Emergent Literacy in High Risk Communities: Research Considerations

March 3, 2006, The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders presents Julie Washington, Ph.D. Professor, Wayne State University

March 3, 2006 at 2:30 p.m., CMA 3.124 Julie Washington, Ph.D., Professor, Wayne State University "Emergent Literacy in High Risk Communities: Research Considerations" The gap in reading achievement between minority children and their majority peers is well-documented. Difficulty with reading impacts academic achievement in all content areas, and ultimately undercuts employment and other life choices in adulthood. This gap is apparently evident from the time that young children enter school. The specific variables that influence this early 'gap' are widely discussed and debated, with various child-, home- and school-based factors offered as potentially important explanatory variables. The focus of this colloquium will be the early "reading problem" in the United States as it relates to African American children and the purported contribution of language and poverty to child and family outcomes.