphia, 2001-2004 before
intervention
Cat CHat SCat
SCRap
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Error rates in decoding initial consonants for
African-Americans by region, 2001-2004
Cat CHat SCat
SCRap
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Relating the logic and sequence of instruction to
the sound patterns of African-American English
a. Focusing attention on combinatory patterns
b. Teaching spelling-to-sound
relations c. Giving equal attention to the ends
of words
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Sound to spelling instructions for s
What are the ways that the sound s is spelled?
with s as in
sneakers
bus
with c as in
city
cereal
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The soft-c rule as sound-to-spelling
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Spelling to sound instructions for the soft-c rule
What are the sounds that c stands for?
for the sound of k in
cat
picnic
for the sound of s as in
city
cereal
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Teaching the soft-c rule as spelling-to-sound
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When does c have the sound of s?
cow cent fact cinder coop cease clue certa
in back ice creep icy cute race
Before the letters i, e and y
Answer
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Relating the logic and sequence of instruction to
the sound patterns of African-American English
a. Focusing attention on combinatory patterns
b. Teaching spelling-to-sound relations c.
Giving equal attention to the ends of words
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Error rates in decoding word-final consonants in
California by race, 2001-2004, before intervention
caT baTH
faST waSPS
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Putting equal emphasis on initial and final
consonants
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from Ghosts in the Basement
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Pre- and post-error rates for final consonants
by region and language/ethnic grouop
baT baTH
paST waSPS
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Four ways of using knowledge of African-American
childrens language and culture to raise reading
levels

• Relating the logic and sequence of instruction to
  the phonology of African-American English
• Using knowledge of African-American English to
  guide Intervention in oral reading
• 3. Explicit teaching of Standard English where
  grammatical differences intersect with the
  reading process
• 4. Re-integrating the alienated reader by drawing
  on subjects of maximal interest for
  African-American children

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Distinguish mistakes in reading (identifying the
wrong word) from differences in grammar or
pronunciation.
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Ray and his Cat Come Back
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Ray and his cat were a pain in the rear. Ray
sneaked up on Matt and put the cat in his ear.
snuck
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The decision on whether or not to intervene in
oral reading
should be informed by the best estimate of
whether the reader has identified the word
intended in the text will be helped by
knowledge of how the reader normally articulates
that word in every-day speech may be based on
the need to encourage fluent decoding and
comprehension of the text. may be based on the
need to teach standard English grammar and
vocabulary. may be based on the need to
encourage an articulation as close to the printed
form as possible. may be based on the need to
develop a pronunciation associated with educated
speech.
34
The merger of /i/ and /e/ before nasal
consonants, Atlas of North American English Map
9.5
pin/pen merger
pin/pen merger
The South
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Identity of /i/ and /e/ before nasal consonants
homonyms
him hem pin pen gym gem win when
in N since cents din den spinned spend
Linda lend a tin ten gin Jen bin Ben
sinned send
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Reading the word friend
I caught a BIG, BIG, yellow and green bug in the
mud. It was out of sight!
I put it in a big jar and gave it to my friend
Will.
I put it in a big jar and gave it to my frind
Will.
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Four ways of using knowledge of African-American
childrens language and culture to raise reading
levels

• Relating the logic and sequence of instruction to
  the phonology of African-American English
• Using knowledge of African-American English to
  guide Intervention in oral reading
• 3. Explicit teaching of Standard English where
  grammatical differences affect the reading
  process
• 4. Re-integrating the alienated reader by drawing
  on subjects of maximal interest for
  African-American children

38
Does the grammar of the spoken language interfere
with reading?
In African-American Vernacular English, the
possessive ltsgt is not used between two
nouns Standard English AAVE my brothers
house my brother house my mothers cousins boy
friend my mother cousin boy friend
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Absence of possessive s between two nouns in
spontaneous speech of struggling readers,
California schools, 2002-2003
40
Does this speech pattern interfere with decoding
and understanding the printed text of standard
English?
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Possessive constructions in the diagnostic
reading, Ray and His Cat Come Back
in Aunt Cindys store grabbed Matts
chips jumped in Rays coat didnt reach up to
Rays chin
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RX possessive
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The possessive of the relative pronoun who in AAVE
from Memory tests in Harlem, 1967
Repeat back as carefully as you can I dont
know whose book it was
Typical response from members of the
pre-adolescent Thunderbirds I dont know who
book it was
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Rays Cat Gets Stuck
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Ray and His cat Gets Stuck
The cat landed on Ray's head and dug its claws
in Ray's nose Ray was screaming, "Get off my
head!" The cat wouldn't listen but just kept
digging instead He took off wearing that cat for
a hat It wasn't very pretty but whose fault was
that
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Ray and His cat Gets Stuck
African-American students from a southern
California school, 2002-3
Text It wasn't very pretty but whose fault
was that C-03 (2nd grade) was float
was that C-04 (2nd grade) was fell
was that C-07 (3rd grade) was frote
was that C-27 (4th grade) was full was
that C-23 (3d grade) wasnt fight was
that C-32 (2nd grade) who fell-gtfault
was that C-37 (4th grade) who-gtwhose
felt-gtfault was that
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Reading errors for I dont know whose fault it
was
Percent was, wasnt in California schools,
2001-2004
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A narrative designed to reinforce the teaching of
the standard English suffixes, including the
possessive
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WDII-4
Mr. Benson said, "Is that your dollar?" I said,
"No, it isn't." He said, "Whose dollar is it?" I
said, "I don't know whose dollar it is." He
said, "Janine told me that she lost a dollar this
morning. Is that Janine's dollar?" I said,
"No, it isn't."
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Teaching the meaning of possessive ltsgt
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Four ways of using knowledge of African-American
childrens language and culture to raise reading
levels

• Relating the logic and sequence of instruction to
  the phonology of African-American English
• Using knowledge of African-American English to
  guide Intervention in oral reading
• 3. Explicit teaching of Standard English where
  grammatical differences intersect with the
  reading process
• 4. Re-integrating the alienated reader by drawing
  on subjects of maximal interest for
  African-American children

52
Four ways of reducing alienation from the reading
program
Students to interact as much as possible
Teachers to intervene as little as possible
Maintain respect for the childs language
Achieve high self-to-text realization Draw upon
subject matter of maximum interest to the
discouraged reader
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What is your favorite radio station?
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A second grade questionnaire

1. What is your favorite type of music?
2. What is your favorite group?
3. Who is your least favorite musician?
4. What are your favorite radio stations?
5. What are your parents favorite radio stations?
6. Do you rap with your friends?

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Bydia K., 11 years old
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Most frequently named artist Usher
Best known song My boo
There's always that one personThat will always
have your heartYou never see it comingCause
you're blinded from the startKnow that you're
that one for meIt's clear for everyone to
seeOoh baby ooh you'll always be my boo
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Practising the silent-e rule with Ushers lyrics
See it's a shame that when you're working hard
doing well people hate you Yeah buying nothing
else but the best for yourself they really hate
you Yeah you got to live for you and no one else
Don't let them make you feel like you're not
being real Just live how you want to live you
got to do for you
Exception before v
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The silent-e rule, focusing on long-a
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The silent-e rule
The vowel a can make two sounds as in tap and
tape. If you add silent-e to the end of a word,
you change the short sound to the long sound.
make cap into cape
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Exceptions to silent-e
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Some approaches to reading improvement
Lead poisoning
Malnutrition
Cognitive impairment
Attentional disorders
Involve family in reading
Reading improvement
Encouragement
Add to school resources
Restore confidence in the alphabet
Improve instruction
Reduce behavioral problems
Knowledge of childrens language and culture
Integration