[AAACE-NLA] Learner Self-esteem: impact on their children

[Debbie Yoho]

Art, I am certain you are on to something here and just wonder if you or anyone else knows of any research reports that touch on this.  (Note:  I am changing the title of this thread because I'd like to explore the matter of learner self-esteem further, and I will  try to do so while keeping an eye on advocacy, the purpose of this list.)

Just five minutes ago my lead instructor and I had another conversation about learners in our program who are not progressing.  We have been getting more and more older learners with more severe learning challenges (read that as very low in reading skill level at entry and often identified as "intellectually challenged").  In some cases, we are satisfied that we have truly done all we can to help them read better, but they have levelled off, still at a very low level.  For example, they may improve from inadequate knowledge of the alphabet to the acquisition of some sight words, but are not progressing beyond that.   (Instead they are constantly reviewing what they ave already studied in order to retain it.)

As I think about these learners, it strikes me that their perseverance and desire to learn may indicate a rising self esteem.  Otherwise they would quit.  The individuals I am thinking about are among those with the best attendance, and they also work on their reading at home.

Some would say we aren't accomplishing our mission with these learners, since they aren't really learning to read; they are benefitting in other ways. As our funding becomes tighter, I am having more and more trouble fending off the idea that we should help these learners "move on" and get them out of the program.  Certainly their low-slow progress impacts on our accountability data.  At the moment, they are not taking resources from more able learners, but this will change.  That's because we are now at the point where we are aggressively recruiting to build our ESL program, because we have gone to a fee-for-service and ESL learners can often pay.  Most of our lowest-level English speaking learners cannot pay.   As we get busier with ESL, we will have less time for other learners.

If we can cite research that shows that a parent's ability to foster self-esteem in their children results in the child's academic success, even when the parent cannot help with academic needs, we would have new answers for those who insist that academic learning is the only purpose of adult education.   The parent can still be the educational leader in his own home regardless of his own academic attainment.  Certainly an adult learner growing in his own self-esteem is at the same time more effectively nurturing the next generation.  

Aside from progress data (which is problematic with these learners), how can we communicate the value of what we do to people who take their own intact self-esteem for granted?

Debbie Yoho
Division Director, TURNING PAGES/VOAC
(formerly the Greater Columbia Literacy Council)
Secretary, SC Association for Adult Literacy Education
803-765-2555 fax 803-799-8417 
PO Box 1447, Columbia, SC 29202
yohogclc at earthlink.net

"True progress preserves order amid change and preserves change amid order." (John Morgan, You Can't Manage Alone)



----- Original Message ----- 
From: Art LaChance 
To: yohogclc at earthlink.net;National Literacy Advocacy List sponsored by AAACE
Sent: 1/3/2008 5:34:12 PM 
Subject: Re: [AAACE-NLA] Possible research project


My thoughts on the "single most powerful factor etc ......" shows up as maintenance of the childs' self-worth, esteem, image, etc.  Current educational systems backed by the philosophy of  'educated parents = educated children' very often simply kick the child off the train of progressive education as soon as that child starts showing evidence indicating they did not assimilate all of the particles involved in building a comprehensive understanding of the language.  Unfortunately these signs may not show up for a year or two at which point the system has nothing that could be termed 'effective' to correct the situation.  Empathy from uneducated parents may allow for the child to hold open the emotional pathways for effective corrective action from a peer or a sympathetic 'teacher' - be that a parent, friend, grandparent, etc.
The "problem" is not the student or the family so holding them totally accountable is the easy way out.

Art

   

Debbie Yoho wrote: 
Many thanks to Susan and others who have helped me a lot on this thread as we decide whether or not to go for some research funding.  Especially I appreciate the references.  However, I would like to point out that the question I am interested in is what did the very low-literacy parents DO that affected their children's achievement, assuming they were not able to model reading or directly instruct their children?  Does anyone know of any studies that specifically looked at the parenting skills and approaches of low-literacy parents? 

One hypothesis might be that the parent(s) talked to their children about how their own lives were limited by a lack of reading skills, ("don't do as I did, but as I say") but in conversations I've had with learner-parents it appears most kept their lack of reading skills a secret from their children as long as they could.  It is also possible that the children's achievement may have been impacted by other factors outside the family to an extent equal to or greater than the parents' encourgement, although popular wisdom says that the parents' role is paramount. Yet it could be that wider opportunity was a stronger factor.

Too often I think society assumes that adults who struggle with reading are also not likely to be "good" parents.  I suspect this is one reason why justification for adult ed funding in order to break the "cycle of illiteracy"  so often falls on deaf ears. Generally, I notice a lot of enthusiasm, and some funding, for programs that teach parenting skills while the need for reading instruction for adults is a harder sell.

Of course, family literacy is the way to go.  My point is that there are also low literacy parents who are not obviously in need of parenting skills instruction, (or they may have felt  they weren't in need and their children's subsequent achievements prove it) although I suppose all parents could benefit from more information about child-rearing.  

In short, I think the idea that the "single most powerful factor influencing a child's performance in school is the educational attainment of the parent" needs a second look.  I don't disagree with this fact; I just think using this argument to advocate for adult ed funding is often ineffective and I'd like to strengthen the case. However, it is possible that the outcome of qualitative research on this issue might point in a different direction, and actually weaken the case. 

Advice, anyone?  Thanks, Debbie


Debbie Yoho
Division Director, TURNING PAGES/VOAC
(formerly the Greater Columbia Literacy Council)
Secretary, SC Association for Adult Literacy Education
803-765-2555 fax 803-799-8417 
PO Box 1447, Columbia, SC 29202
yohogclc at earthlink.net

"True progress preserves order amid change and preserves change amid order." (John Morgan, You Can't Manage Alone)



_______________________________________________
AAACE-NLA mailing list: AAACE-NLA at lists.literacytent.org
http://lists.literacytent.org/mailman/listinfo/aaace-nla
LiteracyTent: web hosting, news, community and goodies for literacy
http://literacytent.org
  
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.literacytent.org/pipermail/aaace-nla/attachments/20080104/5ff87958/attachment.html