The Brilliance of Black Boys: Cultivating School Success in the Early Grades
168
The Brilliance of Black Boys: Cultivating School Success in the Early Grades
168Paperback
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Overview
This much-needed book will help schools and, by extension, society to better understand and identify the promise, potential, and possibilities of Black boys. Drawing from their wealth of experience in early childhood education, the authors present an asset- and strengths-based view of educating Black boys. This positive approach enables practitioners and school leaders to recognize, understand, and cultivate the diversity of social skills of Black boys in the early grades (pre-K–3rd grade). Each chapter begins with a vignette to illustrate what is lost when Black boys are prevented from participating freely in boyhood, having to instead attend to adult and peer interactions and attitudes that view them as “bad boys” and “troublemakers.” This accessible book provides teachers with classroom strategies to help young Black boys achieve their highest potential, along with other resources for supporting their social-emotional development, such as a reading list of authentic multicultural children’s books with Black boys as protagonists.
Book Features:
- Challenges deficit views of Black boys in order to transform the way schools and society think, talk, and write about them.
- Provides culturally responsive strategies for engaging Black boys and fostering healthy self-identity and agency.
- Discusses the importance of critical self-reflection to examine attitudes and practices that inform how teachers engage with children and families.
- Examines how school officials, beginning in early childhood, can stop the adultification and criminalization of Black boys.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780807758922 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Teachers College Press |
| Publication date: | 03/09/2018 |
| Pages: | 168 |
| Sales rank: | 538,194 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.40(d) |
About the Author
Table of Contents
Foreword James Earl Davis ix
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction 1
Black Boyhood Interrupted and Disrupted in Early Childhood 2
Conceptual Framework of Success for Black Boys 2
A Note about Terminology and Perspective 4
Reframing the Narrative About Black Boys in Early Childhood 6
Overview 6
1 Black Boys' Experiences in School and out of School 10
Black Boys in School and out of School 11
Consequences of Perceptions of Culpability of Black Boys 13
Education Denied: Statistics on Suspensions and Expulsion 13
Race and Gender in the Classroom 14
The Broken Pipeline: Black Boys and Teacher Attitudes 16
How the Pipeline Is Primed: Underrepresentation in Gifted Education, Overrepresentation in Discipline and Special Education 17
A Culturally Responsive Strengths-Based Approach 20
Quality Early Education and Care: An Overview 21
Conclusion 23
2 Early Childhood Experiences of Black Boys in School 24
Preschool Education 25
School "Discipline Hubs" and Black Boys 26
Black Boys: A Closer Look 27
Black Boys and Teacher Attitudes 28
Rethinking School Readiness (For Whom? And for What?) 31
Valuing "Everyday" Language Practices 33
Black Boys and STEM 36
Conclusion 38
3 Creating a Culture of Success 40
Classroom Culture: What Does It Mean and Why Does It Matter? 42
A Classroom Cultural Framework: A Continuum of Three Models 44
The Intersection of Attachment and Expectations with Epigenetics 47
Teacher Candidates and Teachers Discounting Data: A Case in Point 50
Boot Camps and Factories Dominate Black Boys' Experiences 52
Constructivist Teachers: Empathetic Community Mentors 55
Conclusion 62
4 Developing Self-Identity and Agency in Black Boys 63
Who Are Black Boys? Ending Deficit-Oriented Narratives 66
The More We Know, the Less We Make Up 67
Self-Identity, Agency, and Community 68
Agency and Black Boys 69
Mirror Books Versus Window Books: Reflection Matters 70
National Council for the Social Studies Standards 72
Engaging Black Boys Using Multicultural Children's Literature 73
Authentic Children's Books Promote Self-Identity and Agency 80
Conclusion 88
5 Classroom Strategies for Success with Black Boys 98
High-Quality, Evidence-Based Approaches Used in Constructivist, Culturally Responsive, Democratic Learning Communities 99
Conclusion 115
Appendix: Resources for Building Cultural Competence in Early Childhood Teachers 117
Academic/Professional Journals 118
Authentic Multicultural Children's Books with Black Boys as Protagonists 119
Early Childhood/Child Development Websites for Teachers 122
Professional Associations/Organizations and Related Annual Conferences and Symposia 123
Education Centers and Institutes 123
Research Reports on Black Males 124
Black Male Teacher Initiatives 124
Spotlight On a Current Black Male Initiative: W.E.B. Dubois Academy 124
References 125
Index 143
About the Authors 153
What People are Saying About This
"My excitement about this book comes from its audacity to assert a perspective about the early education of Black boys that centers their cultural authenticity inclusive of identity, agency, and lived experiences. This is an ambitious undertaking, but early childhood education desperately needs it to enact its broader goals of igniting intellectual curiosity, cultivating social competencies, and supporting the sociocultural development of all children."—From the Foreword by James Earl Davis, Temple University
“Wright’s deep love and respect for young children is evident in this brilliantly constructed scholarly work. His uncommon insight into the world of Black boys unveils a new narrative and gives educators a formula for turning opportunity into advantage.” —Carol Brunson Day, past president, National Association for the Education of Young Children
“The Brilliance of Black Boys captures who the author is—a brilliant Black male—and gives voice to a student population that is demonized early in life. Wright flips the narrative, providing ample counter-stories, theories, paradigms, and resources to skillfully illustrate the strengths of Black boys. Readers will not be disappointed. Educators will be informed and empowered to become culturally responsive.” —Donna Y. Ford, Vanderbilt University