Hughes-Hassell and Rodge, Essay Example

Hughes-Hassell and Rodge (2007) introduces their findings (which were upheld in Knoester’s study) and write: “It is not unusual for 70% of eighth graders in high-poverty, high-minority middle schools to comprehend at ‘below basic’ levels” (22). The literacy initiatives taken in recent years have met with limited success and have recently targeted leisure reading as a crucial area for improvement. In Knoester’s 2009 journal article, he explains his findings resulting from an interview with parents of ten past students. These students were of mixed races, genders, and classes. The author utilized the works of Compton-Lilly for coding, Noguera for sociocultural student-familial research, and Gee for sources of tension when dealing with either parents or peers. All ten students would volunteer information from books that they read and formed a particular connection with. One reluctant reader, John, went to student reading groups three times per week, and he reported that he enjoyed reading there.

Intriguingly, the results which Knoester (2009) found led his research in a different direction than he had originally plotted. His flexibility was admirable, and his results seemed credible. However, two aspects of this study were bothersome. First, he had extensive prior knowledge of the students’ past reading, and, as a teacher, had most likely developed a bias. In such a case, it is often easy to overlook the possible exaggerations of the parent, the understatement of abilities of the students-who all rated their reading abilities as “‘good’, ‘pretty good’, or ‘OK’” (Knoester, 2009, 680). Second, the connection between social connections and school achievement is old news. Sociology has already thoroughly documented the pressure which certain minority students face to not “act white”. Psychology has documented the stronger influence of peers during the adolescent years. Parents have noticed that their children fear being called a “nerd” or a “geek”- or even terms that are usually used by parents as a compliment, such as “genius” or “Einstein”.

In Hughes-Hassell and Rode (2007), the respondents were all low-income, minority students. Nonetheless, the findings still concluded that the same socialization which dictated what females typically read was found to have broadened, whereas male adolescents still experienced social pressure to not read. Sixty-three percent of males enjoyed leisure reading about sports figures, and sixty-seven percent of females enjoyed leisure reading about celebrities. Clearly, gender roles still have a strong role in reading- regardless of race, class, or gender. These factors all depend upon social perceptions and pressure to potentially undermine the student’s engagement in reading.

Bottom line, the main two things which impacted me on a personal level were the obvious need for diversity in reading materials and the impact that the parent still had on their child’s reading success. Christina’s mother spoke of reading texts in both languages, and the majority of the students still enjoyed it when their parents read aloud to them. It is particularly important that parents and teachers not squelch the enthusiasm for non-traditional reading, critical thinking, and strategy development. Knoester (2009) ably demonstrates this fact through his discussion of the social card games Yu-Gi-Oh! and Magic. One parent reported that they often did not have time to listen to their child’s discoveries for the day. It is important, as teachers, to make time to really listen. Creating both positive parent and peer social support for reading is crucial in the adolescent years.

References

Hughes-Hassell, S., & Rodge, P. (Sept. 2007). The Leisure Reading Habits of Adolescents.  Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy (51)1: 22-33. Print.

Knoester, M. (May 2009). Inquiry Into Urban Adolescent Independent Reading Habits: Can Gee’s Theory of Discourses Provide Insight? Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy   (52)8: 676-685. Print.