Ethno-poetry notes

It was the purpose of this study¹ to discover what five ninth‐graders (labeled “ at risk “ of dropping out of school) and their teacher (who was a member of the research team) would do to bring meaning and life to a basic‐track English curriculum. Dilemmas encountered by the teacher as he worked to involve students in building a literate community are interpreted through a social constructionist frame for what it means to be literate. Findings from this year‐long, topic‐oriented ethnography support the view that it is the quality of students’ literacy experiences, not their tracking placement per se, that influence the efficacy of those experiences. Most important to these basic‐track students was attaining a level of comfort that allowed them to get involved and have some fun engaging in a variety of relevant and sensory‐rich literacy events.