To grow up the child of well-educated parents in an affluent American home is to hit the verbal lottery, writes Robert Pondiscio on the Thomas B. Fordham Institute website. Verbal parents chatter incessantly, and offer a running commentary on everything in a child's life. In sharp contrast, early disadvantages in language among low-income children -- both a low volume of words and little variety in how words are used -- establish a verbal inertia that's difficult to address or reverse. Vocabulary can be described as "tiered." Tier-one words are those most native speakers come to school with regardless of upbringing: baby, dog, run, chair, happy. Tier three is vocabulary associated with specialized domains of knowledge -- e.g., isotope. The "sweet spot" for vocabulary growth and proficiency are tier-two words such as verify, superior, and negligent, common to sophisticated adult speech and reading, yet considered ordinary. These are essential to reading comprehension, and undergird more subtle and precise use of language, both receptive (reading, hearing) and expressive (writing, speaking). The key to language growth is the broadest possible knowledge base, which creates context and facilitates understanding. To ensure language growth, primary education must be as rich and varied as possible. An ill-conceived, narrow regimen of reading skills and strategies should be avoided at all costs. Low-income children need more science, social studies, art, and music to build the necessary intellectual schema that drive comprehension and language growth. More

Source:  Public Education News Blast

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Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP) is an education support organization that works as a collaborative partner in high-poverty communities.