Sue Pimental recently wrote that we are
in the middle of a curriculum renaissance, asserting that “poor quality
curriculum is at the root of reading problems in many schools.” And Daniel Willingham reminds us that “teaching
content is teaching reading.” All across Tennessee, districts are in
wholehearted agreement, as ‘cute’ and ‘primary’ curriculum is being set aside
in favor of more rigorous, content-rich curriculum. But this does not come without
critics. There is also a counter-opinion that first and second graders
should not be learning about the likes of body systems or the Revolutionary
War. The feeling is that our youngest students should be learning about
lighter, more fun topics and saving the heavy stuff for when they are older.
But this line of thinking takes the progress Tennessee has made with
grade-level expectations and curriculum two steps backward. Students' ages
should never affect the level of instruction they receive.
I
am a mother of three and a first grade teacher. I spend my days with young
children, and I love young children. I understand the importance of
exploration, of discussion, and of play. I believe that friendship and fun are
essential to a developing child. I believe there is a place for ‘cute,’ and I
love to partake in their laughter and creative play. But lowering the bar for
the content children receive in the classroom because of their age is a
disservice to our youngest learners.
The
importance of high expectations is not new knowledge. In this report, Ronald Williamson calls
teachers' expectations for their students, whether high or low,
"self-fulfilling prophecy." He relays the link between expectations
and motivation, and also how "teachers’ beliefs about student potential
are particularly powerful for students of color and students from poor
families." It is important to note that high expectations alone are not
enough for our children. These expectations must be supported by quality
instructional materials.
Having
been in the classroom with access to instructional materials that present
students with age-appropriate challenge and rich content, and also to materials
on the opposite end of the spectrum, I have seen firsthand just how high our
young children will rise when given the opportunity, as well as the lag in
achievement when the content is watered down simply because the learners are
young.
It
is amazing to hear students explain the importance of each of their body
systems and astounding to hear young children discuss catalysts for the
Revolutionary War. It is humbling to listen as they compare similar folktales
from different cultures and encouraging to hear them discuss the injustices
many early Americans faced. It is more than motivating to feel the glee of
their curiosity and eagerness to learn more each day, and it is
heartbreaking to consider the difference in these conversations had they been
held back from content this rich due to their age. Keeping children from access
to these topics and opportunity for high-level understanding because of their
young ages is not only an injustice to our young learners now, but also to
their future selves when they are exposed to content of substance and
challenging thought.
We
have come too far in our understanding of the importance of rigor and high
expectations to look back now. How do we stay the course and continue to
increase student achievement and learning? We hold all students - even our
young learners - to a high standard of learning and support that standard with
strong, content-rich instructional materials. Put perfectly in Tennessee's Third Grade Vision for
Reading Proficiency, "We must give students hard work and believe that they can
do it." Our students deserve more than easy. They deserve to be challenged
and given the opportunity to learn as much as they can with materials of
quality, regardless of age.
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