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Quality Instruction is Critical.
Some teachers believe that poor children need slower and more
concrete instruction. They believe that students' poverty, language, lack of
parental resources, and lack of readiness are excuses for holding lower
expectations. However, a study on home and school influences on literacy in
Massachusetts, shows that schools can be powerful equalizers of children's
development (Snow, Barnes, Chandler, Goodman, &Hemphill, 1991, as cited in
Hiebert and Taylor, 1994. p. 31). The study also showed that even strong home
support such as books, reading, writing, high expectations and predictable
routines cannot always compensate for two years of poor instruction (see
Table). But excellent teaching easily compensated for homes that offered no
support for children's literacy development.
Cunningham and Allington used this study to emphasize the importance of
excellent instruction and included a table in their book, Classrooms That
Work: They Can All Read and Write
(1994, p.2).
Percentage of Children Who Achieve Success with Varying Levels
of Home and Classroom Support
|
High Home Support
|
Low
Home Support
|
High
Classroom Support
|
100%
|
100%
|
Mixed
Classroom Support
|
100%
|
25%
|
Low
Classroom Support
|
60%
|
0%
|
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