I recently read a book that gets to the root of some cultural problems in education today. Elliot Eisner wrote about the need for art and the aesthetic elements of life in education to truly teach literacy. According to Eisner, literacy is more than just words on a page but rather ways of conveying and receiving meaning. Before we can fix the problem of “illiteracy” in the sense of not being able to read, we must reach students culturally as well. I think if this concept were to be applied, those in poverty would get a cultural education that would ease them into the skills of reading words on a page. Allowing various disciplines to work together in support of one another boosts literacy.

Illiteracy and poverty go hand in hand. Those afflicted by it need relevant basic education first. To break the barrier the educator needs to cut out all the fluffy-make work projects and subjects. My brothers were drop-outs because they wore long under wear. Why? because PE was mandatory and they were mortified to go into change rooms so school became torture. So they had low level educations because somebody had decided that kids who laboured on the farm every day also had to play basketball with the city kids. Reading, writing and arithmetic are essential. Kids get taught everything else but in schools it seems. The peer pressure-pecking order-fashion show drives a lot of kids underground as well. Those children probably also come from families who don’t value education then they go to a school where the stresses are so high and the basic education is lost. A stressed child can not play silly games, they need facts- fast and relevant first.

Try this book:

Literacy with an Attitude: Educating Working-Class Children in Their Own Self-Interest by Patrick J. Finn

Link to it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Literacy-Attitude-Patrick-J-Finn/dp/0791442861/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-5945916-5649446?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1183399205&sr=8-1

It’s based on educators following Paulo Friere’s methods for teaching literacy in poverty-stricken neighborhoods as well as gaining and integrating community support. VERY powerful book.