Diagnosing the Problem
As Palardy (2015) shows, first grade is where the achievement gap begins to develop among students. Ferrer et al. (2015) show that the achievement gap begins in first grade and persists well into adolescence: in order to address the achievement gap, the best step is to take preventive measures. This action research study plans to address the problem of the achievement gap by getting first graders to focus on reading and get them interested in reading by following the recommendation of Moses and Kelly (2018), which is to condition young learners to love reading by continuously promoting it in a favorable and positive light. In other words, by socializing reading and using child-centered teaching methods (Kikas, Pakarinen, Soodla, Peets & Lerkkanen, 2017; Moses & Kelly, 2018), first grade teachers can help to close the achievement gap.
The study setting is my first grade classroom. This setting was chosen because first grade has been identified as the grade level at which the achievement gap begins to appear (Palardy, 2015). It was also chosen because I am a first grade teacher and have direct access to and interaction with students of this grade level. The problem is that the achievement gap...
The achievement gap also may ultimately negatively affect the U.S. As it may cause the nation to become less competitive in the increasingly global communities (What is the…, 2009). In addition, research indicates that the achievement gap contributes to students who more likely grow up to be unemployed, incarcerated, and poor. Consequently, a quality education proves critical for Black children (Elder, ¶ 3). Causes Contributing to Achievement Gap Causes contributing to
four-day school week means that kids have a longer school day during the days in which they are in the classroom. I feel that the school day is already too long as it is. I would like to see the number of hours in which kids are in school mandatorily reduced by half. Kids who want to stay after and partake of additional schooling may do so, with teachers
Bilingualism As Pettito and Kovelman (2003) point out, conditions for becoming bilingual are youth, consistent exposure to both languages, and practice in a range of contexts. The ELL teacher cannot do much about the first condition -- but consistent exposure to the L2 and providing a range of contexts are two things the ELL teacher can do. Each of these practices can be achieved in the following five ways: 1)
There is also the question of what approach should be used in a given setting. For instance, Lewis-Moreno points out that, "A great deal of energy is expended selecting and defending the model used: Should it be late- or early-exit bilingual, dual language, or English immersion?" (2007, p. 773). Although complex problems require complex solutions, a common theme that runs through the relevant literature concerns the need to use
Black-White Achievement Gap As recently as 1998, the press was reporting that African-Americans score lower than European-Americans on vocabulary, reading, and math skills tests in general, as well as on standardized tests claiming to measure scholastic aptitude and intelligence. Although the gap had narrowed somewhat after 1970, the American black child still scored lower than whites, as much as 15% lower. Despite abundant speculation and a wealth of research, no one
Introduction There is much to be said about the achievement gap. Indeed, there is an alarming chasm between top performers and many others that are further down the scoring and achievement spectrum. The most disturbing part of the problem is that the gaps are often along income, racial and other pronounced socioeconomic lines. As with any other problem, there are possible interventions that can be used to curtail and prevent this
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