Reading and Bilingual Students

It amazes me that with so many Spanish speaking students, that the districts have trouble finding bilingual teachers. One would think these districts would somehow coerce teachers from areas such as Los Angeles and other bilingual areas to the Chicago suburbs. I think the district that sent scouts to Spain were on the right track, just the wrong direction. I believe that there are plenty of bilingual teachers throughout our states that border with Mexico. Why not start there prior to wasting money and going abroad? This also opens up a new question: Are we as future teachers needing to become bilingual in order hold a job? Also, what kind of pay increase, if any should we expect if we venture into becoming bilingual?  

Reading and Poverty

This article is very eye opening. I am not surprised to hear that some of the children have never been inside of a car, being that they are in a city full of public transportation. However, I still believe that this is very sad. I agree to the fact that when children are asked to read about cars they should have some background knowledge of what that is. Otherwise how could a child relate to the story? Given that these children do not have the background knowledge that most children are blessed with, I am really proud that the teacher is making the effort to take these children on trips. I especially loved how she made these trips educational lessons that went across the curriculum. For example, I loved how she taught a math lesson using the parking meters. This allows these children to receive the knowledge that is learned when these type of every day experiences occur. I wish more teachers were allowed to take trips like these in order to teach the children important skills. I hope I am able to provide my students with these types of experiences. 

Education Gap Grows

I believe that this study is correct. I have also found that children who come from more wealthy families tend to do better in school. I think a lot of this, like the article said, is to do with the financial ability to provide their children with more educational experiences. For example, the more wealthy parents are able to afford to take their children to museums or pay for a private math tutor. However, those children who come from families with just a single parent can often not provide such luxuries. Most of these single parent families are struggling just to buy their children basic school supplies.

I do believe that most people who go to college make more money, but this is not always the case. For example, as a teacher I know I will not make very much money although I am required to have a degree from college. So there is hope for those who cannot afford to go to college. Also, there are many scholarships and grants out now that also help with the cost of college.

I do not believe that this widening of the gap is right, but I do believe it is a reality. I think a lot of this has to do with our culture today, like the article stated. The phrase “keeping of with the Jones’” is still present in our society. I am not even sure if these affluent parents realize that for example taking their children on vacations to Europe is educational. I think most of them are just trying to “keep up” with the other affluent families. However, these experiences can be very educational. As the more wealthy families continue to race each other in providing the best of the best, the less wealthy families struggle to provide the bare necessities; this in turn makes the educational gap between high-income and low-income families greater.