[CALIBK12] 4th grade reading and prison facilities - why many are illiterate

[ladewig]

Diane and everybody,

 

Several years a go I had to do some research on prison illiteracy and a big
part of the problem is that many of these prisoners (especially the repeat
offenders) have ADD/ADHD - at least 25% of the population on average, some
estimates (in some prisons) go as high as 40% *(1). This boils down to two
things - one, they should have gotten some kind of help (medication,
bio-feedback, better nutrition, additional reading help, counseling -
whatever) as very young children when first learning to read AND they should
have been followed-up and followed through on to adulthood. Often their
school records indicate that they did have some sort of medication in
school, but either parents ended it at puberty, or had dropped it for other
reasons (cost, concerns about side effects, etc.). Once in prison, they may
not get the medication they need because of the potential for abuse (selling
it, not taking it on schedule, etc.). These boys (and sometimes girls) are
often the ones who become the "daredevils" and "juvenile delinquents" in
their teen and early twenties. Many of them did poorly in school (especially
in reading, so everything may also be difficult) and because of the ADHD
they do not have the ability (or it is abnormally diminished) to understand
the seriousness of and possible consequences (no "common sense") of their
actions, which are often done on the spur of the moment. The Nike slogan
fits them to a "T" - "Just do it!" It probably wouldn't surprise you that
children with ADD/ADHD end up far more often in the emergency room with
broken bones!

 

While some people don't believe that ADD/ADHD exists ("Boys will be boys!
Let them be!") we all know there are children (and not just boys) who cannot
sit still and/or cannot stay focused. Recent advances in brain scan
technology show that the brains of children with ADD/ADHD react differently
than "normal" brains. One doctor "mapped" the brains of such children (he
was a specialist) and found seven different, distinct brain patterns of
ADD/ADHD children. Some of it is no doubt, genetic - we see it "run" in
families; in other children it may be the result of parental
smoking*(2)/drug/alcohol use/abuse during conception/pregnancy, or even poor
prenatal nutrition. The lack of a certain chemicals (especially DHA) in some
baby formula was also shown to contribute to poor brain and eye development.
<http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/98964.php> (This is a commercially
sponsored site but the information is available in other places as well, and
it does a good job of summarizing the information.) How do you "fix" this
problem later in life?

 

Some observers of children note that TV, computers, and Fluorescent lighting
can exacerbate it (ADD/ADHD) in children - the almost imperceptible
"flicker" aggravates the brains of susceptible children. Up until the
mid-60s we had standard lighting in classrooms (remember? I do). Then
fluorescents became more popular because they were more cost-effective (i.e.
cheaper!) to use in the long run. A teacher friend of mine observed that
when she gave children free range of the classroom and turned off half the
overhead lights, students with difficulties in reading/behavior tended to do
better (behavior-wise) and naturally gravitated to the dimmer-lit area of
the room. Interesting observation, isn't it? Another teacher I met (she was
a science teacher at a middle school) said she never used the overhead
lights. She brought incandescent lamps from home and used those. She told me
she didn't have problems with kids misbehaving due to ADHD. 

 

In the late 70s and early 80s computer games became all the rage, so many
more children were exposed (and at closer range) to flickering screens.
Thankfully, monitors today have much less "flicker" than earlier models.
Think it doesn't matter? Go back a few years to Japan when a new TV show for
children was put on the air with some sort of rapidly flashing patterns -
very young children who viewed it actually went into convulsions and several
children died! It was quickly pulled from the Japanese airwaves. Some people
find that fluorescent lighting (especially if the bulb is flickering
abnormally) will set off a migraine.

 

Okay, I know I've jumped around a lot, but the reality is that no amount of
books or reading can "fix" ADD/ADHD. Children with ADD/ADHD are far more
likely to have difficulty learning to read or to read well enough to be
considered "functionally literate." They are more than likely to do poorly
in school, are not likely to do well in employment situations unless they
can find jobs where they can move about frequently and don't have to deal
with lots of information, high reading levels, or extended concentration.
They are likely to act before thinking things through. Thus, they are far
more likely to end up in prison. Because ADD/ADHT is related to the LACK of
proper brain chemistry, without medication, these people may be much more
susceptible to addictive behaviors such as smoking, drugs or alcohol - not
just to get away from their problems, but because the addictive chemical
"fills in" the gap chemically for them. Oddly, some stimulents (like
caffeine) have the opposite effect on them - instead of "speeding them up"
it actually helps them slow down. Some children actually drink a small
amount of highly caffeinated soda (I think it was Mountain Dew) and function
better.

 

If we are serious about reducing the prison population, then we must address
ADD/ADHD. We must find better answers for those with it already, and we must
find better methods of prevention.

 

*1 And as some prison librarians wrote to me back then that other prisoners
have unattended eye problems and/or glasses that are not their current
prescription, or no glasses at all, another contributor to illiteracy.

 

*2 A least one recent study indicated that a woman who smoked during
pregnancy may be affecting the ova of her future GRANDchild - while the
children she bears may be normal, her daughters may have had genetic damage
to their ova during their gestation. If this is true, what other harm can
smoking do to developing infants?

 

Joanne Ladewig  (A.K.A. "Library Lady")

Library Media Tech

Lawrence Elementary, GGUSD

Garden Grove, California

shatz at verizon.net

 

Comments are my own and may not represent the views of GGUSD

 

  _____  

From: calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu
[mailto:calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu] On Behalf Of Diane & Wayne
Oestreich
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2008 12:41 PM
To: Barbara Duffy; calibk12 at lists.sjsu.edu
Subject: Re: [CALIBK12] 4th grade reading and prison facilities

 

I don't have a copy of The Read Aloud Handbook at school so I can't find out
his references for the info, but this is from Jim Trelease's web page:

The basis for that formula is firmly established: poverty and illiteracy are
related - they are the parents of desperation and imprisonment.

*	82 percent of prison inmates are school dropouts.
*	Inmates are twice as likely to be ranked in the bottom levels of
literacy as is the general population.
*	60 percent of inmates are illiterate.
*	63 percent of inmates are repeat offenders.

Why are such students failing and dropping out of school? Because they
cannot read - which affects the entire report card. Change the graduation
rate and you change the prison population - which changes the entire climate
of America. The higher a state's high school graduation rate, the smaller
its prison population.

So common sense should tell us that reading is the ultimate weapon -
destroying ignorance, poverty, and despair before they can destroy us. A
nation that doesn't read much doesn't know much. And a nation that doesn't
know much is more likely to make poor choices in the home, the marketplace,
the jury box, and the voting booth. And those decisions ultimately affect an
entire nation - the literate and the illiterate.

The challenge therefore is to convince future generations of children that
carrying books is more rewarding than carrying guns.



Barbara Duffy <BJDuffy at lbusd.k12.ca.us> wrote:


If you haven't seen this - scroll down to Milton Chen's article What I
Learned as Principal for a Day. 
Toward the last he comments on prison officials checking how many 4th
graders are failing Reading so they can plan adequate prison facilities.

Barbara

>>> "Edutopia's Edutopia News" 03/12/08 12:55 PM >>>

If you are having trouble viewing this message, please click here.


News for Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Credential Crackdown: Court's Homeschool Decision Imperils Online Learning
A state Court of Appeals ruling on homeschooling may have a dampening effect
on virtual schools as well. 



Forward Edutopia News to a friend 

Should the state require teacher certification for parents who homeschool
their children?



Schools Build Green 

To improve learning as well as the planet, K-12 schools have become
front-runners in greening a new generation of school buildings. 

What I Learned as Principal for a Day
Our executive director comes to understand just how tough it is to be a
school leader.
Back to top
Readings, Viewings, and Listenings
Free registration may be required and
news-sensitive links may expire over the next week.




Homeschoolers Reel from California Court Blow 
A ruling that parents in the state "do not have a constitutional right" to
homeschool their children prompts anger and confusion. Governor
Schwarzenegger may ask the legislature to intervene. -- Christian Science
Monitor
Related Edutopia article: An Emphasis on Parent Involvement 


Nancy Pelosi Praises School's Green Energy in Waltham 
Solar paneling at Stanley Elementary School delivers approximately 20
percent of its total electrical requirements. The result is a projected
savings of 200,000 kilowatt hours of electrical power per year, or about
$33,000. -- Daily News Tribune (Waltham, Massachusetts) 
Related Edutopia article: Designing Eco-Friendly Schools


Connecticut Governor Promotes Green-Collar Job Training 
Visiting a technical high school, Connecticut governor M. Jodi Rell said
that a green-collar job-training program she has proposed for the state's
technical schools will prepare Connecticut's students for future
opportunities in environmental and energy conservation careers. --
Environment News Service
Related Edutopia article: Vocational Programs: Labor Relations 


Smaller Classes Don't Close Learning Gap, Study Finds 
A Northwestern University researcher, revisiting the most famous study
promoting smaller classes, has concluded that high achievers benefited more
from the small classes than low achievers. -- Washington Post 
Related Edutopia poll: What will do the most to narrow the achievement gap?


Class Schedulers Think Outside the Blocks 
Educators and researchers question whether block scheduling has led to
higher achievement. -- Washington Post 
Related Edutopia poll: Are you in favor of block scheduling? 
See more Readings at Edutopia.org 
Back to top
Video: Earning to Learn 
A New York City pilot program gives low-income families cash incentives to
achieve scholastic success. But critics say it does little to promote
self-motivation. -- CBS News 
Related Edutopia poll: Should schools offer students incentives for academic
performance? 
See more Viewings at Edutopia.org 



A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSORS




Opportunities and Resources

The George Lucas Educational Foundation Grant Information List 

Contests for Kids: Going Green, Signature Style, Sports Evolution, Digital
Arts (deadline March 31; $10,000) 

Hamburger Helper's My Hometown Helper (deadline March 31; up to $15,000 for
community projects) 

PBS TeacherLine: Raising Readers (online professional-development course) 

National President's Challenge (fitness initiative; begins March 20) 
Back to top


News from The George Lucas Educational Foundation
The George Lucas Educational Foundation publishes three free e-newsletters:
Edutopia News, Project-Based Learning, and Technology in Education. If you
already receive one or two, and would like to subscribe to more, click here
and log in. If you do not receive any of the Foundation's e-newsletters but
would like to, click here. The George Lucas Educational Foundation,
established in 1991 by filmmaker George Lucas, is a nonprofit operating
foundation located in the San Francisco Bay Area. (The George Lucas
Educational Foundation does not sell or otherwise distribute any personal
information of list members.) 


The George Lucas Educational Foundation
1 Letterman Drive, San Francisco, CA 94129

This message was intended for: bjduffy at lbusd.k12.ca.us 
You were added to the database August 17, 2005. For more information click
here.

Update your preferences | Unsubscribe

_______________________________________________
CALIBK12 site list
CALIBK12 at lists.sjsu.edu
http://lists.sjsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/calibk12

For information about the Calibk12 listserve, please
visit http://www.calibk12.net.







"Without the ability to read and argue we're just geese to be plucked."

John Taylor Gatto, Eyeless in Gaza 


Diane Oestreich, Librarian 
Fullerton Union High School 
201 E. Chapman Avenue 
Fullerton, CA 92832 
714-626-3877 
Fax: 714-626-3862

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.sjsu.edu/pipermail/calibk12/attachments/20080313/d715d131/attachment.html