“The Invisible Experience”
7:00 a.m., the alarm goes off. 7:10 a.m., the alarm goes off again. 7:15 a.m., the shower is started. 7:30 a.m., clothes are put on and greetings to family members commence. 7:45 a.m., coffee and breakfast are consumed, at which the newspaper is glanced. 8:00 a.m., books, laptop, supplies, etc., are obtained. 8:05 a.m., the car is started and the day begins. The mind might just only by waking up at this point, but it’s been pretty busy since that snooze button was pressed. Ever since that first shrieking buzzer, perhaps without even realizing it, you’ve been reading. Reading the time on the alarm clock (occasionally multiple times); reading the “C” or “H” on the shower nozzle; reading the instructions for the coffee maker; reading to expiration date on the milk to make sure it’s still good; and of course, reading the headlines. Reading happens without thinking, unless it never happens. Unless the ability of read was never learned or mastered, like 19% of Washington DC’s population (District of Columbia...), that normal morning routine is completely different. It seems implausible that adults could function in today’s society without the knowledge of written language, but it happens. At some point in their childhood, when all the school kids were learning their ABC’s, something caused them to get behind and unfortunately, stay behind, lacked an essential skill for today’s world. There are numerous reasons why this happens, but the predominant one, especially in urban, low-income areas, is the state of early elementary education. Many schools, especially in areas where families are close to or in poverty, do not have adequate funding to provide for the academic needs of young students. An increase in state funding for this purpose would be highly beneficial for society as a whole on three grounds: children beginning schooling with some basic knowledge of reading and math will do better later in school; federal money will be saved because citizens would be more educated and less likely to rely on welfare services; and the positive correlation that exists among wealthier states and their educated constituents.
A study at Northwestern University concluded that if children enter kindergarden with elementary skills in both reading and math, they will more likely achieve higher marks later in school, even with the presence of emotional or social problems (Northwestern University). And it makes sense, if children start out ahead, they will more likely stay ahead. This can be as simple as making sure children know their numbers and alphabet before starting kindergarden where that knowledge will be branched out even further. If it sounds that easy, then why do 41% of boys and 35% of girls entering the 4th grade, in low-income areas, read below the basic literary levels? The problem resides in the availability of resources at home. Children with more material to read in their home environment tested better in literary advancement and comprehension than children with not as many materials (ranging from newspapers and magazines to books and journals) (Literacy...). In middle income areas, the average ratio of child to age appropriate book is 1:13. In low income areas, that ratio is sometimes drastically changed to 300:1 (Neuman). This shocking statistic is causing an uproar for some organizations. “Access to appropriate resources and interventions is crucial to a child’s healthy development, and in turn, closing the achievement gap,” says Janice Cooper, PhD, director of the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP). Teaming up with early childhood literacy expert Sheila Smith, the NCCP emphasizes the recognition of the developmental lag between wealthy and poor counterparts. The organization has been actively conducting research and producing publications on the importance of early education and the availability of resources (Ardoin). Additional funding from the state for pre-school and pre-kindergarden education materials would assist in the efforts put forth by the such organizations like the NCCP.
The opposition to this proposition is often that it is the parents’ responsibility to teach their children fundamentals. Many people believe that part of child rearing is helping them to learn basic skills like the ABC’s in addition to just teaching them to walk and talk. While this is often in the case for parents of comfortable wealth, it’s not so cut and dry as the poverty line is closer approached. Parents close to and under the poverty line commonly work longer hours or multiple jobs to pay for the essentials for their children. This leaves those parents with less hours in the day for such instruction that middle and upper class families can take for granted. An Early Childhood Longitudinal Study found that children who were read to multiple times throughout the week by a parent or elder scored much higher in reading assessments that children who were not read to (Denton, West). If more state funding is provided for pre-K and pre-school education, especially for parents with large work schedules, more programs where children can be read to regularly and assist in the teaching basic fundamentals can be established.
In 2009, Washington DC’s Literacy Coalition announced that the population of the city that was the below basic prose literary level (english-speaking, non-literate citizens that could only perform the most simplest skills like scanning a text to find out what they could not drink before a medical procedure) was at 19%, 14% nationwide. The average American considers “below basic” literary skills to be lacking what is needed to be functional in today’s society (Adult Literacy Skills...). The US Department of Education also stated that within that portion of the population that is at the lowest level of literacy proficiency, 43% are in poverty. While only 13% of the nation is under the poverty line (Literacy...), one would assume that the those two percentages would be closer, based on rudimentary statistics. These numbers show that adults and children who are in poverty are less likely to receive as good an education as people who are more financially comfortable. Living in poverty also usually means relying in some way on federal assistance. A study at Columbia University found that the US could save between $7.9 and $10.8 billion a year if education improved for recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, food stamps, and housing assistance (Literacy...). As of fiscal year 2010, the US budget allotted 16.3% to welfare and other assistance-based organizations; 3.4% of just discretionary spending was provided for the Department of Education. If more money is set aside for states to provide more for education, eventually, less money will be needed for welfare.
The time that would be needed to produce those results is often the drawback of this argument. Providing more funding for the younger generation wouldn’t show a significant difference in welfare necessities until that age group was of age to work. However, if more funding is provided to education, results will be seen in the age groups as they mature. Better test results and higher achievement will be evident before those students enter the work force. By the time they are old enough to do so, a larger percentage will have received a better education and qualify for higher paying jobs, therefore, reducing the need for welfare in that age bracket. While results specifically for welfare may take some time to be noticed, the results will be clear in other areas of performance until the students affected by the increased funding reach the work force.
Until improvement can occur in regions with many low income neighborhoods, analyzing areas with high test scores and the mechanisms they use can aide in the advancement of struggling areas. Maryland public schools, for instance, were ranked number one in the country by Education Week in 2010 for the second consecutive year (Martin, Brown, Foster). Maryland’s population living in poverty is also only about 8%, 5% under the national average. Washington DC’s poverty average is currently at 16.9% (District of Columbia...). If those numbers are compared to the percentages of adults living with below basic literary skills, a correlation is apparent. 11% of Maryland adults have below basic literary skills while 19% of DC adults do (State and County...). States and areas with less poverty also have less adults with below basic literary skills. The correlation cannot support a cause and effect argument; however, it does show that areas with less poverty have better school systems, and that does contribute to the literacy rates.
The fiscal year for 2011 in the state of Maryland raised the budget for education by 27%, to $5.7 billion, making it the largest component of the state’s budget (Governor Martin O’Malley...). Because of the current economic struggles, DC lowered its public education funding by 2.8%. Funding for a portion that contained instructional and after school programs, textbooks, library media, and early childhood education was lowered even more so by 6.8% (District of Columbia Public Schools). Arguments can be made that the money can be immediately beneficial in other departments besides education. In DC especially, there are many roads that need refurbishing and old buildings that need renovation. Yet, if DC puts more money into education, its constituents will become more learned and better equipped to handle the other problems the district faces. The correlation could show up in DC as it does in Maryland. If funding for public and early education is to increase, education as a whole will increase, and the number of people in need of federal assistance due to income levels will decrease.
Reading is essential in our society. Whether it’s an advertisement persuading one to buy something, keeping the economy going, or it’s a warning label about toxins in a cleaning agent, it happens without a second thought. We read constantly without really thinking about what we are doing. If we had to live our same lives, but without the ability to read, it’d be like moving to a completely foreign country without knowing one word of the language. Strange scribbles and calligraphy would be everywhere and we wouldn’t understand any of it. That is how some adults and children live in our country today. They can speak the language, english is probably their native tongue, but reading and writing it is an entirely unknown territory. The role of the government, as said by our founding fathers, is to serve the people. And states have the right to determine how public education is organized. This is an incredible responsibility that can permanently influence peoples’ lives. Education, especially early education, is one of the most important duties of state spending. Appropriate funds for excelling educations means smarter and brighter futures.
8Works Cited
"Adult Literary Skills in Washington D.C." DC Learns. Mar. 2009. Web. Nov. 2010. <http://dclearns.org/files/2010/07/Fact-Sheet-Adult-Literacy.pdf>.
Ardoin, Morris. "NCCP | Early Childhood Literacy Expert Joins National Center for Children in Poverty." NCCP | Home. The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York,, 27 July 2009. Web. Nov. 2010. <http://www.nccp.org/media/releases/release_78.html>.
Denton, Kristen and West, Jerry. Children's Reading and Mathematics Achievement in Kindergarten and First Grade (PDF file), U.S. Department of Education, NCES, Washington, DC, 2002. <http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2002/2002125.pdf>
"District of Columbia Public Schools." Office of the Chief Financial Officer. District of Columbia, 2010. Web. Nov. 2010. <http://www.dc.gov/DCPS/About+DCPS/Budget+and+Finance/Proposed+FY11+School+Budgets>.
"District of Columbia QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau." State and County QuickFacts. US Census Bureau, 16 Aug. 2010. Web. Nov. 2010. <http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/11000.html>.
"Governor Martin O'Malley Outlines FY11 Budget, Closes $2 Billion Deficit and Protects Key Priorities." Office of Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley. 19 Jan. 2010. Web. Nov. 2010. <http://www.governor.maryland.gov/pressreleases/100119.asp>.
"Literacy in the United States." First Book. Scholastic, 2010. Web. Nov. 2010. <http://www.firstbook.org/site/c.lwKYJ8NVJvF/b.2637397/k.C72F/Literacy_in_the_US.htm#poverty>.
Martin, O'Malley, Anthony G. Brown, and T. Eloise Foster. "FY2011." Maryland Budget Highlights. Department of Budget and Management, 20 Jan. 2010. Web. Nov. 2010. <http://dbm.maryland.gov/agencies/operbudget/Documents/2011/FY2011BudgetHighlights.pdf>
Neuman, Susan B. and David K. Dickinson, ed. Handbook of Early Literacy Research, Volume 2. New York, NY: 2006, p. 31.
Northwestern University. "Early Academic Skills, Not Behavior, Best Predict School Success." ScienceDaily, 19 November 2007. Web. 22 November 2010. <http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2007/11/071112182442.htm>.
"State and County Literacy Estimates - Compare." National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Home Page, a Part of the U.S. Department of Education. Institute of Educational Sciences, 2003. Web. Nov. 2010. <http://nces.ed.gov/naal/estimates/Estimates.aspx?SearchType=3>.
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