DOUBLE TAP TO ZOOM WITH PHONE OR TABLET have control and influence over children’s learning circumstances. Access to stable, high-quality, engaging learning environments is even more crucial for children in need. Circumstances outside the classroom can change for any child at any time, but circumstances inside the class- room can counteract negative factors by providing children with the excellent education they will need for their futures. Waiting for outside challenging factors to improve before attacking the achievement gap inside doesn’t sound like a very promising academic plan for children in need.  CONCLUSION All of the perspectives noted here warrant keeping in mind. Not all Black children are the same, and stereotyping is rarely beneficial. Black chil- dren in large, urban cities will be different from those in suburban cities and those in rural areas. They will differ in socialization, assimilation, and academic preparation. On the other hand, cultural groups share “patterns of behaviors and interactions, cognitive constructs, and affec- tive understanding that are learned through a process of socialization” (CARLA 2014). We must be careful to pay attention to group similarities and individual differences. I think there is too much “either/or” here. Who says that if we learn more about Black learning preferences, we have to create classrooms that are only for Black children? We currently limit learning preferences in our classrooms to a narrow range that meets the needs of a few, and we put all children in these classrooms. My approach would be to incorporate more learning preferences into every classroom. Now that we have established some basic premises, let’s move on to learning more about Black children. INTRODUCTION COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL 9