Using “Mirror” Books to reduce/eliminate the suspension/expulsion of African American Preschoolers

 

I remember listening and singing along with Michael Jackson “Man in the Mirror” with the line “I’m starting with the man in the mirror” where mirror books will give African American preschoolers with books which they see themselves.  When one walks into an early childhood learning environment how many books are reflective of African American preschoolers to see, hear, read and discuss characters who look like them reflecting African American culture to build self-identity?  Yes, these books give African American preschoolers another look of the world instead of all White characters feeling they are not worthy to being depicted in stories.  These are books that will be displayed throughout the classroom where related subject content will be displayed in the centers where African American can picture read and discuss with classmates along with teachers along with other stakeholders who enter the learning environment.  In addition, early childhood educators engage in preschoolers’ family members to read mirror books to the child as well.

Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop talked about books being a “mirror” where the reader and listener will see characters that represent themselves, their families, and their communities in positive ways.  Seeing characters like themselves in these books can help African American preschoolers develop a stronger sense of themselves including their abilities to pursue their goals, tell their own stories and support early literacy (Klefstad & Martinez, 2013).   Currently, there are far more “window” books that give African American preschoolers a glimpse into the lives of other people (mainly the White world) than “mirror” books showing their own communities in preschool classrooms.  It should be noted that many African American children are failing to acquire reading skills needed to succeed in society feeling reading is not for them as well (Cole & Verwayne, 2018; Chatterji, 2006; Kena et al., 2015); therefore, mirror books and active reading techniques so such Dialogic Reading incorporating CROWD acronym that stands for C – completion, R – recall, O – open-ended questions, W – who, what, when, where questions and D – distancing (student relating their experiences).  For more information on Dialogic Reading check out https://www.connectmodules.dec-sped.org/connect-modules/learners/module-6/.

Wright-Edelman (2015) stated, “It’s hard to be what you can’t see.  Children of color need to be able to see themselves in the books they read.  Just as important, all children need to be exposed to a wide range of books that reflect the true diversity of our nation and world as they really are,” (para 5).  In addition, “A story from the story grammar perspective involves a set of goal-directed behaviors carried out by characters including the following elements:  setting, initiating event, internal response and plan, attempt, consequences, resolution and reaction, and ending”, (Gardner-Neblett & Sideris, 2018, p. 1329) as part of the oral narrative that is a big part of the African/African American culture through oral storytelling and there is support this is an effective way of assessing oral narrative of African American students (Brown, et al., 2014; Gillam, et al., 2012; Price et al., 2006) which is dominant way of communication.  The term “narrative” may refer to different types of stories shared by students that include (a) personal narratives of actual events that happened to them, (b) scripted narratives of familiar routines or situations happened in their lives, and (c) fictional narratives or stories about events that they had imagined (Currenton & Lucas, 2007; Hughes et al, 1997).  As African American preschool age students are taught story grammar elements their microstructure skills improve (Brown et al., 2014) that expose them to seeing themselves in books for whole world adventures through mirror books.  African American boys show strong oral narrative skills in expressive language documents with above-average reading skills during the early childhood years (Iruka, Gardner-Neblett, Matthews, & Winn, 2014).  In addition, educators must have a greater understanding of oral storytelling which is a part of the African American history, too.  Iruka, Currenton, Durden and Escayg (2020) shared that “Black children in particular is context driven, meaning that a story about their night may pull in order contexts, such as a time at the part or going to visit Grandma, and it is not sequential” (pp. 16-17) where educators can read the story and have them accompany with pictures to give their words/pictorial more impact of their lives for mirror books contribution to the learning environment.

The below chart is some books that can be displayed in related centers along with the reading center.

Dad, who will I be? By G. Todd Taylor	Lola at the library by Anna McQuinn
Riley knows he can by Davina Hamilton	Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o
Hey Black child by Useni Eugene Perkins	I’m a pretty princess by Crystal Swain-Bates
Crown an ode to the fresh cut by Derrick Barnes	I’m a pretty little Black girl by Betty K. Bynum
Richard Wright and the library card by  William Miller	Emi’s curly coily, cotton candy hair by Tina Olajide
Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles	I am . . . positive affirmations for brown girls by Ayesha Rodriguez
I am … positive affirmations for brown boys by Ayesha Rodirguez	Parker looks up by Parker Curry and Jessica Curry
Superheroes are everywhere by Kamala Harris	Black is a rainbow color by Angela Joy
Marvelous me by Lisa Bullard	Black hair love for preschoolers by San Griffin
More to me:  The story of a 7th tall 3rd grader by Nnamdi McDowell	Lucile and the big race by Mariya J.

 

With access to technology of African/African American stories to expand knowledge and conversations depict self-pride, self-awareness, self-worth and so forth for students.  Due to the variations of African/African American hair textures the YouTube clip “Hair Love” by Matthew A. Cherry reinforces the beauty of hair types.  

Also, include books that reinforce specific character education traits that are being discussed in lesson plans.  Below are character education traits aligned to month where books can be used during small/large groups, one-on-one and/or discussed throughout the classroom.  In addition, the books can be the following;

 

Months	Character Traits	Books
September	Responsibility	Have You Thanked an Inventor Today?  By Patrice McLaurin Hey Black Child by Useni Eugene Perkins Dream Big, Little One by Vashti Harrison
October	Respect/courtesy	Parker Looks Up:  An Extraordinary Moment by Parker Curry Saturday by Oge Mora Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts Thank You, Omu! By Oge Mora
November	Self-esteem/pride	I am Perfectly Designed by Karmamo Brown Look What Brown Can Do! By T. Marie Harris and Neda      Lvanova Bippity Bop Barbershop by Natasha Anastasia Princess Hair by Sharee Miller Juneteenth by Floyd Cooper Nappy Hair by Carolina Herron My Hair is a Garden by Cozbi A.  Cabrera ABC I Love Me by Miriam Muhammad I am Enough by Grace Byers Skin Like Mine by LaTashia M. Perry Brown Boy Joy by Dr. Thomishia Booker Brown Boy, Brown Boy What Can Be?  By Ameshia Arthur Mary had a Little Glam by Tammi Saver Riley Can Be Anything by Davina Hamilton The Joys of Being a Little Black Boy by Valeria M.      Reynolds I Believe I Can by Grace Byers Black Hair Love for Preschoolers by San Griffin Marvelous Me by Lisa Bullard
December	Caring/compassion	Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena and Christian    Robinson Beautiful Moon by Tonya Bolden and Jennifer Lyon Kindness Rocks by Sonica Ellis
January	Diligence/perseverance	Baby Flo:  Florence Mills Light Up the Stage by Alan      Schroeder Mae Among the Stars by Roda Admed and Stasia Burrington
February	Tolerance/patience	Voice of Freedom Fannie Lou Hamer by Carole Weatherford
March	Honesty/fairness	Roll Thunder Hear My Cry by Taylor Mildren
April	Cooperation/good sportsmanship	One Love by Cedella Marley
May	Loyalty/citizenship	“I too, am American” by Langston Hughes and Bryan Collier
June	Courage	Ron’s Big Mission by Rose Blue and Corine Naden The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson

 

Whether you were familiar or not with the Dr. Sims coined term “mirror” books you have gained a better meaning to the use of them for African American preschoolers to see self and have a true sense of pride to belonging in the classroom.  Mirror books for African American preschoolers is truly where they find themselves, families and the communities they live in and personal value showing a sense of belonging.  African American preschoolers must see and know their early childhood educator cares, respect their culture and display mirror books followed up in conversations of those book content which will lessen and/or reduce the need to recommend they be suspended and/or expel African American preschoolers as educators facilitate their learning.  

 

References

Brown, J. A., Garzaek, J. E., & Donegan, K. L.  (2014). Effects of a narrative

            intervention on story retelling in at-risk young children.  Topics in Early

            Childhood Special Education, 34, 154-164.

Chatterji, M.  (2006). Reading achievement gaps, correlate, and moderators of

            early reading achievement:  Evidence from the early childhood longitudinal

            study (R-CLS) kindergarten to first grade sample.  Journal of educational

            Psychology, 98, 489-507.

Cherry, M. A. (2019).  Hair love.  Retrieved at https://youtu.be/kNw8V_Fkw28

Cole, K., & Verwayne, D.  (2018).  Becoming upended teaching and learning about

            race and racism with young children and their families.  Young Children, (73) 2,

            34-43.

Currenton, S. M., & Lucas, T. D.  (2007). Assessing young children’s oral narrative

            skills.  The story pyramid framework.  In K. Pence (Ed.).  Assessment in

            emergent and early literacy (pp. 377-427).  San Diego, CA:  Plural.

Dialogic Reading  https://www.connectmodules.dec-sped.org/connect-modules/learners/module-6/

Gardner-Neblett, N., & Sideris, J.  (July/August 2018).  Different tales:  The role of

            gender in the oral narratives-reading link among African American children. 

            Child Development, 89 (4) 1328-1342.

Gillam, S. L., Fargo, J., Peterson, D. B., & Clark, M.  (2012). Assessment of

            structure dependent narrative features in modeled contexts:  African American

            and European American children.  English Linguistic Research, 1, 1-17.

Hughes, D. L., McGillivray, L., & Schmidek, M.  (1997). Guide to narrative

            language.  Procedures for assessment.  Eau Claire, WI:  Thinking Publication.

Iruka, I. U., Cureton, S. M., Durden, T.R., & Escayg, K. A.  (2020).  Don’t look away embracing

            anti-bias classrooms.  Lewisville, NC:  Gryphon House, Inc.

Iruka, I. U., Gardner-Neblett, N., Matthews, J., & Winn, D. C.  (2014). Preschool to

            kindergarten transition patterns for African American boys.  Early Childhood

            Research Quarterly, 29, 106-117.

Kena, G., Musa-Gillette, L., Robinson, J., Wang, X., Rathbun, A., Zhang, J., … 

            Dunlap Velez, E.  (2015). The condition of education 2015.  (No. NCES 2015-

            144_.  Washington, DC:  National Center for Education Statistics, US

            Department of Education.

Klefstad, J. M., & Martinez, K. C.  (2013).  “Promoting young children’s cultural

            awareness and appreciation through multicultural books”.  Young Children,

            68(5), 74-81.

Price, J.R., Roberts, J. E., & Jackson, S. C.  (2006). Structural development of the

            fictional narratives of African American preschoolers.  Language, Speech, and

            Hearing Services in Schools, 37, 179-190.

Wright-Edelman, M.  (2015). It’s hard to be what you can’t see. Retrieved from http://www.learning-next.com/2018/09/its-hard-to-be-what-you-cant-see-so.html

 

Is suspension data truly reflective of Black students in Durham County grades K-12?

 As I continue to research, and present results based on the qualitative study referencing strategies to reduce/eliminate the suspension/expulsion of African American preschoolers I was asked to submit a proposal on this topic for Durham County Public Schools kindergarten teachers. Therefore, I needed to retrieve information compiled by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction 2018-19 school year suspension data.

Initially, when I reviewed the data my mouth fell open of the data disparity reflective for Black students versus White students.  It should be noted that the data was not broken down by grade level, but I was able to compare elementary schools that are in more minority communities as opposed to ones not.  The chart below presents the overall data for short- term suspension, long-term suspension and expulsion.  

Gender	Race or Ethnicity	Short-term suspension	Long-term suspension	Expulsion
Female	Black	1,025	6	0
Female	White	41	0	0
Male	Black	1,987	31	0
Male	White	169	0	0

(Source:  https://www.dpi.nc.gov/data-reports/dropout-and-discipline-data/discipline-alp-and-dropout-annual-reports)

According to Article 27 115C-390.5 defines short-term suspension as the removal of student from school and school activities for a period from fraction of one (1) day through ten (10) school days duration.  Along with section 115C-390.7 defines long-term suspension as the temporary withdrawal of the privilege of attending a school by a student for a period not less than eleven and not more than one hundred eighty consecutive days (https://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByArticle/Chapter_115C/Article_27.html).  In addition, Durham Public Schools ranks 64 out of 100 counties with short-term suspension (Roadmap of Need 2019, Public School Forum of NC).

The research continued by reviewing Durham Public Schools Student-Parent Handbook for short-term suspension alternatives for grades 3-8.  “Students who are administratively assigned a short-term suspension in grades 3-8 will be offered the opportunity by school administration to complete the short-term suspension at New Directions Center (NDC) or the Lakeview Intervention Center (Dearborn Drive).  During a student’s assignment to NDC, the student will continue his/her learning and develop skills to decrease the likelihood of future incidents.  Transportation is provided for all assigned students after the first day of suspension.  Students who attend NDC and the Lakeview Intervention Center will have their short-term suspension (STS) re-coded to an in-school suspension (ISS) (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-r3e6kc40G6DTcIyWXgmsnnCPDh5-CAH/view ,page 22).

All this information raised questions of whether African American parents/legal guardians sign off on for the short-term suspension alternatives that would be re-coded for the child as an in-school suspension for the reason White students’ numbers are lower than Black peers?  Were counselors relaying this information clearly as an option for the child and parents/legal guardians still opted to have their children on short-term suspension?  Is this a lack of knowledge which widens the opportunity versus academic gaps for an even educational playing field for all students?  What happens to students in grades K-2 for short-term suspension are parents/legal guardians given any alternatives than have it re-coded? 

Based upon the unanswered questions, but the data it looks bleak for Black students with the high numbers of short- term suspensions where they are missing instructional time with teachers and grade peers. We must advocate ensuring that Black parents/legal guardians in particularly understand school district’s alternatives for short-term suspensions so the students will not continue down the pathway of being a drop-out, criminal justice system, lower academic performance and other factors.  The goal should be that Black students graduate high school, become gainfully employed or continue education plight towards becoming productive citizens of society.  Yes, it is all our work ensuring the future generations have every opportunity towards successful lives.

 

References

Chapter 115C – Article 27 – NC General Assembly retrieved from https://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByArticle/Chapter_115C/Article_27.html

Durham Public School 2020-21 Student/Family Handbook retrieved from https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-r3e6kc40G6DTcIyWXgmsnnCPDh5-CAH/view

North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Discipline, ALP and Dropout Annual Reports retrieved from https://www.dpi.nc.gov/data-reports/dropout-and-discipline-data/discipline-alp-and-dropout-annual-reports  

Roadmap of Need 2019 – Public School Forum of North Carolina retrieved from https://www.ncforum.org/?s=roadmap

 

Challenging behaviors: Child versus Educator

 While attending an equity session, where facilitated shared research data by Walter Gilliam where African American preschool boys are 3.5 times more likely to be suspended/expelled more than their white age peers.  In state-funded programs the expulsion rate from prekindergarten is about three times higher than students in grades K-12.  His data revealed the indicators of characteristics which were denoted as the 3 Bs.  The 3 Bs of expulsion risk are Big, Black and Boys who are more likely to be suspended or expelled.  Therefore, teachers are more like to recommend preschoolers for suspension or expulsion when the child is black, or boy, or is physical bigger than their peers. 

 

The United States Department of Education Office of Civil Right (2016) stated, 

• Black preschoolers 3.6 times as likely to be suspended than their white peers. 
• Black children represent 19% of preschoolers but the rate is 47% of them are suspended. 
• Boys represent 54% of preschoolers, but 78% of suspensions. 

 

Afterwards, a participant asked the question paraphrasing “What do you do when you have a child (ethnicity nor gender given) who is exhibiting inappropriate behaviors constantly and I don’t have time for one-on-one due to State ratio nor do the parents help nor care?”  The facilitator reiterated the importance of administrator’s support systems (e.g., early childhood mental health consultant, coaching, mentoring) conduct behavioral assessment and more.  The constructivist theory encourages children to construct their knowledge when actively interpreting their experiences in the areas of academic, physical and social world at-large (DeVries & Kohlberg, 1987; DeVries & Zan, 2012) where this approach can lessen inappropriate challenging behaviors.  

 

I chimed in this a topic [challenging behaviors] where the child is always the protagonist instead of the educator taking a deep look at the following: 

1. Take a deep hard inner look at self and if there are implicit and/or explicit bias actions demonstrated towards the child. 
2. Conduct a real look at the physical environment to see if child’s interests are represented. 
3. Record interests of the child via conversations with him/her and engage in conversations of parents/family members to incorporate in lesson plans and throughout the learning environment. 
4. Write behavior goal plan outlining goals to embed and steps toward accomplishing which are written in the child’s individualization goal plan as stated on weekly lesson plan. 
5. Implement culturally responsive age appropriate practices.  Yes, one must know cultural experiences of all children and family members that are incorporated into the learning environment towards a sense of self-pride. 
6. Mirrored books that represent child … engage in conversations of content along with having representation in the learning environment.  Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop coined the term “mirrored” books where characters look like the child themselves to make relationships with content. 

If educators and administrators have a child who has been deemed as having challenging behaviors and done soft suspensions acts such as (a) send child to director’s office, and (b) place child in a fellow colleague’s room where s/he is missing instructing time with fellow peers.  Therefore, it is crucial for the adults to take a deeper dive into the ecological systems of Urie Bronfenbrenner to support the child in making effective means of change.  The ecological systems are microsystem (activities and interactions in the child’s immediate surroundings, parents, friends, etc.), mesosystem (relationships among entities involved in the child’s microsystem:  parents’ interactions with teachers, school’s interaction with school and child), exosystem (social institutions which affect child indirectly; the parent’s workplace, extended family, mass media, community resources), macrosystem (broader cultural values, laws and governmental resources) and chronosystem (changes which occur during child’s life both personally and culturally) to see the whole child and factors of their life that will directly impact behaviors displayed in the learning environment and school building at-large.  Wright and Counsell (2018) want educators to self-reflect “whether they thought factors other than assigning blame to children and families, such as teacher attitudes, teacher expectation, implicit bias, racism, and/or discrimination, were important considerations (p. 51).  Yes, it’s easy to blame the child; however, educators and administrators must switch lens to effective actions where child is not being suspended and/or expelled from school.     

 

After the facilitator and I shared, it was easy to feel in the air she and other participants were re-thinking how they had laid the blame 90 to 100% on the child and not really looking in the mirror of self to seek out what modifications and/or adaptations could and should be made towards reducing and/or eliminating the inappropriate action(s).  Whereas, the questioner still could not see outside of her lens it’s the child who needed to adhere to whatever her perceived rules and guidelines are to stay in the classroom.  If some early educators are in serious quandary whether challenging behaviors are of the child versus educator to seek strategies to align with what have been deemed by educator’s themselves as challenging behaviors with no foresight of alternatives other than to suspend or expel child from program.  Therefore, for those who are instructing child guidance  and behavior management courses at 2 and 4-year institutions of higher education, technical assistants, mentors, evaluators, early childhood mental health consultants, education consultants and others must truly know the breadth, depth and application of culturally responsive developmentally age appropriate practices through behavioral goal plans that include family partnerships which will lessen and hopefully eliminate the desire to feel the only method is to suspend and/or expel the child.

  

                                                           References 

Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory of development:  Definition & examples (n.d.) Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/bronfenbrenners-ecological-systems-theory-of-development-definition-examples.html 

DeVries, R., & Kohlberg, L.  (1987).  Constructivist early education:  Overview and comparison with other programs.  Washington, DC:  National Association for the Education of Young Children.   

DeVries, R., & Zan, B.  (2012).  Moral classroom, moral children:  Creating a constructivist atmosphere in early education (2^nd ed.).  New York, NY:  Teacher College Press. 

Gilliam, W. S.  (2005).  Pre-kindergarten left behind:  Expulsion rates in the state
prekindergarten programs.  Retrieved from [https://www.fcd-%0bus.org/assets/2016/04/ExpulsionCompleteReport.pdf] https://www.fcd-
us.org/assets/2016/04/ExpulsionCompleteReport.pdf. 

US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights – Civil Rights Data Collection
Data Snapshot:  Early Childhood Education (March 2016).  Retrieved from
https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/crdc-early-learning-
snapshot.pdf 

Wright, B. L., & Counsell, S. L.  (2018).  The brilliance of black boys:  Cultivating
     school success in early grades.  New York, NY:  Teacher College Press.