BLOG 10- Woke read aloud

I watched the "Woke Kindergarten" read-aloud of They, She, He: Easy as ABC by Christina Gonzalez. I found the video unsettling and unnecessary. This reading is presented for Kindergarteners. In absolutely no world is this something that should be taught to young children. It is confusing. 

I am a 19 year old that has grown up with these terms. I still get confused and I have a sound understanding of grammar and identity. Trying to teach the concept of the pronoun "they" while simultaneously trying to teach that they is plural for a group of people is so confusing Tree is a noun, not a pronoun, and using it in this way disrupts basic sentence structure. If I find this confusing as an adult, I can only imagine how unclear and perplexing it must be for a five-year-old. Especially students that are not English first language.  

Including non-standard words like these in early childhood education raises issues of clarity, consistency, and age appropriateness—especially when the underlying rules of grammar are still being taught. While inclusivity and respect must be taught, they must be taught in a way that supports language development and comprehension. It is an odd expectation for 5 year olds to learn about being "tree" or "ze" because they are not suitable topics for their age group. There is focus on proper content for the age being taught, as improper material will confuse and do damage to the child's ability to think critically about the topic. Rhode Island Law states, "For the same reasons, school personnel should inform the student how the school will address the student, e.g., correct pronoun use, in written communication to the student's parent(s) or guardian(s)." Laws are passed to be interpreted and my interpretation is any variation of "tree", "ze" pronoun would be improper use of pronouns.

Although schools should be polite and respectful regarding students' identities, they should also focus on a basis of agreed norms. When dealing with formal documentation and parental communication, it would seem fair to deduce "correct use of pronouns" to mean standard accepted pronouns rather than ones subject to interpretation or fabricated. 


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