As teachers, how we see our students guides us in many (if not all) of our teaching decisions. Because classrooms are unavoidably (and opportunely!) diverse environments it is important that teachers understand the distinction between “difference” and “deficit” when observing student traits. How we assess, what we expect, how we listen and what we offer in experiences are only a few examples of how our position regarding difference and deficit enters into our personal practice of teaching. As a teacher, our job is to interact with our students in a variety of ways, determine their abilities, skills, character traits and interests, and based on those factors, guide them to learn and understand different educational areas of content. The position a teacher takes in defining student traits as differences or deficits can either open or close the doors that lead to their success, both academically and socially.
So, what’s the distinction between “difference” and “deficit”?
Before understanding the importance of the distinction between difference and deficit in relation to teaching, we need to define each term.
According to dictionary.com, a “difference” is defined as:
“an instance or point of unlikeness or dissimilarity” and as “a distinguishing characteristic” (2018).
The word “deficit” is defined as:
“a lack or shortage…a disadvantage” and as an “impairment or handicap”. (2018).
Why is this distinction so important?
A difference is not something that hinders a student’s learning. It should enhance the diversity of the classroom and serve as an asset to include in lesson planning and engagement. A few examples of differences that can be found in a classroom are religion, gender, personal interests and language. Ask students to describe how they are different from their classmates…the answers are endless!
A student deficit is an impairment that affects how they effectively receive and/or communicate information. These impairments can result in a lack of equity for all learners. Some examples of deficits that can be found in a classroom are autism, dyslexia, and paralysis. When deficits are identified, schools can provide tools to help a student succeed through an Individual Education Plan (IEP).
How does this relate to language in our classrooms?
How students take in language and communicate in the classroom is not uniform. Students come from a variety of backgrounds, which introduce varying dialects. Students develop personal dialect based on an endless number of factors such as (but not limited to) region, parental language traits, media influences, gender and culture. How, as teachers, can we choose just one dialect as “correct”? The way we speak is a story about who we are and what we are made of. Dialects make us different, but do not result in a deficit. Dialect is, in fact, a diversity. According to Adger, Christian and Wolfram in their book Dialects in Schools and Communities (2007), “research shows that dialects are all complete linguistic systems and thus have structural integrity, but social evaluation gives some dialects higher status than others.” Adger, et al (2007) go on to say that although dialects sound different, “there is no evidence, however, to support the contention that any language variety will interfere with the development of reasoning ability or the ability to express logical concepts.” In other words, dialect is not a deficit, but a difference amongst students.
How does this misunderstanding happen?
Essentially, because education must be funded and held accountable, schools must be measured. This measurement often occurs through standardized assessment. In order to assess students, there must be a clear way to discern between correct and incorrect regarding curriculum. In some subjects, such as math, right and wrong are often (though not always) easy to define. In language, however, as stated by Adger, et al (2007), a teacher’s “judgements about what is acceptable and unacceptable in language enter into evaluations.” This results in what Souto-Manning and Martell describe in their book Reading, Writing and Talk (2016) as curriculum and teaching being “grounded in the ideal of a single story (and a singular set of resources and pedagogies) being enacted in every classroom and applying to every child”. So who decides what is correct? Usually it is a combination of those in the majority and those with the most power. Because of this Souto-Manning and Martell go on to say that “when authors and educators talk about children from diverse minoritized backgrounds, they often label these children as being ‘at risk’…positioning them as lacking something, as being inferior, as not having appropriate development” (2016).
How does this affect our schools?
When something like dialect is seen as a deficit, educators feel the need to correct it. Enter compensatory programs. The problem with compensatory or “recovery” programs is that people belonging to the more powerful group (read white, middle to upper class in the case of dialect) often believe that “members of the stigmatized groups must change in order to be accepted.” (Adger, et al., 2007) What kind of message are we sending our students and their families by telling them that the way they speak is unacceptable?
When seen as an extreme, the deficit position in language can fail students in academically dangerous ways. In regard to dialect, some feel that “speakers of dialects with vernacular forms have a handicap-socially and cognitively-because the dialects are illogical, sloppy or just bad grammar.” (Adger, et al., 2007). This viewpoint automatically discredits any information a student attempts to contribute to the group and inhibits much of the information going in. Because of this view, “children from some groups may be at risk for school failure, although they are not intrinsically disadvantaged.” (Adger, et al., 2007). The end result: a student believing they are inadequate, unimportant or incapable.
So how do we stop this from happening?
What can we do as teachers to make sure that the diversities like language in our classroom are not seen as deficits? Souto-Manning and Martell (2016) state that “As teachers, we need to access the kinds of literary experiences children have had instead of focusing on the experiences they should have had according to our own personal upbringings.” A student’s ability to read a map or letter are as valuable as their ability to read a storybook. Instead of making a judgement based on a student’s difference, Souto-Manning and Martell (2016) suggest that we “build a bridge, using familiar structure”. This can be done by learning what is important to all of our students and bringing in diverse texts, playing diverse music and exploring diverse topics that different groups can relate to, then creating activities based on these relations. Also, inclusive activities that all students can contribute to can help see differences in a positive and enriching way. Souto-Manning and Martell (2016) share an example of creating an ABC book about the community, allowing each student to contribute ways in which they personally experience their community. This activity gives each student an equal voice to share their own personal relationships with their surroundings, and will introduce diverse topics and ideas to the group. An additional way to teach difference vs. deficit amongst students is to expand the idea of text in the classroom to include non-traditional items such as maps, letters, advertisements and articles. Also, it is important to listen to children and their families to learn more about who they are, where they have been and where they would like to go. Keeping these themes in the forefront will help to keep a child’s best interest primary.
References
Adger, C.T., Christian, D. & Wolfram, W. (2007). Dialects in schools and communities. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Deficit. (2018). Dictionary.com. Retrieved from http://www.dictionary.com/browse/deficit?s=t
Difference. (2018). Dictionary.com. Retrieved from http://www.dictionary.com/browse/difference?s=t
Souto-Manning, M. & Martell, J. (2016). Reading writing and talk: inclusive teaching strategies for diverse learners, K-2. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.