How to inspire every child to be a lifelong reader | Alvin Irby

譯者: Melody Tang 審譯者: Helen Chang

As an elementary school teacher,

我是一位小學老師，

my mom did everything she could to ensure I had good reading skills.

我母親竭盡所能確保 我有很好的閱讀能力。

This usually consisted of weekend reading lessons at our kitchen table

她通常在週末時 在餐桌上教我閱讀，

while my friends played outside.

而我的朋友在外面玩。

My reading ability improved,

我的閱讀能力改善了，

but these forced reading lessons didn't exactly inspire a love of reading.

但是這種強迫式的閱讀課程 沒有激發我對閱讀的熱愛。

High school changed everything.

高中改變了一切。

In 10th grade, my regular English class read short stories and did spelling tests.

在十年級時，我上的一般英文課 要讀短篇故事和考拼音。

Out of sheer boredom, I asked to be switched into another class.

因為很無聊，我要求調到另一班。

The next semester, I joined advanced English.

下一個學期，我就被調到高階英語課。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

We read two novels and wrote two book reports that semester.

那學期，我們要讀兩本小說 以及寫兩個讀書報告。

The drastic difference and rigor between these two English classes

這兩個英語課之間的 巨大差異和嚴謹程度

angered me and spurred questions like,

讓我很生氣，也引發了像這類的問題，

"Where did all these white people come from?"

「這些白人是從哪裡來的？」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

My high school was over 70 percent black and Latino,

我的高中有 70% 黑人 和拉丁美洲人，

but this advanced English class had white students everywhere.

但是那個高階英語課幾乎都是白人。

This personal encounter with institutionalized racism

這個制度化種族主義的個人遭遇

altered my relationship with reading forever.

永遠改變了我與閱讀的關係。

I learned that I couldn't depend on a school, a teacher or curriculum

我發現我無法依賴一個學校、 一個老師或課程

to teach me what I needed to know.

來教我我需要知道的。

And more out of like, rebellion, than being intellectual,

主要是由於叛逆，而非做為知識分子，

I decided I would no longer allow other people to dictate

我下定決心我不會再讓其他人決定

when and what I read.

我應該在何時閱讀以及閱讀什麼。

And without realizing it, I had stumbled upon a key

雖然我沒有意識到，

但我在偶然間發現了 一把幫助孩子閱讀的鑰匙。

to helping children read.

Identity.

那就是認同。

Instead of fixating on skills

不是以閱讀技能

and moving students from one reading level to another,

來將學生從一個閱讀級別 升到另一級，

or forcing struggling readers to memorize lists of unfamiliar words,

或是強迫閱讀有困難的學生 去背不熟悉的單字，

we should be asking ourselves this question:

我們應該問自己這個問題：

How can we inspire children to identify as readers?

我們如何啟發孩子們 認同自己是閱讀者？

DeSean, a brilliant first-grader I taught in the Bronx,

迭翔，我在布朗克斯區教過的 一位很聰明的一年級學生，

he helped me understand how identity shapes learning.

他幫助我了解到身分認同塑造學習。

One day during math, I walk up to DeSean, and I say,

有一天上數學課時， 我走向迭翔，對他說：

"DeSean, you're a great mathematician."

「迭翔，你是很棒的數學家。」

He looks at me and responds,

他看著我，回答說：

"I'm not a mathematician, I'm a math genius!"

「我不是數學家，我是數學天才。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

OK DeSean, right?

好，迭翔，對！

Reading?

閱讀呢？

Completely different story.

完全相反。

"Mr. Irby, I can't read.

他會說：「爾比先生，我不會閱讀。

I'm never going to learn to read," he would say.

我永遠學不會閱讀。」

I taught DeSean to read,

我教他閱讀，

but there are countless black boys who remain trapped in illiteracy.

但是無數的黑人男孩仍然是文盲。

According to the US Department of Education,

根據美國教育部門的統計，

more than 85 percent of black male fourth graders

超過 85% 的四年級黑人男孩

are not proficient in reading.

不擅長閱讀。

85 percent!

85%！

The more challenges to reading children face,

孩子們面對的閱讀挑戰越多，

the more culturally competent educators need to be.

教育工作者所需要的文化能力越高。

Moonlighting as a stand-up comedian for the past eight years,

在過去的八年裡我兼職做喜劇演員，

I understand the importance of cultural competency,

我了解到文化能力的重要，

which I define as the ability to translate

我認為那是一種

what you want someone else to know or be able to do

能夠把你要別人知道或能夠做到的，

into communication or experiences that they find relevant and engaging.

翻譯成他們認為與他們有關 和願意參與的交流或經驗的能力。

Before going on stage, I assess an audience.

每次在上台前，我會評估聽眾。

Are they white, are they Latino?

他們是白人、拉美人？

Are they old, young, professional, conservative?

他們是年長、年輕、 專業人士、保守派？

Then I curate and modify my jokes

然後我策劃和修改我的笑話

based on what I think would generate the most laughter.

基於我認為會產生最多笑聲的想法。

While performing in a church, I could tell bar jokes.

當我在教堂表演時， 我不能說酒吧的笑話。

But that might not result in laughter.

因為可能不會有人笑。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

As a society, we're creating reading experiences for children

在社會裡，我們為孩子們 創造的閱讀經驗

that are the equivalent of telling bar jokes in a church.

就像在教堂講酒吧的笑話。

And then we wonder why so many children don't read.

然後我們想知道 為什麼這麼多孩子不愛閱讀。

Educator and philosopher Paulo Freire

教育家和哲學家保羅·弗雷勒

believed that teaching and learning should be two-way.

相信教學和學習應該是雙向的。

Students shouldn't be viewed as empty buckets to be filled with facts

學生不應該被看成 需要被填滿事實的空桶，

but as cocreators of knowledge.

而是被視為知識的共同創作者。

Cookie-cutter curriculums and school policies

一成不變的課程和學校政策

that require students to sit statue-still

要求學生如雕像般坐著學習，

or to work in complete silence --

或是上課時保持安靜──

these environments often exclude the individual learning needs,

這種環境通常不符合 個人的學習需求、

the interest and expertise of children.

興趣和孩子們的專長。

Especially black boys.

特別是黑人男孩。

Many of the children's books promoted to black boys

給黑人男孩讀的兒童書籍

focus on serious topics, like slavery, civil rights and biographies.

許多都是嚴肅的主題， 如奴隸、公民權利和傳記。

Less than two percent of teachers in the United States are black males.

少於 2% 的美國老師是黑人男性。

And a majority of black boys are raised by single mothers.

大多數的黑人男孩由母親獨自扶養。

There are literally young black boys who have never seen a black man reading.

實際上，黑人男孩幾乎 從未見過成年黑人男子閱讀。

Or never had a black man encourage him to read.

或是從來沒有一位成年的 黑人男性鼓勵他們閱讀。

What cultural factors, what social cues are present

有什麼文化因素和社會誘因

that would lead a young black boy to conclude

來讓黑人男孩覺得

that reading is even something he should do?

閱讀是他應該做的事？

This is why I created Barbershop Books.

這是我成立理髮店書籍 (Barbershop Books) 的理由。

It's a literacy nonprofit

這是一個掃盲非營利組織，

that creates child-friendly reading spaces in barber shops.

我們創造孩子們喜歡的 理髮店閱讀空間。

The mission is simple:

我們的任務很簡單：

to help young black boys identify as readers.

幫助黑人男孩認同自己為閱讀者。

Lots of black boys go to the barber shop once or twice a month.

許多黑人男孩每個月 會去理髮店一、二次。

Some see their barbers more than they see their fathers.

有些孩子見到理髮師的次數 比見到他們的父親還多。

Barbershop Books connects reading to a male-centered space

理髮店書籍將閱讀與 男性為中心的空間連結起來，

and involves black men and boys' early reading experiences.

讓成年黑人男子參與 男孩早期的閱讀經驗。

This identity-based reading program

這個基於認同的閱讀計畫

uses a curated list of children's books recommended by black boys.

使用由黑人男孩 推薦的兒童書籍清單。

These are the books that they actually want to read.

這些是他們會想要讀的書。

Scholastic's 2016 Kids and Family Report

學者出版社 (Scholastic) 2016 年的兒童和家庭報告

found that the number one thing children look for when choosing a book

發現孩子們選書時，

首先會找能讓他們發笑的書。

is a book that will make them laugh.

So if we're serious about helping black boys and other children to read

所以如果我們很認真要幫助 黑人男孩和其他孩子主動閱讀，

when it's not required,

而不是強迫他們閱讀，

we need to incorporate relevant male reading models

我們需要將相關的男性閱讀模型

into early literacy

融入早期識字學習。

and exchange some of the children's books that adults love so much

其實，一些兒童書籍 大人們也都非常喜歡。

for funny, silly or even gross books, like "Gross Greg".

那些有趣、愚蠢甚至是噁心的書籍 像《噁心的格雷》(Gross Greg)。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

"You call them boogers. Greg calls them delicious little sugars."

「你稱它為鼻屎。 格雷稱它為美味的小糖。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

That laugh, that positive reaction

那個笑聲、正面的反應、

or gross reaction some of you just had,

或是你們有些人覺得很噁心的反應，

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

black boys deserve and desperately need more of that.

黑人男孩應該要有， 並迫切地需要更多。

Dismantling the savage inequalities that plague American education

消除困擾著美國教育的野蠻不平等

requires us to create reading experiences

需要我們創造閱讀體驗

that inspire all children to say three words:

來激發所有的孩子說三個字：

I'm a reader.

我閱讀。

Thank you.

謝謝！

(Applause)

（掌聲）