Emilia Thomas
Mrs. Alldredge
History 8
7 June 2017
Helping the Underserved Population through Education
How can we improve resources and opportunities for underserved populations in our country? One of the largest predictors of job opportunity is the level of education a person has in America. The ability to read at a high level is one of the most important skills acquired during a high-quality education. According to a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Institute of Literacy, thirty-two million adults in the U.S. can’t read, which is fourteen percent of the population. Twenty-one percent of adults in the U.S. read below a 5th-grade level, making it hard to get a well-paying job and limiting available resources such as food, water, and shelter. I’d like to focus on programs that work with kids in underserved populations at younger ages so they get their reading up to grade level, and in addition, find a way to make the reading level of books easily identifiable to parents and teachers. Many kids have access to books at the library, but their parents don’t know the reading level and are not able to choose the appropriate books. The publishing industry could help all children through a system to label the reading level of books used by elementary age kids. Then their school or afterschool programs can enable volunteers to easily choose the correct books for the children to read. I want to find a way to create a nationwide reading level identification system which can make a big difference in a child's early reading experience and change their lives for good.
The underserved population of the United States of America faces many problems such as financial issues, homicides and accidents, infant mortality, low-quality food, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. I believe all of these issues start with a poor education because without an education, it is much harder to get a job and therefore, one is unable to pay for the basic things like healthy food, water, shelter, and health care. Schools serving poor and minority students have fewer resources than they need. A study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education discovered 45 percent of high-poverty schools received less state and local funding than other schools in their district. It is also harder for schools in poorer areas, due to the student's lower academic abilities, and this may potentially drive the ablest teachers toward schools serving less-disadvantaged students. But where do these lower academic abilities start? I believe they start with a poor introduction into reading, because teachers and parents may have trouble getting books that are available to them and having the books correspond with their reading level. Without access to the correct reading level, it can cause a dislike in reading because a book that is too easy becomes uninteresting, and a book that is too challenging makes it hard to understand the material and becomes frustrating. If the student chooses a book that is too far above their level they will have trouble with comprehension and it is they will stop reading it and think they don’t like reading. A too challenging book can also spark the feelings of doubt in their abilities and make them feel that they can’t achieve the goal of a better life. To balance this I want to make a way that is easy for parents, teachers, and classroom helpers to easily identify the right reading level for specific children and provide a fun and educational book that will give them a love for reading, which will hopefully change their future.
Without a well balanced and nourishing education children are prone to many issues in their future. In the United States of America, fourteen point five percent of the population is living in poverty according to the Census Bureau, in an article by Huffington post, which means a limited access to basic needs like healthy food, housing, positive role models, and a proper education. They are more exposed to crime, unhealthy living conditions, and more likely to drop out of school. According to the Education in a Glance report, in the Huffington post, over fifty percent of the nineteen through fifteen-year-olds who drop out of high school are unemployed and out of the labor force. Meaning a very low income and will most likely be unable to provide for their family and their children will not be receiving a top quality education, therefore, restarting the cycle. The National Assessment of Educational Progress reported that forty percent of fourth graders, thirty percent of eighth graders, and twenty-five percent of twelfth graders are reading below their grade level. Problems with reading can affect performance across many academic content areas, occupational attempts, and functional skills that are used in everyday life activities. An already below average reader cannot thrive and grow if the proper help is not available. About forty-five million people are struggling to find a way to a better life. Forty-five million people who are hungry and may not even be able to afford homes. I want to give the next generation a chance to change their lives, and break through the cycle of poverty. All of these facts indicate the need for a better education system in poorer areas to not only benefit those in need but the country as a whole.
Research over the past four decades has unfortunately made the impression that nothing works to help improve schools for poor children. In 1966 the Coleman Report found that most of the variation in student test scores occurs within rather than across schools, and that family background is the strongest predictor of academic achievement. There is no way to completely eliminate poverty from our nation, but our job is to provide those who will try for a better future with the chance to achieve that goal. Some thought class size reduction would enable the teacher to give out individual help to struggling students, but the downside to this is that it would be much too expensive because many more schools and teachers would be required. Those focused on the reading and literature aspect of education attempted to make systems that would identify the reading level, but there are many different systems and parents didn’t know exactly what book to pick for their child with the right amount of challenge. Many solutions have been attempted to free those struggling with poverty, some are more effective than others, but beyond those endeavors, the most important thing to do is bring awareness. By showing people what life is like for the underserved and making them aware of the hardships faced, more ideas will be produced and more people will help fight the battle of poverty.
The majority of students who have academic concerns or have been identified as having a specific learning disability have difficulties in the area of reading. Of the students with learning disabilities, an estimated eighty percent have reading disabilities (Lerner). I believe the key to receiving a good and engaging education is through literature. Children should have access to books so they can practice fundamental reading skills during the school day and at home, but sometimes it's hard for parents to choose the right book due to different reading levels. Guided Reading Levels is a system that was developed in the late 1990s and is used in many classrooms today, but not all. When a child enters a new grade he or she should be assessed and assigned a guided reading level based on word knowledge, comprehension, and fluency. The levels range alphabetically from A to Z allowing the teacher to work closely with each student and help them become better readers by introducing them to increasingly challenging books. Motivating, and providing opportunities to practice skills that should be implemented, and teacher facilitation and feedback are crucial to helping struggling readers become fluent. I want to make this a nationwide system that publishing companies must include on their books so that children in our country can have a truly educational and fun experience that will lead them to become good and hard working citizens of our country.
Works cited:
Doman, Mary. "A Parent's Guide to Guided Reading." Scholastic.com. Scholastic, n.d. Web. 29 May
Kristen. "Secret Guide to Understanding Book Levels for Parents." Busy Kids Happy Mom. Busy
Kids Happy Mom, 25 Oct. 2016. Web. 29 May 2017.
Joseph, Laurice. "Reading Rockets." Best Practices in Planning Interventions for Students With Reading Problems | Reading Rockets. WETA, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 29 May 2017.
Gongloff, Mark. "45 Million Americans Still Stuck Below Poverty Line: Census." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 16 Sept. 2014. Web. 29 May 2017.
Health, Office Of Adolescent. "The Changing Face of America's Adolescents." HHS.gov. US Department of Health and Human Services, 01 Nov. 2016. Web. 26 May 2017.
Crum, Maddie. "The U.S. Illiteracy Rate Hasn't Changed In 10 Years." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 06 Sept. 2013. Web. 26 May 2017.
Rotherham, Andrew J. "The Education Crisis No One Is Talking About." Time. Time Inc., 12 May 2011. Web. 26 May 2017.
Rubin, C. M. "Bad Education System -- What's the Real Cost?" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 15 Sept. 2011. Web. 26 May 2017
Porter, Sheri. "Underserved Populations Struggle with Poverty, Disparities in Health Care."AAFP. AAFP News, 03 Aug. 2010. Web. 26 May 2017.
Colman, James S. "Equality of Educational Opportunity." N.p., 1966. Web. 25 May 2017.
Leonard, Kimberly. "Making a Difference for the Underserved." U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News & World Report, 19 May 2016. Web. 26 May 2017
