Critical Dialogue: The Road to Literacy for Students at Risk in Middle Schools

Abstract

Other social agencies have identified specific roles for professionals work ing with students deemed at risk of dropping out of school in the middle grades, but education has yet to define a clear role for classroom teachers in developing the literacy of at-risk youngsters. Critical Dia logue, an instructional approach based on these students' background knowledge and experiences, is offered as a possible solution to this problem. Although the approach can be used with all students in middle schools, it is especially useful as an alternative for those who fail to succeed in traditional learn ing environments. This approach varies the setting for learning to read and write, em phasizes responsive instructional conver sations, promotes cooperative learning activities, respects and integrates these stu dents' background knowledge and experi ences, and stresses the development of the linguistic and higher order thinking skills they need to succeed with content area as signments. The development of literacy in middle school requires students to interact with text, the teacher, and one another to express or clarify ideas and feelings. Students must apply a wide range of background knowl edge to respond successfully to their reading and writing assignments (Gentile & McMillan, 1991). Middle school teachers share great concern over many of their stu dents' poorly developed communication skills. At this level, a host of problems in students' higher order thinking, planning and organization, self regulation, and deci sion making are more evident than they were a generation ago. The ability to under stand language and use language to learn and demonstrate learning are survival tools for these students, the tickets for them to any successful higher educational experiences or job entry. When they cannot use language for these purposes they are at risk of drop ping out of school (Ralph, 1988).