I-Search Proposal

Topic:  Literacy rates across the spectrum

Possible Questions: Why do students from low SES homes have lower literacy rates than students from higher SES homes? Are there any strategies available to teachers in order to close this gap?

People to interview:  Cathy Shepherd- A first grade teacher at a high-poverty school. Pam Kitterman- A kindergarten teacher at a low-poverty school.

Titles of Articles: “Targeted Reading Intervention: A Coaching Model to Help Classroom Teachers With Struggling Readers.”  “Welcoming Families: A Parent Literacy Project in a Linguistically Rich, High-Poverty School.” “Circuits of Dominance in Education and Poverty: Control Logic and Counter Narrative.”

Notes: I know that statistically students from low SES homes have lower literacy rates than other students.  In my undergrad experience I have come to understand that this gap occurs for different reasons but how do we fix it? I have worked in schools with high rates of poverty and the teachers I have spoken with tend to place blame on the parents. I am interested to find out if there is anything we as educators can do and should all the blame lie on the parents?