What are the causes of low literacy achievement rates in students from low socio-economic statuses?

In this study I will look into the various factors and limitations that have an effect on this data and how the socioeconomic status correlates with reading scores. The focus of this study will be on the factors that effect the literacy rates in children from low socioeconomic statuses. Research shows that individuals from low income backgrounds, particularly poor minorities have lower reading scores and results from a recent study conducted by the national association for the education of younger children showed that as early as age 3, there is a 30-million-word gap between children from the wealthiest and poorest families. According to reading specialist and author of “The Reading Crisis: Why Poor children Fall Behind”, Jeanne Chall, surveys and research on children's reading and vocabulary development consistently found that literacy was correlated with the professional, educational, and economic status of the children's parents and that children from low-income families did generally less well than those from middle-class families.” (2) This gap in literacy rates is only widened the older the individual and by the 4^th grade 47 percent of fourth graders from low-income            families read below the basic level.  The issue of low literacy rates by socioeconomic level is furthered confirmed by the data collected from the National Report Card. The results showed that when comparing reading between 4^th graders who were eligible for national school lunch program and those students who were ineligible due to their household making above the above the income level there was a significant gap in achievement. The students who were eligible for free or reduced lunch scored an average score of 201, which is below the basic reading level and students who were ineligible for free or reduced lunch scored an average of 249, which is slightly above the proficiency standard for this grade level. While the issue of illiteracy is not a new problem and is a topic that has been studied for decades there is still a need to analyze the factors that affect these disadvantaged students and what we can do to remediate the problem. If you investigate the topic of the effects of socioeconomic status and how it correlates to low literacy rates there has been a significant amount of research and studies conducted by various disciplines such as; social sciences, education, law and even history and has been argued from various perspectives. While some may argue that the cause of lower reading levels for individuals from lower socioeconomic levels may be due to lack of resources, others may argue that there are resources available even to those that do not come from families or environments that are high in socioeconomic levels. This leads to the argument of whether the lack of reading skills is caused by other factors such as will power, the desire to want to learn or the influence by the individual’s ecological environment. 

 

The potential phenomenon that produced the most data from previous research is economics due to the lack of resources found in schools and libraries who serve areas with high poverty students. The American Psychological Association, reports that the education that poor, urban students in public schools receive is demonstrably insufficient to make them competitive with their more advantaged, middle and upper income peers. Most teachers in high-poverty schools often report having to work with outdated textbooks in short supply; outdated computers and other kinds of technology; and inadequate or nonexistent science equipment, materials and labs. As well, the amount and variety of college-preparatory or advanced placement offerings lag significantly behind schools serving more advantaged populations. This lack of resources has continued to put low socioeconomic students at a disadvantage, without changes to public policy and a revision of government funding it will continue to be a major issue to these communities. There have been numerous studies that have made it evident that access to resources can improve students test scores and grades. For instance, a reform initiative that provided laptops and wireless access in an urban high school (Project Hiller) increased standardized test scores, student motivation and technological literacy for adolescents in grades 8 and 9 (Light, McDermott, & Honey, 2002). Overall we can clearly see that this issue requires the expertise of multiple disciplines to help break this cycle and achieve higher literacy rates in low socioeconomic statuses. 

 

Light, D., McDermott, M., & Honey, M. (2002). The impact of ubiquitous portable technology on an urban school: Project Hiller. New York: Education Development Center/Center for Children & Technology.

 

“Education and Urban Schools.” Monitor on Psychology, American Psychological Association, www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/indicator/2013/05/urban-schools.aspx.

 

Home Libraries in low income neighborhoods lack the same resources that libraries do in middle income areas. For instance, In Denver, Colorado, an advocacy group for low-income communities charged that libraries in Denver ’s poorest areas are open fewer hours than those elsewhere, noting that fewer library hours contribute to learning gaps between low-income and more affluent students. These lack of resources which include enrichment programs offered at libraries puts these students that reside in these locations at a disadvantage. The resources in schools that serve majority low income students also fall behind on resources such as updated textbooks, technology and courses that expose students to STEM careers. There seems to also be an emphasis placed on athletic ability and other professions that do not relate to literacy with the low socioeconomic status. A study showed that most children that fell into this demographic valued athletic ability over academic ability. Therefore, there is reason to believe that anthropology is a valid discipline to consider for this phenomenon. The need for better teachers and teaching strategies will not solve this problem. The economic status and income seems to be a major factor as well. Research shows that majority of parents, particularly single parent households work more than 1 job. A parent that is employed at multiple jobs and various shifts spend less time with their children and therefore are most times unable to assist with school assignments. Another factor that is often overlooked is the education of the student’s parents/caregivers. For instance, according to the family and community literacy play posit video, 1 in every 6 adults read on an elementary level. Many parents are unable to assist their children with their literacy due them lacking the literacy skills themselves. Overall, we can see from the numerous sources I found that this issue is a multidisciplinary problem and will need the expertise of professionals from various disciplines.

Education is also a major aspect of achievement rates and professionals in this discipline strongly believe a good education is invaluable. It is understood by many to be a means of overcoming handicaps, achieving greater equality, and acquiring wealth and social status. In this discipline, the key elements are focused on teachers, teaching strategies and curriculum. Studies in education show that “Children from low-SES and language minority homes have unique linguistic strengths, but many reach school age with lower levels of English language skill than do middle-class, monolingual children.” Most recently, to help close this gap, there have been major adjustments within education to try and close the literacy achievement gaps between low SES students and their counterparts. However, it is important to note that I also found contradicting data that shows that teachers often have lower expectations for low SES students and give them less attention and fewer challenging assignments. As described in the educational psychology play post it video, the movement of education has geared towards culturally responsive pedagogy in which teachers provide a student-centered approach to teaching in which the students' unique cultural strengths are identified and nurtured to promote student achievement and a sense of well-being about the student's cultural place in the world. Professionals in this discipline believe that many low SES students struggle more academically because there is a lack of culturally relevant material that is being incorporated into the classroom. teaching culturally relevant material and promoting diversity in the classroom is imperative to ensure students feel included. The theory that education needs to be culturally inclusive connects to the discipline of anthropology. Anthropologists study human societies and cultures and their development. The need to include various cultures and promote diversity is another way branching education and anthropology to help students advance their academic skills. The discipline of biology also can have an impact on student’s literacy rates. Students with intellectual disorders will have achievement gaps due to their brains inability to process certain information or to function in different ways. While I did not find many other disciplines that related directly to this one, I did identify a survey that showed that mental illness and learning disability interventions were less likely to be seen and addressed in individuals from low socioeconomic statuses. 

According to the assistant director at the site I visited, “the biggest challenge for many of the kids is their mentality. A lot of the kids, whether they want to admit it, do not believe in themselves and do not have positive role models in their lives to help guide them in the right direction. “This led me to also seek out research that supported the concept of anthropology and the mentality of some low SES students. How does they view literacy? What does it mean to them and how important is it to them to be able to read and write proficiently? As I stated in my primary research based on my personal experience. Many of these students do not believe that they are capable of being smart of achieving high scores academically but value sports and athletic ability at a much higher rate. There is also an evident issue with the lack of resources within the schools and libraries that serve these communities, statistics show that libraries in middle class areas had more resources. According to several sources from my data table, the lack of resources was a major factor in accessibility for students who fell into this demographic. How can a student learn and read in leisure time or when school is not in session if they do not have access to books, technology, or other literacy materials within their own communities? This lack of resources in libraries and other government funded establishments turns to the issue of how funds are used within certain districts and county libraries. One article discusses this issue and suggests that while libraries are funded by government there are also many nonprofit organizations and universities that donate and contribute to support community programs. Research shows that many people who reside in low income neighborhoods are less likely to contribute to programs that promote literacy due to lack of disposable income. Biology is another area that is often overlooked when looking at low literacy rate in low SES students. The studies conducted by professionals in both the educational psychology and behavioral learning disorder fields show that students who have behavior/emotional or intellectual disabilities have difficulty with literacy due to their inability to cope with stress and certain learning areas. This difficulty to manage stress, emotions and/or learning concepts can cause them to act out. This acting out often results in the student being reprimanded for their “misbehavior” and taken out of the classroom which prevents them from learning. Overall, there are several factors that result in low literacy rates in low SES students. However, if we consider the Bronfenbrenner theory we can see that every level of the ecological scale has an impact on the literacy rates of students.