Reading and the Black Adolescent Male

For many years, there has been what we educators call an Achievement Gap.  Achievement test data is disaggregated based on race, gender, socioeconomic status, etc. This data is then compared and Black students consistently show achievement levels that are significantly lower than their non-Black counterparts.  The gap is even more pronounced when looking specifically at our Black male students.  Why is this the case?

Let's dig into this issue as it relates to reading.  My January book is Teaching Reading to Black Adolescent Males by Dr. Alfred Tatum. Tatum takes this issue head on, addressing the fact that many of our Black male students live in environments wrought with turmoil. He writes that "the general turmoil engendered by poverty and domestic violence in my family could have had a negative effect on my literacy development."  Tatum was fortunate to have encountered a number of outstanding teachers who encouraged reading and made it relevant to him thereby changing his thinking patterns.

Making reading relevant to Black male students can be a challenge if the the young man is a reluctant reader or a struggling reader.  Educators and parents have to be intentional in their text selection and then ensure that the discussions connect back to the child's real life.  Making this connection should include acknowledging the turmoil and feelings of inferiority that may exist.  Having these discussions requires the teacher to possess a certain boldness along with vulnerability. The students must not only feel empowered to speak their truth but also safe and free of judgement in doing so.  There are plenty of novels that could be read to make this type of discussion possible but it is often more effective to partner them with shorter reads.

Some of the shorter texts suggested by Tatum include:

"Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass" by Frederick Douglass
"America" and "If We Must Die" by Claude McKay
"Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes
"A Black Man Talks of Reaping" by Arna Bontemps
"A Man Who was Almost a Man" by Richard Wright; and
"SOS" by Amiri Baraka

If you want to learn more about Tatum's approach to teaching reading to Black males, read the book!  In the meantime, if you are an educator, ask yourself, "Am I doing my part to impact ALL students who struggle with reading?"  Are you doing the RIGHT things to engage Black male students? For everyone, what needs to change in our educational system to end this achievement gap?  Finally, where does home fit in?

I want to hear your thoughts!  In the meantime, Happy Reading!

Reading Matters

As a child, you could not tear a book out of my hands!  Yes, I was that girl standing in the lunch line trying to finish just one more chapter, paragraph or sentence in my latest read.  Reading took me places that were beyond explanation and I treasure the fact that to this day I still have a true passion for the written word.

Reading is one activity or hobby that almost guarantees that you will learn something new everyday.  So why do more people not read?  Many adults who read as children can now go years without picking up a book.  Life takes over and there is no doubt that we are busy people.  We are busy people who need to find a way back to our books!

Education professor, Anne E. Cunningham wrote in a research paper that reading frequently actually makes you smarter.  This is true in part because reading helps with knowledge retention.  Would you believe that reading can even increase math skills? As I blog weekly, I will explore more reasons to read and share insights on how to encourage our young people to read more. 

In the meantime, I encourage you to make it your goal to read at least one book a month!  That's my current goal because, like many of you, I have found that I read less and less each year.  I have missed reading immensely, but baby I'm back! I look forward to sharing my books with you and hearing about yours.  Happy Reading!