Teachers' perceptions of reading skill improvement of second-grade African American boys using culturally relevant literature: An action research study

Teaching reading to African American male students has been a concern for over 30 years. Those in the field of education have yet to reach a formidable and consistent pedagogy in this area. Further, teachers enter the classroom with limited skills to teach African American male students. This action science research study explored a differentiated approach for preparing African American second graders for reading using culturally relevant literature and related materials. Students were given the opportunity to read current culturally relevant literature through responsive and meaningful literacy instruction. The intervention took place in three rural elementary schools located on the outskirts of a metropolitan area. The intervention occurred over a 9-week period and involved three second-grade teachers and 25 second grade African American boys. Pre and post intervention questionnaires were used to measure teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of the intervention. The outcomes of the study revealed that, even though student behavioral issues were problematic, two of the three teachers agreed that the intervention would work favorably within the current reading program.