African American Psychology Through The Eyes of Faye Z. Belgrave
Dr.
Faye Belgrave is professor of psychology at Virginia Commonwealth
University and founding director of the Center for Cultural Experiences
in Prevention. Dr. Belgrave received her Ph.D. degree from the
University of Maryland, her Master’s degree from the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln, and her B.S. degree from North Carolina A&T State
University.
Dr.
Belgrave is currently the principal investigator on several grants
funded by SAMHSA, NIH, and the Department of Education. Some of these
projects have implemented and evaluated cultural interventions for
African American adolescent females in the areas of substance abuse and
HIV prevention.
Belgrave has published extensively — including more than 60 articles,
two books and several monographs — and is an invited speaker on the
topics of culture and gender issues. She serves as expert adviser on
several national committees and agencies including the National
Institute of Drug Abuse, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Agency, and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. She has received
numerous national awards for her work with ethnic minority populations.
Thanks
to a mutual colleague, Mr. Edward E. Smith, we were able to conduct and
exclusive interview Dr. Belgrave. Thank you Ed.
The Faye Z. Belgrave Interview
BMIA.com:
First of all, Dr. Belgrave, thank you for taking the time to participate
in this interview. Your book
African American
Psychology, co-written with Kevin W. Allison,
has been described as a textbook for undergraduate and graduate students
in Psychology and in Ethnic and Black Studies.
What made you want to write a book about
African American Psychology?
Faye Belgrave:
There was no textbook in African American psychology. When I taught the
course, I would have to pull readings together from various sources to
comprehensively cover the major topics in African American Psychology.
A second reason for writing the book was to provide a resource book for
any individual interested in learning more about the psychology of
African Americans.
BMIA.com:
Wow. It’s hard to believe there was no textbook on Black psychology.
Tell us about your background. I know you’re a professor of psychology
at Virginia Commonwealth University and the founding director of the
Center for Cultural Experiences in Prevention.
Faye Belgrave:
I grew up in a Newsoms, a small rural town in Virginia of less than 500
people. My family was poor as were about 75% of the Blacks who lived in
the county. Growing up rural poor influenced my beliefs that every one
deserves basic housing, food, education, and health. As a child (and to
this day) I loved to read (in fact it was a treat to find a book I had
not read in the mobile library that came to town every week). I also
loved pets especially dogs and have two today.
There were nine
children in the family and as the third from the top I had
responsibilities for the care of my younger siblings. I attended N.C.
A&T for my undergraduate degree, Nebraska for my Masters degree and
received a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, College Park. I was
fortunate to come along at the time in which Blacks got support for
getting our education. I am sure I would not have made it today.
I founded the Center
for Cultural Experiences in Prevention as a way to organize the research
and community work we were doing in the area of prevention among African
American youth. The Mission of the Center is to promote healthy youth,
families, and communities. The Center seeks to empower youth and
families to make positive choices and to change lives through knowledge
of self. The Center develops, implements and evaluates programs and
services that are sensitive to cultural and community needs. Community
programs and partnerships educate and empower youth and families in the
areas of (a) sex and drug prevention; (b) school and vocational success;
and (c) physical and psychological well-being. We have several on-going
intervention and research projects funded by the federal and state
governments.
BMIA.com:
Who are some of the most impressive people you’ve met in your life?
Faye Belgrave:
These are ordinary people who have been extraordinary supportive of
others. My graduate school mentor, Dr. Judson Mills taught me how to
think and write; Dr. Bernice Johnson, my first grade teacher encouraged
me that I could be successful; my mother, Grace Rawlings has always
demonstrated appreciation for the value and worth in everyone.
BMIA.com:
Can you talk about the research process and some of the people that you
interviewed?
Faye Belgrave:
The research process consisted of gathering, organizing, and summarizing
information. While I did not formally interview individuals for the
book, several prominent African American psychologists are cited
including the notable Kenneth and Mamie Clark (known for the work they
did on Black children’s racial identity on behalf of school
de-segregation in the 1950’s). Contemporary psychologists include James
Jones, Thomas Parham, Na’im Akbar, Wade Nobles, Kobi Kambon, Daudi Azibo;
Henry Toobs among many others.
BMIA.com:
What were some of the key findings in the book that every black person
should know?
Faye Belgrave: While all of us are unique, there are
some core attributes found among most people of African descent. We are
not always sure how these values and beliefs were retained but they seem
to be prevalent among most of us. Chapter 2 on Africentric values is a
good chapter to read to understand more about these attributes and how
most people of African descent have retained them in some form.
BMIA.com:
That’s interesting. What else does the book address?
Faye Belgrave:
The book also addresses social problems, relationships, and contemporary
issues. For example the chapter on drug use discusses why we use drugs
and ways to prevent drug use as well as culturally based drug treatment
programs. The chapter on health and disability reviews our state of
well-being as well as some of the leading medical conditions among
African Americans. At the same time, it discusses ways in which our
health outcomes can be improved. The chapter on family and kinship
systems provides information on what the African American family looks
like and also how African American families can be strengthened. The
chapter on cognition and language discusses learning and speech and how
educators can facilitate the learning process among African American
children.
BMIA.com:
When you look at black psychology at the turn of the century and black
psychology today, what are the major differences?
Faye Belgrave:
Black psychology at the turn of the century was very deficit focused and
concerned with showing difference between African Americans and Whites.
In fact, most of the studies showed that African Americans were deficit
in most areas of abstract reasoning, intellect, and cognition. Today,
research is not generally done to prove intellectual inferiority.
Also there is much
more research on differences among African Americans, i.e., how do
people survive and even thrive in sub-optimal conditions.
BMIA.com:
What do you want people to learn as a result of reading your book?
Faye Belgrave:
I would like people of African descent to read the book to learn more
about themselves and others in their communities. Maybe, there will be
an “aaahh moment.” People who are not of African descent would gain a
better understanding of our attitudes and behaviors. My hope is that
discussion and interactions would be more frequent and improved.
BMIA.com:
What’s the state of black psychology today? Do you think we need more
black psychologists in our community?
Faye
Belgrave: We have a very viable national
association, the Association of Black Psychologists and our
association is doing a lot of advocacy, programming, and dissemination
of information on the psychology of African Americans (www.abpsi.org).
It is still
difficult to find African American psychologists in some places,
especially in rural communities. So yes, we do need more psychologists
in practice. We also need more psychologists teaching and doing
research because often the classes we teach and the issues we research
have meaning and value to people of African descent.
BMIA.com:
What role do you see psychology playing in the black community?
Faye Belgrave:
We can play a strong role in advocating for the mental health of all
people but especially those who do not have the resources to advocate
for themselves. Psychology is the study of how to change behavior. It
is a broad discipline but all areas of psychology focuses on
understanding and changing behavior. So we can inform educators of how
students learn best, organizations about workforce diversity and
productivity, medical systems about how to promote patient health, and
communities on how to implement prevention interventions.
BMIA.com:
Are black psychologists held to a higher standard? Should they be?
Faye Belgrave:
There are professional licensing and ethical principles and guidelines
we have to follow as psychologists. I think the differential comes into
play in that we are less likely to be admitted to doctoral training
programs (see Chapter 1 in book). The requirements for entering most
doctoral programs have become very competitive and the criteria for
admission (previous research experience, prestige of undergraduate
university, and GRE scores) do not always favor us – so we are less
likely to be admitted.
BMIA.com:
In your opinion what’s the biggest challenge facing black men in
America?
Faye Belgrave:
I am not a Black male and would hope to learn more about this myself. I
have a son who just turned 18 and a daughter and I worry much more about
his well-being and safety as an adult male than I do my daughter’s. I
believe racism and fear continues to promote negative reactions from
many (including Blacks). The challenge for Black males is to develop
the strong identity they need to thrive.
BMIA.com:
How can people reading this article support you?
Faye Belgrave:
Read and learn out more about Black people throughout the Diaspora.
BMIA.com:
What advice would you give to someone who wants to be an educator?
Faye
Belgrave: Being an educator is a commitment. The goal with
every student you teach is to encourage them to be inspired and
motivated to learn.
BMIA.com:
Thank you Dr. Belgrave.
Faye
Belgrave:
Thank you, Gary Johnson and
Black Men In America.com.
Teaching
with Different Learning Styles in Mind Matthew Lynch
While taking Advanced
Educational Psychology, I learned several theories and techniques that were
designed to facilitate effective classroom management. One of the most valuable
techniques I have used is the Premack Principle, also known as “Grandma’s Rule”
(“Eat your peas and then you can have dessert,” for example).
Case in point, I had a
little girl who was highly intelligent, but during lectures and class work she
would daydream instead of concentrating on the task at hand.
One day, while the
students were surfing the Internet to find information for a group PowerPoint
presentation, I noticed that this student loved to work on computers. The next
time I caught her daydreaming during a class assignment, I made a deal with her.
I promised her that if she would stay on task during the week, on Fridays during
homeroom I would allow her to go to the library and surf the Internet. She
agreed and for the rest of the semester she stayed on task and completed her
class assignments in order to receive her coveted computer time. Since she did
not have a computer at home or even access to one, being able to go to the
school library was a dream come true for her.
Since traditional schools
were designed for White students, educating White children has been more
successful than educating Black children. African Americans have been expected
to function in European-styled schools that were not designed with their
learning needs in mind.
Furthermore, if the
academic performance of Black children is evaluated based on White standards
(because White children are considered to be the norm by “experts”), then Black
children will always be considered “deficient, deviant, pathological, or
precocious” since they are never the norm.
Don Locke tells us that
persons from the dominant culture should not use their own cultural background
as a reference for how African American children should behave. Locke adds that
educators must realize that it is no longer okay to use just one method of
teaching for all students.
Teachers need sufficient
in-depth understanding of their students’ background to select and incorporate
into the education process those forms of cultural knowledge and competence that
facilitate meaningful, transformative learning. Not only is a person’s sense of
identity reinforced by understanding their culture, but also the way they
learn is embedded in their culture. Significant changes will be made only when
teacher education programs require teachers to study their own cultural
backgrounds as preparation for understanding the learning power behind cultural
knowledge.
Teachers must travel
beyond the comfort zone of their own cultures to educate themselves in the
values and habits of other racial and ethnic groups. While it is recognized that
African Americans make up a distinct racial group, the acknowledgment that this
racial group has a distinct culture is still not recognized. It is presumed that
African American children are exactly like white children but just need a little
extra help.
So what do you think? If you would like to respond to
this article
click here
and sign our
Guestbook to leave a public or private comment.
Read to Your Kids: Picture Books
with Positive African-American Images
Carol Ann Bloom
We are all part of a computer and electronic gadget
driven society in which books and reading struggle for attention. This is one
of the many reasons it is so important to saturate our children as often as
possible with many pleasurable experiences with books. Children who grow up
with daily exposures to reading and positive “book attitudes” are more likely to
become book lovers and be better prepared throughout life to balance their love
of reading with the many other distractions competing for their time.
Reading to a young child is one of the best
things parents can do.
Reading together creates a special bond
between parent and child, fosters good and pleasurable associations with books,
promotes an interest and love of books in youngsters, and can have a very
positive impact on school readiness and early learning success. Early
experiences with books in the home that are fun and pleasurable can affect a
child throughout adulthood in many positive, life-altering ways.
With that thought in mind, consider this
idea. Reading to children is one of the best ways to instill an appreciation
of the African-American culture and heritage, as well as inspire a positive
sense of self.
In her Coretta Scott King Award acceptance
speech, children’s author/editor Virginia Hamilton said, "Literature gives
us images with which to think."
The way we respond (either consciously or
subconsciously) to the images we see in books as we read applies to children as
well as adults. Much of what children see and experience in their early
developmental years affects them far into adulthood and can shape the people
they will eventually become.
Children, especially very young children, are
influenced by the illustrations they see in the books read to them and in the
books they look at themselves. As the words are being read, children are
concentrating and studying the pictures. And when children look at books on
their own, their attention to the illustrations is even more intense since most
nonreaders use the pictures to understand the story.
The illustrations children encounter in
picture books can affect the formation of their own personal identity and
self-image…how they see themselves and how they feel about themselves. Book
illustrations (looked at over and over again) can help a child define their
place in the world.
Children are exposed to many books in daycare,
nursery school, preschool, and kindergarten. It is important the picture books
read to and made available to African-American children in any early childhood
setting provide positive African-American images and role models. Parents
should encourage every early childhood setting in their community to include
picture books that provide positive images for children of many minority
cultures. Likewise, and perhaps even more important, parents should provide
and actively read such books in the home and family environment.
African-American children need to see other
children like who look like them if they are to recognize themselves in a
variety of universal themes and settings. As they see people and kids they can
identify with, children begin to recognize their own sense of purpose, their
sense of belonging, their role, and their importance to society.
Children should also see African-American
adults in book illustrations:
in the streets, the cities, the stores, the
schools, the libraries, the hospitals, the fire stations and in their homes with
their families. They need to see children and people from their own culture in
the books they encounter if they are to develop a positive and constructive
comprehension of the world in which they live. Their familiarity and
recognition of themselves and people like them in picture book illustrations can
have lasting positive effects that can influence children even into adulthood.
The most effective and fun books to read
with young children are picture books. They are usually large books and
short enough to read in one sitting. Children’s picture books are some of the
most beautifully illustrated books on the market. Choose anything that appeals
to you and your child or choose books reflecting some of your own interests.
Reading should be fun, not work.
We all respond better and with more enthusiasm
to topics we find interesting.
Choosing books reflecting their own individual
interests is a great way for parents to add spark and enthusiasm to read-alouds.
This is also a wonderful way for any parent to be more in touch with their
children, share interests, and create memorable storytimes together. Reading
books reflecting personal interests can be one of the best opportunities a
parent has to share their hobbies, interests, and passions with younger children
and maybe spark the same interests in the child.
Picture books for children cover every subject
imaginable. Look for books about sports, cooking, shopping, travel, or whatever
your interests may be.
Here are three Book Lists with over 100
suggestions that may be helpful to you in choosing picture books to read to
young children. Many of the authors and illustrators of these books are
African-Americans and many of the books are winners of Parents’ Choice Awards,
Caldecott Honors or Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honors.
The first is a list of Picture Books for
Children with excellent illustrations featuring stories about African culture
and heritage and African-American children, adults, and families in a variety of
universal and familiar settings.
The second is a list of Poetry and Verse Books
for Children featuring African-American themes, illustrations, and poets.
The third is a list of Picture Books for
Children featuring famous African-Americans and their important contributions to
America and the world through art, music, literature, politics, history,
science, sports, and a variety of other fields.
These books can be found in community or
school libraries, bookstores nationwide, and online book sources.
I urge you to
choose a few and begin Reading to Your Kids everyday!
Picture Books
(ages 2-4 and 4-8) with positive African-American images.
A Is for Africa – Ifeoma Onyefulu
Africa Dream – Eloise Greenfield
Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Book #5
(Motown Baby Love Board Books) –
Charles R. Smith
Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions (An
Alphabet Book)) – Margaret Musgrove
Ashley Bryan's African Tales, Uh-Huh – Ashley
Bryan
Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky
– Faith Ringgold
Back Home – Gloria Jean Pinkney
Beautiful Blackbird – Ashley Bryan
Big Jabe (an original African-American
folktale) – Jerdine Nolen
Black Cat – Christopher Myers
Black Showman, The – Phil Mendez
Boy and the Ghost, The (adaptation of two
turn-of-the-century African-American ghost stories) - Robert San Souci
Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain – Verna
Aardema
Brothers of the Knight – Debbie Allen
Bus Ride, The – William Miller
Cassie's Word Quilt – Faith Ringgold
Dancing in the Wings – Debbie Allen
Daydreamers – Tom Feelings
Dinner at Aunt Connie's House – Faith Ringgold
Do Like Kyla – Angela Johnson
Emeka's Gift (A Number Book) – Ifeoma Onyefulu
Fly! – Christopher Myers
Girls Hold Up This World – Jada Pinkett-Smith
God Bless the Child (pairing the words of the
Holiday/Herzog spiritual song with illustrations by Jerry Pinkney) – Billie
Holiday and Jerry Pinkney
Grandmama's Joy – Eliose Greenfield
Harlem – Walter Dean Myers
He's Got the Whole World in His Hands – Kadir
Nelson
Hewitt Anderson's Great Big Life – Jerdine
Nolen
Hip Cat – Jonathan London
I Love My Hair! – Natasha Anastasia
In the Time of the Drums – Kim L. Siegelson
Jambo Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book –
Muriel Feelings
Joshua By the Sea – Angela Johnson
Just the Two of Us – Will Smith
Kente Colors – Debbi Chocolate
Kofi and His Magic – Maya Angelou
Louie – Ezra Jack Keats
Ma Dear's Aprons – Patricia C. McKissack
Masai and I – Virginia Kroll
Max Found Two Sticks – Brian Pinkney
Mirandy and Brother Wind – Patricia McKssack
Miz Berlin Walks – Jane Yolen
Moja Means One: Swahili Counting Book – Muriel
Feelings
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters – John Steptoe
My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken, and Me
– Maya Angelou
Patchwork Quilt, The – Valerie Flournoy
People Could Fly, The – Virginia Hamilton
Piano, The – William Miller
Please, Baby, Please – Spike Lee
Please, Puppy, Please – Spike Lee
Pride and Joy - Book #8 (Motown Baby Love
Board Books) – Charles R. Smith
Rain Feet (Board Book) – Angela Johnson
Red Dancing Shoes – Denise Lewis Patrick
Shades of Black – Sandra L. Pinkney
Sister Anne's Hands – Marybeth Lorbiecki,
Snowy Day, The – Ezra Jack Keats
So Much – Trish Cooke
Story of Lightning and Thunder, The – Ashley
Bryan
Sunday Outing, The – Gloria Jean Pinkney
Sweet Smell of Roses, A – Angela Johnson
Tanya's Reunion – Valerie Flournoy
Tar Beach – Faith Ringgold
This Is the Dream – Diane Z. Shore
Thunder Rose – Jerdine Nolen, K
Uptown – Bryan Collier
Village That Vanished, The – Ann Grifalcon
Violet's Music – Angela Johnson
Visit to the Country, A – Herschel Johnson
When I Am Old With You – Angela Johnson
Whistle for Willie – Ezra Jack Keats
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears: A West
African Tale – Verna Aardema
Wings – Christopher Myers
Yo! Yes? – Chris Raschka
You're All I Need to Get By - Book #7 (Motown
Baby Love Board Books) –
Charles R. Smith
Poetry Books for
Children featuring African-American themes, Illustrations and Poets
Ashley Bryan's ABC of African American Poetry
– Ashley Bryan
Block, The– Langston Hughes
Blues Journey – Walter Dean Myers
Come With Me: Poems for a Journey – Naomi
Shihab Nye
Daddy Calls Me Man – Angela Johnson
Ellington Was Not A Street – Ntozake Shange
Honey, I Love and Other Poems – Eloise
Greenfield
I Live in Music – Ntozake Bearden
I See the Rhythm –Toyomi Igus
Jazz – Walter Dean Myers
Jump Back, Honey – Paul Laurence Dunbar
Life Doesn't Frighten Me (pairing Angelou's
poem with abstract paintings by the late Basquiat) – Maya Angelou and
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Night Has Ears: African Proverbs, The – Ashley
Bryan
Pass It On: African American Poetry – Wade
Hudson
Perfect Harmony: A Musical Journey with the
Boys Choir of Harlem – Charles R. Smith
Poetry for Young People – Langston Hughes
Sing to the Sun – Ashley Bryan
Soul Looks Back in Wonder – Tom Feelings
Sun Is So Quiet, The – Nikki Giovanni
Under the Christmas Tree (holiday poems
focusing on an urban African-American family) – Nikki Grimes
Words with Wings: A Treasury of
African-American Poetry and Art – selected by Belinda Rochelle
Picture Books
(ages 4-8 and 9-12) featuring famous African-Americans
A Picture Book of Frederick Douglas, A – David
A. Adler
Bat Boy and His Violin, The (life in the Negro
National Baseball League in1940) – Gavin Curtis
Black Cowboy, Wild Horses (based on the life
of former slave and Texas cowboy Bob Lemmons) – Julius Lester
Blues Singers: Ten Who Rocked the World –
Julius Lester
Bus Ride That Changed History: The Story of
Rosa Parks – Pamela Duncan Edwards
Charlie Parker Played Be Bop – Chris Raschka
Coming Home: From the Life of Langston Hughes
– Floyd Cooper
Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His
Orchestra – Andrea Davis Pinkney
Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa
– Andrea Davis Pinkney
For the Love of the Game: Michael Jordan and
Me – Eloise Greenfield
I’ve Seen the promised Land: The Life of Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr –
Walter Dean Myers
If a Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks –
Faith Ringgold
If I Only Had a Horn: Young Louis Armstrong –
Roxane Orgill
John Henry – Julius Lester
Just Like Josh Gibson (legendary Negro League
player) – Angela Johnson
Langston’s Train Ride – Robert Burleigh
Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom
Fighters – Andrea Davis Pinkney
Little Stevie Wonder (with CD of two songs) –
Quincy Troupe
Lookin' for Bird in the Big City – Robert
Burleigh
Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. – Doreen Rappaport
Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman – Alan
Schroeder
My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers –
Christine King Ferris
My Dream of Martin Luther King – Faith
Ringgold
Mysterious Thelonious – Chris Raschka
Night Golf (based on experiences of
African-American golfers in the late 1950s) – William Miller
Nobody Owns the Sky: The Story of Brave Bessie
Coleman (the world's first licensed African-American female pilot) – Reeve
Lindbergh,
Only Passing Through: The Story of Sojourner
Truth – Anne Rockwell
Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed
America – Sharon Robinson
Rap A Tap Tap, Here's Bojangles - Think of
That – Leo & Diane Dillon
Richard Wright and the Library Card (based on
the life of African-American author Richard Wright) – William Miller
Rosa – Nikki Giovanni
Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit
of a Dream – Deloris Jordan
Satchmo's Blues – Alan Schroeder
Story of Ruby Bridges, The – Robert Coles
Take It to the Hoop, Magic Johnson – Quincy
Troupe
Teammates – Tiki Barber
When Marian Sang: True Recital of Marian
Anderson, The – Pam Munoz Ryan
Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the
World’s Fastest Woman –
Kathleen Krull
*Learn more about the history of
African-American literature in a nonfiction children’s book titled Sweet Words
So Brave written by Barbara K. Curry and James Michael Brodie and illustrated by
Jerry Butler.
Tips for Reading
Aloud to Your Children
* Read aloud and read every day. If you read
aloud at least 20 minutes each day, it will allow your child to hear at least 1
million more words a year!
* Choose a comfortable place to read.
* Read at many different times throughout the
day. Reading at bedtime is a wonderful and relaxing experience, but there are
many other opportunities during the day to look at books together: car rides,
waiting rooms, bath time, and before or after meals are just a few.
* Occasionally move your finger with the
words, across the page, from left to right to show your child the direction of
print.
* To encourage involvement, invite a child to
turn pages for you when it is time.
* Use plenty of expression when reading. If
possible, change your tone of voice to fit the dialogue.
* The most common mistake in reading aloud is
reading too fast. Read slowly enough for the child to build mental pictures of
what you have read. Slow down to give children time to look the pictures.
* Talk about the book as you read or when you
have finished.
Stop to ask thinking questions: "What might
happen next? Where did he go? Why did she do that? How does he feel?" Ask
open-ended questions that do not have only right or wrong answers. This will
encourage your child's verbal expression, critical thinking, and imagination.
* If your child asks you to “read it again”
try to find the time to do it immediately or ask your child to help you retell
the story.
* Once a book is read, don’t toss it aside and
forget about it. Refer to the book days or even weeks after reading it. Look
for opportunities to make references to the book and talk about it again.
* If possible find a way to bring the book
into your daily life with a related craft to do together, a recipe, a new piece
of music, or a family event. There are many similar activities to take any book
“beyond reading” and make it a more meaningful part of your child’s everyday
life. Most take minutes to prepare and are easy to initiate, but have a lasting
effect on early reading success and a child’s long-term interest in books.
* Begin a “Book Journal” with your child. Use
any notebook or make a special book with your child. Help your child write the
title of the books you read together in the journal. Ask your child to tell you
something about the book or his/her favorite part and write it in the journal.
You might even choose to find a picture of the book on the Internet, print it,
and glue it in the journal as a visual reference. Look at the Book Journal with
your child periodically to remember and talk about favorite books or to choose
one to read again. This is a very practical way to make books and reading a
more meaningful part of your child’s daily life while strengthening basic
developmental skills such as creative thinking, self-expression, recall, and
recognizing letters or words in print. Keeping track of books in a journal can
also instill a sense of pride in accomplishment and positive self image.
* Have books available in many rooms of your
home: family room, bedroom, kitchen, living room, etc. Keep a few books in the
backseat of the family car. Change the selection frequently.
* Have “Book Parties” and invite your child’s
friends for an afternoon story and craft activity. Begin book trades with other
parents. Encourage your relatives and friends to give your child books for
birthdays and holidays and offer them a list of books to from which to choose.
* Make sure all members of the family have
interactions with books and other printed material. Mothers, fathers, and older
siblings should all take turns reading to young children.
*Be a reading role model. Show your child
that you read. Be certain your child sees you reading for fun, as well as
engaged in work related reading.
Comments and
response to this article are welcome.
Feel free to share
your thoughts about the subject, things you have tried that work well, or other
picture books you would recommend.
Incorporating Culturally Responsive Instructional
Strategies in Your Classroom
One
requirement for developing a knowledge base for culturally responsive
teaching is learning about the history, traditions, and idiosyncrasies of
specific ethnic groups. The understanding that teachers need to have about
cultural diversity should go beyond minimal awareness of, respect for, and
general recognition of the fact that ethnic groups do express their values
in a variety of ways.
This
increased knowledge of cultural habits is needed to make schooling more
interesting and stimulating for ethnically diverse students. Too many
teachers believe that their content areas and cultural diversity are
incompatible, and that combining them is a conceptual stretch that may
prevent disciplinary integrity. Gay tells us that this is simply not true.
Misconceptions about multicultural instructional strategies arise from the
fact that many teachers do not know enough about the contributions that
different ethnic groups have made to their subject. They may be vaguely
familiar with the accomplishments of certain well-known individuals, such as
African American musicians in popular culture or politicians in city, state,
and national government. However, teachers are not likely to know much about
the less publicly visible but highly significant contributions of ethnic
groups to science, technology, medicine, math, law, and economics.
It is not
necessary to be an expert on the different cultures, but it is important to
be sensitive to the fact that differences do exist and that such differences
must be respected. The following are some culturally-sensitive strategies
that teachers can use in the classroom to bring the best out of their
African American students.
-
Avoid segregating students by cultural
groups, and don’t allow them to segregate themselves.
-
Intervene immediately when a student
ridicules a minority student’s culture or language.
-
To effectively teach minority students,
you must understand how their cultural influences their classroom
interactions.
-
Many African American students speak
regional slang. These variances must be perceived as only a difference,
not a deficit or deficiency.
-
Children who speak other languages or
dialects should be accepted with a positive attitude and aided in the
mastery of Standard American English.
-
Teachers should view learning difficulties
experienced by African American students as a result of cultural
differences rather than indicators of an intellectual deficit.
-
Use the student’s culture to help the
student create meaning and understanding of the world.
-
Be a classroom activist. Take on different
roles for different cultural backgrounds, and vary your methods of
instruction to ensure that you are addressing all students.
-
Recognize that cultural backgrounds may
discourage some students from active participation in the classroom. (In
some ethnic groups, volunteering a response or comment is a sign of
disrespect for authority.)
-
Help others (teachers, administration,
parents, etc.) accept your students’ cultural differences.
-
Learn as much about minority students as
other students.
-
Respond fully to the comments of all
students, especially minority and female students.
-
Lead a classroom discussion on
stereotyping (minority and gender) and the consequences of stereotyping.
Remember that many African American students respond highly to
cooperative learning.
The responsibility for ensuring that minorities succeed cannot rest with
teachers alone. Administrators must also help. Some strategies for
administrators include the following:
·
Review school rules and revise policies that reprimand students for
cultural habits (dress, slang, etc.).
·
Tailor staff development sessions to instruct teachers on how to
educate African American and other minority youth.
·
Incorporate heterogeneous and cooperative groupings as opposed to
ability grouping and tracking.
Incorporate a climate of equal opportunity.
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Preparing to Teach
Diverse Students
Many
teachers are poorly prepared to teach ethnically diverse student
populations. Despite the growing number of Black students and their
disproportionately poor performance, some teacher education programs
still hesitate to include multicultural education . Other programs
are trying to figure out the most appropriate way to implement it.
Only a few programs are actively and eagerly delivering
multicultural education. Culturally responsive teaching asserts that
specific knowledge about cultural diversity is crucial to meeting
the educational needs of ethnically diverse student populations.
Part of this
knowledge about cultural diversity includes understanding the cultural
characteristics and contributions of different ethnic groups. Culture covers
many aspects, some of which are more important for teachers to know than
others because they have direct implications for teaching and learning. The
use of culturally relevant instruction as a strategy for reaching African
American students and improving school success. She says that the use of
culture to convey knowledge, skills, and attitudes empowers students
intellectually, socially, emotionally, and politically. These cultural
referents are not simply means for connecting or explaining the dominant
culture; they are features of the curriculum in their own right .
For example, if you were attempting to
teach a predominately African American class about historic
rivalries like the Hatfield and McCoys or the War of the Roses, you
could use the fairly recent rap conflicts between the West Coast (Tupac)
and East Coast (Notorious B.I.G.) to serve as a frame of reference.
Historic and modern rivalries could be juxtaposed to show their
inherent destructiveness—the only difference is that they happened
in different eras.
Teaching
that revolves around the student’s culture not only addresses the cognitive
aspects of learning, but the emotional as well. When a student’s culture is
respected, she is inspired to learn because the negative self-image that
comes with rejection is removed. Furthermore, an appreciation of what the
student already knows encourages further learning by validating the idea
that students can learn.
Teachers
should be well-versed in their students’ cultural values, traditions,
communication styles, learning styles, contributions, and relational
patterns. Gay says that teachers need to know which ethnic groups practice
communal living and cooperative problem solving and how these preferences
affect motivation, life goals, and task performance.
The
following traits are attributed to the African American Culture. It is
imperative that I point out that all African American Students are not
alike, but the following traits can be observed within the African American
Community.
So what do you think? If you would like to respond to
this article
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and sign our
Guestbook to leave a public or private comment.
Kevin Clash and Elmo
He may not
look like it, but that Elmo's a love machine.
When
parents tell me, "My child lives for Elmo," I tell them that
Elmo lives because of their child's love for him. I don't just
mean that Elmo is alive in their child's imagination, though
that is certainly a part of it. That child and Elmo aren't just
experiencing love; they're creating more of it to go around, and
in doing so they make the world a better place.
It works
like this: Elmo feeds off the love he receives from kids, from
the adult characters on the show, and from his fellow Muppets.
He doesn't just take that love in as a fuel and use it up.
Instead, he drinks it in and gives it right back in spades. He's
a kind of love-energy power station, and the more love he takes
in, the more love he produces for the rest of the world. The
more love he produces, the more love he receives, and the cycle
completes itself over and over again. Talk about a renewable
resource!
I first
saw this powerful cycle in action shortly after Elmo debuted and
was gaining in popularity in the mid-1980s, when I did an
appearance with him at a school in the Bronx. A group of
preschoolers were gathered in the library, all of them bundles
of fidgeting energy with their legs swinging like metronomes. As
soon as Elmo said, "Hello, everybody! Elmo loves you!" it was
like a floodgate had opened, and Elmo and I were awash in a
surge of little children. I could almost feel an electric charge
in the room, as their shouts of "I love you, Elmo!" reverberated
off the cinder-block walls. Elmo laughed and opened his arms
wide and tried to scoop up all the love and hug it to his chest,
all the while repeating "Elmo loves you, too."
That may
have been the first time in my adult life when I finally
comprehended the ancient notion that what you put out in the
universe comes back to you. Since that day, I've learned to try
to put as much Elmo and Kevin love out into the world as I can,
knowing that it will have a very positive ripple effect. Elmo
and the children taught me that one. Somewhere along the road to
adulthood, we seem to forget this little secret about the power
of love, but it's worth remembering.
When
children tell Elmo that they love him, they all have different
styles of expressing their emotion. Some of the more
demonstrative kids throw their arms around his neck, snuggle
their faces against his, and with an eyes-closed, sigh-heaving,
hand-me-my-Tony-Award gesture that projects to the very last row
of the theater's balcony, they proclaim their undying devotion
to Elmo in prose as purple as Telly Monster. "Oh, Elmo, I love
you more than chocolate ice cream! More than I love the new
baby! Please come and live in my house forever!"
Older kids
are a little more matter-of-fact, as if they've been married for
twenty years and they're picking up their keys and their bag and
heading out the door with an affectionate but perfunctory "Love
you." Still others are more shy and reserved, like the bashful
and nervous teen letting his or her feelings be known to their
crush for the first time. I often wonder how these children will
express their love as adults and how many of them will remain
demonstrative and unembarrassed, or if they'll naturally pull
back into more conservative styles as they grow older. It would
be ridiculous if we all greeted each other the way the more
enthusiastic kids greet Elmo -- imagine how long it would take
to get that first cup of coffee at the office with all the
morning greetings in full swing! -- but still, doesn't imagining
a love-filled world like that put a smile on your face?
Children
approach Elmo differently depending on their age, but they also
are inevitably influenced by the kinds of physical
demonstrations of affection they receive at home. Elmo wants to
reach all kids, and sometimes he can be like that overly
enthusiastic puppy who finds everything in the world so fresh
and new and wonderful that he can't contain himself. Just as
kids may squeal in delight when they first see a puppy and then
retreat in leg-hugging, face-shielding fear when the puppy
starts to jump on them, Elmo can evoke the same response. Over
time, I've learned to think quickly on my feet, to gauge the
kinds of responses I'm getting from a child and either tone down
or amp up Elmo's enthusiasm level accordingly. I constantly have
to remind myself that even though they've seen Elmo countless
times on television, they're meeting him face-to-face for the
very first time.
The funny
thing is, no two kids are alike. I've seen the quiet ones
respond with smiles and giggles that escalate to a full-on Elmo
love attack -- the eardrum-piercing, vibrating, arms-wide,
hugging and squeezing and kissing frontal assault. Other shy
kids need a little bit of time to warm up to Elmo and his
"de-monster-ative" displays of affection. But in the end, they
all come around.
Excerpted from
My Life as a Furry
Red Monster by
Kevin Clash with Gary Brozek. Copyright © 2006 by Clash Puppets,
Inc. Excerpted by permission of Broadway, a division of Random
House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be
reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the
publisher.
Left to Right: Photo #1:
Kevin, Elmo and Alicia Keys. Photo #2: Kevin and
the late Jim Henson
Click
On Photos To Enlarge
Author
Kevin Clash began making his own puppets and performing
for live audiences when he was a boy. He turned his childhood
obsession into a professional passion, forging a career in
television and making an indelible mark on children's
imaginations. Kevin has been with Sesame Street
for twenty-six years and is co-executive producer of "Elmo's
World." He has won three Emmy Awards for Outstanding
Performer in a Children's Series and six for his work as
co-executive producer of an Outstanding Pre-School Children's
Series. He has a daughter, Shannon, and lives in New York City.
For more information, please visit
www.kevinclashbook.com.
Written by
Kevin Clash and
Gary Brozek
Category: Self Help - Motivational
Publisher: Broadway
Format: Hardcover, 224 pages
Pub Date: September 2006
Price: $19.95
ISBN: 978-0-7679-2375-0 (0-7679-2375-8)
Also available as an
eBook.
Book Review: My Life as
a Furry Red Monster by Kevin Clash
I was pleasantly surprised
reading this book. It was light-hearted, emotionally uplifting,
and informative as well. I actually felt the urge to find some
of the old TV shows highlighting the author's career. It was
good to read about an African American who had a wonderful
childhood, loved and admired his parents, and was proud of the
area where he grew up. I'm sure Elmo or Kevin could have
dished out some behind the scene Hollywood dirt or focused on
the darker side of life that we all experience, but then that's
just not Sesame Street. Although I can't help but think
having a three and a half year old alter ego is a bit creepy, I
truly wish continued and even greater success to Elmo and Kevin.
Sharon Bowden, Clinton, MD
