What is the last step an educator can take to convince a parent to allow their child to read a particular book?

If I were in this situation, I think I would encourage the parent to read the book along with their child. Maybe the reasons they have for opposing it are opinions from other people who have read the book; if they read it and get the chance to discuss it with their student while that student is also reading it in class, perhaps they would feel more comfortable with the material. They could also read it before their kid has the chance to so they can then make the final decision. I would describe my rationale for the choice, show them what kinds of projects and analysis we'll be doing in class, and the main themes I want students to get out of it. If they see what the main focus points will be maybe they will realize that the material that they were uncomfortable will be explained or taught in a way that doesn't shock students, just informs and teaches in a way that lets them come up with their own interpretations of the work. I'm guessing the department would have to approve the book anyway so letting parents know it's on the list of acceptable books for the school they may change their minds.

Response to Gee and Delpit

Gee disagrees with Delpit concerning acquisition, stating that it is definitely NOT learning, rather an inherent ability to build knowledge of a language through the exposure to conversation in the home. They both agree that “apprenticeship” and learning “superficial features” are ways to identify insiders and outsiders, or who they should include and who are excluded from a certain discourse community.

I stand somewhere in the middle, maybe a little closer to Delpit in that acquisition is in a sense learning as you continue to acquire parts of your discourse as you grow older. I also believe teachers should try not to resort to “not teaching” based solely on the grounds of discomfort or fear of embarrassing the student. In a way that doesn’t single the student out, they should find time to correct mistakes so that the student is aware and won’t make the mistakes later down the road when they could be embarrassing.

These arguments are relevant to us as English teachers because we are aiding student’s “apprenticeship” in the form of schooling: it prepares them and exposes them to different manipulations, usages, and forms of language that they can then apply to their futures. They are always learning more about their language, their primary discourse is the foundation but they will continue to grow from there. As Gee explains, you cannot be considered an “insider” if you do not have a good control of the language or if you can’t use it to function within the group.

I’d like to explore or learn more about how to modify lessons for second language learners as to accommodate all levels of language speakers in my classroom.