Teaching African American Children - Book Report/Review Example

The contributions and accomplishments of African Americans are not sufficiently discussed in public learning institutions currently. Usually, when individuals of African America descent are talked about as part of the school program, it is often in a negative manner, or commonly a concentration on their slavery status in America. This frequently causes African American children to develop self-esteem issues. It may also make these children to lose interest in educational matters. In addition, these children face communication issues because a large number of instructors are from outside their culture and do not possess an understanding of the African American culture.

This paper is a review of Gloria Ladson-Billings’ book and will combine the evidence of the writer’s fairness, errors, or bias of interpretation, and material opposing or supporting every point. The paper will also review the book by responding to the questions stated. Question 1 The writer’s aim was to distinguish the techniques that have been largely efficient in assisting African American learners to attain academic success. There are a large number of people of African American descent pursuing their academic interests in America.

Therefore, we are all conscious of the difficulties African Americans go through while undertaking their educational interests (Ladson-Billings 23). These people also face other challenges, for example, low high school rates, high unemployment levels, high poverty rates, high incarceration rates, among other challenges. Nevertheless, the author fails to achieve his purpose. This is because the work was unable to illustrate a convincing thesis on what makes an instructor successful in assisting African American learners to attain academic accomplishments.

Question 2 The narrative is convincing, comprehensive and incorporates all phases of the topic. The writer goes out of his way to define who a successful teacher is and who is not. In addition, Gloria Ladson-Billings looks at issues that make African American learners lag behind in education. Moreover, the writer interviews a number of parents and teachers to establish who a successful teacher is, and the concerns faced by African American students (Ladson-Billings 33). The book concentrates on real word conditions, thereby making the evidence convincing and comprehensive.

Question 3 The author’s point of view focuses on what she refers to as culturally relevant teaching. The standard of this pedagogy fits adequately with numerous philosophical inclinations. All through the work, the writer concentrates on teachers and African American students. In addition, Gloria Ladson-Billings has some biases. All through the book, there is a presumption that public school instructors handle students of African American origin differently from the rest of the students; nonetheless, what is presumed is not adequately explained (Ladson-Billings 198).

The work also asserts to be a description on successful instruction of African American learners that seems dissimilar from accomplished instruction of non-African American learners, but instructors are not meant to teach them in a different way. Question 4 There are some parts that may be presumed to be better than others. The part where she discusses culturally relevant teaching is well described. She illustrates how culturally relevant teaching is a pedagogy that gives power to learners emotionally,