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Katelin McLeod

Knowledge@Work in the Education Program

Two of the major issues that face educators today are the gap in literacy and lack of
cultural competency in a growing and diverse nation. The gap in literacy refers to the recent
phenomenon of there being a large percentage of students who are not reading on the appropriate
grade level, and cultural competency can be defined as being aware of one’s own cultural
background and the different cultural backgrounds of others and utilizing those differences to
create a more fulfilling learning experience for both parties. Although each of these issues is
unique, they are equally important in providing students with the best education possible.

Why is the literacy gap so important, and how might we go about combatting it? Studies
show that among the twenty wealthiest countries in the world, the United States ranks number
twelve in its literacy rate. Furthermore, fifty percent of American adults are unable to even read a
book above an eighth-grade level, and 45 million Americans are unable to read a book at or
above a fifth-grade level. This means that there is an exponential number of people who are
essentially illiterate and unequipped to function in the working world.

Literacy, the ability to read and write, begins at home. Many scientists now agree that it
is possible for babies in their mothers’ wombs to detect their parents’ voices and hear them
reading to them from the very beginning. Moreover, children who are read to and with at home
at a young age are more likely to be successful later in life whether it be in education, career, or
communication, not to say it is guaranteed, but there is a much greater chance. The challenge
that many educators face, though, is that these types of children are few and far between and that
the majority of the students being taught did not experience this nurture and emphasis on
learning when they were growing up. Ideally, students should come to school prepared with the
necessary reading skills ready to learn, but unfortunately that is usually not the case.

Likewise, cultural competency or lack thereof creates a deficit in the spectrum of
educational opportunity. Lifestyles affect how a student may learn, and it is critical for a teacher
to understand that. In an example I heard, a teacher had a student that fell asleep every single day
in class. The teacher became angry because she felt that particular student did not care about