Learning Denied

by Denny Taylor, William L. Wansart (Foreword)

Learning Denied is a powerful document. Denny Taylor's conclusions confirm many teachers' doubts about America's mania for standardized tests, and serve as a signal to teachers and administrators that a reliance on test results can be more than misleading; it can be a hazard to the child.

Genres: Education

114 pages, Paperback

First published November 13, 1990

About the author

Denny Taylor is a researcher and novelist who regards art, literature, and science inseparable. She is a lifelong activist and scholar committed to nurturing the imagination and human spirit. She has received both national and international awards for her research and scholarship.

She has published thirteen books, is the recipient of the Modern Language of Association of America Mina P. Shaughnessy Award, and has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. In 2004 she was inducted in the International Reading Association's Reading Hall of Fame.

She is Professor Emeritus of Literacy Studies at Hofstra University, and the founder of Garn Press.

Reviews

[Luis Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a traditional book. It is more of a report written to help in a legal proceeding that was converted into a book after the fact. This is not a negative at all. This book follows the difficulties that a family went through, dealing with a school system whose use of standardized testing told them that their child was special needs. This did not conform to what the parents saw in their child and they fought hard to make sure they school taught their child based on his need but the school could not be convinced that there was any issue with their curriculum if the child did not succeed it was because there must be something wrong with the child. This is an older book, it came out in 1991, so I would hope it is antiquated and has no relevance in today's world. I have no way of knowing because I do not have any children and no interactions with the school system as a parent. But it seems to me standardized testing has only become more and more prevalent, and it's more likely that these issues have only gotten more common. It's definitely a very interesting read.

[Max Hanawalt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this!!! It shows the self esteem drop that can be the result of special education.

[Donabilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Story about 6 years old boy, who really enjoys reading and writing wonderful stories, but the school district insists on labeling him as learning disabled,While in fact he's school disabled! A story about parents who had strong faith in their son and the ability to fight for him, a story about how we can miss judge students in our classrooms and label them for the rest of their lives because we assessed them wrong! An Eye opening book

[Nicole Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is an outdated, one sided account of a families journey through the special education process. I was a required read for grad school. I think they should pick something more current.