About this episode
Dr. Alfred Tatum brings to light that perhaps our bar is set too low, specifically for Black boys. Alfred is passionate and very experienced in regards to literacy development, and his mission to teach and raise intellectuals is inspiring. His book, Teaching Black Boys in the Elementary Grades, is dense and packed with helpful instructional strategies.
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Dr. Alfred W. Tatum is known for his work around the literacy development of African American boys. A foremost expert on the literacy development of African American boys, he has authored more than 75 publications on the topic. His works have appeared as chapters in edited books, monographs, and journals such as the Harvard Educational Review, Reading Research Quarterly, Urban Education, Black History Bulletin, The Reading Teacher, Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, Journal of Education, and Educational Leadership, and Literacy Research: Theory, Method, and Practice. Alfred authored the award-winning book, Teaching Reading to Black Adolescent Males: Closing the Achievement Gap in 2005. His second book, Reading for Their Life: (Re) building the Textual Lineages of African American Males was published in 2009. His third book, Fearless Voices: Engaging a New Generation of African American Adolescent Male Writers, was published in 2013. His most recent book, Teaching Black Boys in the Elementary Grades: Advanced Disciplinary Reading and Writing to Secure Their Futures, was published by Teachers College Press in 2021. He is also the author of four major reading and writing programs used with millions of students throughout the U.S. His current research focuses on the roles of texts and writing to advance the literacy development of African American males. Al is also the father of two African American men. He is currently the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at Metropolitan State University of Denver and President-Elect, for the Literacy Research Association.