Book+Study+-+Boys+in+Poverty

__Boys in Poverty- A Framework for Understanding Dropout__ by Ruby Payne and Paul Slocumb



Examine the risk factors for dropout among males living in poverty, especially generational poverty. Explore personal, community, and school system issues, including family dysfunction, disability, poor teaching, punitive discipline, and absence of differentiated instruction. The book structures these issues into four categories of development—physical, emotional, cognitive, and social—examining how poverty intensifies each. Additional chapters explore the unique problems of sensitive, gay, gifted, ADHD, and postadolescent males. Within each of these areas of development, the authors offer concrete suggestions for keeping boys engaged with school and the learning process. Benefits
 * Uses neuroscience findings to explain boys’ vs. girls’ development
 * Explores the negative impact of media on perceptions of masculinity
 * Names specific resources and interventions to mitigate the effects of dropout risk factors
 * Shows how school districts can calculate revenue lost to dropout

After Reading Chapters 1 and 2, please respond to the following on Vicki's Wiki: From the case study describing Devin's issues, name five of Devin's risk factors and the interventions that might have been used to mitigate thier effects. || 9 || face-to-face Read Chapter 3. Come prepared to discuss the impact of poverty on the emotional development of boys. Consider the difference between the impact on boys and the impact on girls. || Read Chapters 4 and 5. Question will be posted on Vicki's Wiki to address the Cognitive and Social development of boys. Chapter 4: Why is a child's vocabulary such an important key to success in school? How can schools contribute to giving each student a rich vocabulary? Chapter 5: What are some of the physiological effects of the sensationalism to which boys are exposed in the media? || Read Chpater 6. The Impact of Drugs, Alcohol, and Early Sexual Activity on boys. Will post question to guide group discussion. || Read Chapter 7. Question will be posted on Vicki's Wiki to address The Different Boy: Sensitive, Gay, Gifted, ADHD. Chapter 7: How can giftedness, a seemingly positive quality, lead to just as much isolation for boys in poverty as being gay or sensitive? Why are boys often overdiagnosed as ADHD? After what age should a diagnosis of ADHD be considered suspect? What are some alternatives to the use of Ritalin and Adderall? || Read Chapter 8. Emerging Adulthood. Will post question to guide group discussion and conclusion to book study. ||
 * Feb 2 || online
 * Feb
 * Feb 16 || online
 * Feb 23 || face-to-face
 * Mar 2 || online
 * Mar 9 || face-to-face

Chapter Notes:
//__Boys in Poverty, A Framework for Understanding Dropout__// Ruby K. Payne and Paul D. Slocumb

Chapter 1: The Impact of Generational Poverty on Boys Nature vs. Nuture Case Study: Devin was born to pot smoking parents and had a stuttering problem. His father made fun of him. He was an average student, likeable, went to the Boys and Girls Club afterschool, played football, and really liked his coach. In the 7th grade, he dropped out of sports, and started getting into fights. In the 8th grade, he failed math and language arts. In the 11th grade, he dropped out of school. Sometime students are seen as a pattern rather than a person. Because of time constraints, demands of teaching, fatigue, or lack of awareness, the inquiry needed to investigate details behind the patterns of behavior are not done! Devin’s risk factors/possible interventions: Stutterer – speech interventions Big for his age – transitional first grade Lack of parental support – needed relationships at school Violence in the home – support groups Drugs in the home – counseling Low achievement – needed tutor and differentiation Poor attendance – sports incentive

Chapter 2: Physical Development of Boys Boys have delayed development of fine motor skills, but better hand-eye coordination. Difference in perception of space affects the way boys process their emotional needs. Males need more room to deal with emotions, as well as more time. Toxins have direct effect on boys physical development. Adolescence occurs later for boys. Boys experience “rest states”, where the brain literally shuts down. When they are bombarded with lengthy explanations, rest-state may result. Boys need movement, rough-housing. **//Poverty magnifies the following physical issues://**
 * inadequate diet
 * sexual illiteracy
 * unhealthy living conditions
 * lack of safety

Chapter 3: The Emotional Development of Boys The brain is a feeling machine that thinks, NOT a thinking machine that feels. As boys and girls’ brains mature, boys become less and less able to connect feelings and verbal information. The male brain is hard wired for doing. The female brain is wired for talking! Boys are less emotionally literate than girls: girls can name emotions, recognize others emotions, and understand behaviors that cause emotions more readily than boys. .Boys are 41/2 times more likely to be expelled from preschool. Teachers must develop a “Feeling Vocabulary”. Boys will be boys = children committing adult crimes. “Shame-phobic” means that boys will do anything to avoid shame. Suicide has become the 3rd leading cause of death in mid to late teens after accidents and homicides. In a 2002 study, 1 out of every 6 boys was a victim of sexual abuse. Clinical depression can result from abuse or the witnessing of abuse. **//Generational development affects boys emotional development in the following ways://** unaddressed emotional issues, higher incidence of child abuse, absence of mediation, negative self-talk, lack of emotional resources, lack of dialogue and language for the experience of oneself, lack of resources for conflict resolution, and overuse of video games. **//Support for these risk factors could include://** Vocabulary of emotions, provide counseling, teach affirmations and positive self-talk, teach how to set boundaries, have students write a Future Story, provide tools for anger management, and identify verbal disrespect.

Chapter 4: The Cognitive Development of Boys The process of strengthening neural connections based on usefulness is most intense between the ages of 3 and 12. Boys are different from girls in their delay of language acquisition. The delay can be countered with vocabulary instruction. Marzano has a 5-step process: 1. Present a brief explanation of the new term. 2. Present a nonlinguistic representation of the term. 3. Ask students to generate their own explanation of the term. 4. Ask students to create their own nonlinguistic representation of the term. 5. Periodically ask students to review accuracy of their explanation. A child’s vocabulary, more than any single factor, will determine how successful they will be in school! Other cognitive differences: Boys are deductive thinkers while girls tend to be inductive (boys single-task/girls multi-task). Most children have established patterns of learning by the 3rd grade. Changing trends in school work against boys developmental skills; the increased focus on early literacy skills has decreased time for physical education and recess. **//Nurturing relationships can change genetic activity!//** **//Generational poverty exacerbates problems with the development of cognition in boys win the following ways://** low birth weight, allostatic load (measure of response to stressors), substance abuse, exposure to environmental toxins, food insecurity and hunger, language deprivation, absence of emotional connection and touch, fear, under- and overstimulation, and living in an abstract representational world. **//Following are some ways in which to support these problems://** use of kinesthetic approaches, never eliminate recess, music, or art, teach question making, use thinking maps, work in groups, and use of backward planning.

Chapter 5: The Social Development of Boys “The process of passing on a culture, with its rules, norms, beliefs, and expectations, traditionally involves the larger community.” (Sax, 2007; Tiger, 2004) Things have changed! Single parenthood is problematic for children’s socialization. Role identity is about “what you do”. Gender identity is “what you think a man or woman is”. With the lack of role models boys seek a “tribe”, often in the media or peers who are incompetent to guide. The maturity level of boys is significantly different than girls. Boys have the tendency to “flight or fight”, while girls have the tendency to “tend or befriend”. Social media messages include: the family man is a bumbling idiot in sitcoms, it is okay for women to bully their spouse, enemies are mostly to be another male, you should destroy you enemy, it’s a cruel world, don’t let anyone see you cry, females are to be seduced, and men must be physically fit. Boys in poverty lack the parental supervision to censor television and filter these messages. **//Generational poverty negatively impacts boys social development in the following ways://** lack of bridging capital (people different from you) and bonding capital (people who are like you), impediments caused by health reasons, absence of support for organized sports, lack of experience with teamwork and cooperation, absence of collective efficacy, scarcity of work, devaluation of education, and overexposure to television. **//To support these issues,//** educators can educate parents, read stories with good role models, discuss what students do well, prohibit bullying, provide structured activities, and invite males to mentor.

Chapter 6: The Impact of Drugs, Alcohol, and Early Sexual Activity on Boys It was interesting how the role of sports was discussed in this chapter. The book states that sports are not necessarily a deterrent to drugs. These boys are risk-takers. Boys in poverty grow up in risk-taking environments. One intervention proven to work is dinner together! **//Generational poverty exacerbates boys problems with drugs, alcohol, and premature sexual activity in the following ways//**: Lack of adult supervision, absence of males, fatalistic attitudes, premature exposure to sexuality, overvaluation of sexual experience, and easy availability of drugs and alcohol. **//Ways teachers can support://** Provide positive interactions with males, after school clubs, locate sponsors for field trips, complete a Graduation Plan, become email buddies with another positive male, and assess aptitudes.

Chapter 7: The Different Boy: Sensitive, Gay, Gifted, ADHD Four key factors to assist a young gay boy develop emotionally are: Parental acceptance, especially from fathers Religion or spirituality Community acceptance (including school community) Tolerance within the workplace I found this quote in reference to gifted boys in poverty eye-opening: “Educated households understand that the pen is mightier than the sword. But in poverty, the sword is concrete, strong, and understood. Words from a pen are not respected or seen as a   strength. Therefore, to be “gifted” in poverty means you are not understood.” Gifted boys are often labeled ADHD because of their impulsivity. They have difficulty with the sit-and-get classroom. **//Generational poverty can exacerbate the situation of boys who are sensitive, gay, gifted, or ADHD in the following ways//**: lack of discussion of difficult areas, rigidity of definitions of maleness, lack of health care, and over prescription of stimulant medications. **//Teachers can offer support by//**: providing gender and non-gender examples, training for parents, discourage name calling, teach language to talk about feelings, discuss use of derogatory terms, draw attention to male writers and artists, and identify characteristics of addiction.

Chapter 8: Emerging Adulthood The years from 18-25 are a roller coaster of changes. Post-high school training is essential for young people. Boys from poverty who drop-out typically have no support system. High school teachers are the bridge needed as referenced in Chapter 5. Boys in poverty have a lack of “bridging capital”, or people who are different from them to help them see the way. Conversations tend to focus on survival instead of long-range planning. In generational poverty, these are the years in which you must give up relationships to pursue achievement. **//To support these boys, teachers can://** provide affirmative language, help them envision what they could be, arrange visits to college, identify career choices, help them make a plan, and emphasize academics whenever possible.