This is my last post on the so-called “achievement gap”. After moving from infancy, early childhood and kindergarten engagements through standardized test scores and the SAT all that’s left is an action plan. This one worked for our family. It might work for yours-or not. I think the main thing is that we come up with some plan(s) of action. Please let me know what you think.
The Action Plan
If we view education as a process we can reduce emotional energy and irrational response patterns by using the automobile manufacturing process as an analogy. If we examined an automobile manufacturing process and discovered all the blue cars were missing a fourth wheel, we would not say the community and individual families of blue cars were defective. Neither would we accuse the assembly line workers of a conspiracy to destroy blue cars because we know they merely work the assembly line; they have neither design authority nor responsibility. Rather than attempt to affix blame we would focus our energy on variable analysis to correct the defect of the missing fourth wheel. And in that vein, here is a proposed, 10-pronged Action Plan:
1) By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. Hebrews 11:3. Or to paraphrase Stephan Biko’s essay, “Black Consciousness” in his seminal work, I Write What I Like, “free your mind, the rest will follow”. This is the point of beginning, by holistically using the spiritually infused intellect to lay the foundation for a physical reality which may not yet exist. We must emulate God and calleth those things which be not as though they were. Romans 4:17.
2) Nurture your child’s God consciousness. This is not the responsibility of the child. Help him to explore and develop a real and meaningful relationship with God. Read the Word and instruct your child, And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD our God hath commanded you? Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Deut. 6:20-21.
3) Create an organized, nurturing environment for your child: a) Maintain regular naptimes for younger children; b) Maintain regular bedtimes for all children; c) Establish regular mealtimes as times of complete nourishment, physically, intellectually and spiritually; and d) Radically reduce or eliminate all “alien” food, for example fast foods, processed food, and foods prepared by people you don’t know in conditions that may or may not be clean!
4) Daily reading for a minimum of 20 minutes each and every day. This daily requirement should begin “in utero” and continue until the child emerges into adulthood and should be modeled by every adult in the home. Reading is a critical component to the development and renewing of the intellect and relevant to the Scriptural mandate in Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
5) Insure that your child has a library card and take the child to the library for regular weekly visits, beginning with early childhood programs. The library visits should focus on books, not computer games, movies or videos.
6) Absolute control over television and electronic media by all children not yet out of high school: a) No television before the age of 3; b) No cable before the age of 8; c) No unlimited television viewing-ever; and d) No game systems before college.
This is the best way to shape and safeguard their intellect. We have been beguiled (tricked) into believing we need only nurture our children spiritually/religiously, but I would argue that intellectual development is critical to spiritual development. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 2 Cor. 4:16.
7) Regular participation or patronage of the arts. This may include such diverse activities as the church choir, local drumming programs, art classes, dance classes, plays, musicals, opera and ballet. The important issue here is exposure. Do not allow children to dictate what they like or do not like based on ignorance or who else is doing it.
8) Physical activity is a critical component of a life lived in holistic balance. All physical activity need not include competitive sports. Encourage children to try a variety of physical activities, swimming, tennis, fencing, golf, basketball, biking, football, roller-skating, etc. The important thing is that they engage in some kind of rigorous, physical activity on a consistent, daily basis. The secular and risky norm of gluttony, slothfulness and obesity should not be allowed to dominate in our homes. It is contrary to God’s word, 1 Cor. 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
9) Community service or volunteerism is important and its importance moves beyond the necessity of something noble and worthwhile to put on a college application. The need in all our communities is so great that the options are almost endless. The important thing is for our children to put their hands to something that benefits someone other than themselves. We cannot allow them to grow up as mere consumers and not contributors to the communities in which they live. What kind of spiritual witness is that?
10) Enrichment is essential, both in the summer and all year ‘round. In “real life” we do not get summers off. We continue to grow and mature and develop all year. We need to encourage our children to use the summer break as an opportunity for expansion and enrichment. This time is too vital to spend working at a minimum wage job for the sole purpose of buying the latest thing in back-to-school fashions in the fall. Find out what your child is interested in, what excites him and then find some way to create an opportunity to explore that interest in greater depth during the summer.
Granted, all of this seems like a lot of work. That’s because it is a lot of work, but it is not work without reward. When we quote 2 Corinthians 5:7, For we walk by faith, not by sight we defraud ourselves and the Word of God when instead of walking we just stand there waiting for something to happen. Sometimes we have to do something-by faith-before the rewards are revealed. Make this valley full of ditches…Ye shall not see wind nor shall ye see rain, yet this valley shall be filled with water…And this is a simple thing in the eyes of the Lord. 2 Kings 3:16-18. In the midst of a multi-year drought, Jehosophat, the King of Israel and the King of Edom dug and made the valley full of ditches because they were dying of thirst and they had to prepare the ground for the work of God to be manifest. We too are in the midst of a multi-year drought but ours has become multi-generational and our children are dying of thirst for knowledge and wisdom and guidance.
Our goal should not be to close or bridge the achievement gap. Such a goal illogically places white and Asian children as the standard by which our children are to be measured. Instead, excellence, one’s personal best, should be the standard and it cannot be achieved by comparative analysis. Objectively examining the variables presented with spiritual and intellectual vigor and integrity allows us to move forward in the best interests of all children and the world in which they live. Our children are the pathway through which the Word of God travels into the future and they have to be prepared to shine if they are to illuminate this dark and dying planet. We as parents can look at Matthew 5:14-16 as a contextual mandate and a daily reminder to our children. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
We must continue to pray and work diligently for and on behalf of our children. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie; though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Habakkuk 2:2-3.