1. What are the features of the forms of language that are spoken in a home environment that align with academic varieties of language?
many times, home language that aligns with academic varieties of language are when we read to our children and when children play (house, school, etc)
2. What are the features of Leona's specialized form of language?
parallels and repetition in story telling... she clumps together parts of her story and, I imagine, when she was telling this story, it was rhythmic
3. Why is Leona's specialized form of language not accepted in school?
it doesn't "sound" right and it isn't "proper"
4. Explain the contradiction between the research conducted by Snow et al. (1998) and the recommendations made by Snow et al. (1998).
the Black-White gap in literacy was closing, but he recommends (in my own words) more 'drill and kill' for phonemic awareness and phonics which will bore kids MORE and ultimately widen that gap again
5. What other factors besides early skills training will make or break good readers?
finding something interesting to read will make or break a good reader! If you force kids to read Basil readers over something they actually have an interest in, it will kill their drive to WANT to read!
Also, a sense of belonging helps or hurts a reader. If they talk like Leona, they will likely be rejected for being 'stupid'... but if kids like Leona are embraced and their culture is embraced as a cultural capital, then it will HELP!
6. Why do some children fail to identify with, or find alienating, the "ways with words" taught in school?
you're expected to talk and act a certain way at school that isn't "natural" for many kids to do because of their way of life at home. If school would accept these kids with differences and use them as an aid to better learning, things might be a little different in the classroom.
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