Reading

Reaching Hispanic Readers

The Young Readers Summer Program shows young Hispanic students that reading skills are valuable in any language.

Rosa Briceño was too busy to go to the beach this past summer, but she did transport dozens of His-panic kids there without a bus or van. Her vehicle? A book.

Briceño, family program coordinator with Arlington County Public Schools in Virginia, took part in the Young Readers Summer Program, a project of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) that encourages language-minority children to make reading a lifelong habit. The Arlington program—one of 20 sites nationally—was coordinated and run by the local LULAC Council, in partnership with the NEA and the Arlington Education Association.

"If we can help establish consistent reading practices at an early age," says Briceño, "students will have more of a chance of succeeding." This foundation is critical as Hispanic students get older and have to manage content-rich subjects, she says. "Without it, the achievement gap widens, and many will start dropping out."

That's why five staffers and two very active moms spent five weeks of their summer immersing 90 students from pre-K to fifth grade in the joys of reading. They read beach-themed books, made sand art, shared salt water taffy, even witnessed the shark feeding at the aquarium in Washington, D.C.

"When you build on involved reading experiences, it means something to the students," says reading ESL teacher Kathryn Scruggs, president of the Arlington Education Association.

"And that's what makes for lasting achievement."

All activities took place at Barrett Elementary School, whose regular population is 70 percent Hispanic or Latino. LULAC, with help from NEA, also started a monthly reading program at the school for parents and students this September.

"Research tells us that it doesn't matter what language you read in," says Briceño. " If you're able to master reading in your own language, it's very easy to transfer to another."

She suggests ways that educators can help build positive reading experiences for Hispanic students:

• Make sure school and classroom libraries are stocked with bilingual books.
• Encourage students to take bilingual books home so parents can read with them.
• Show that other lan-guages have equal value by using and displaying voca-
• bulary words and visuals throughout the classroom. That "background curriculum" is often neglected.
• Consider family library interactive storytimes that engage parents and students. Share books that are bilingual or in Spanish. Encourage participation through call-and-response and make-and-take activities. Finish with a book check out.

"Respect literacy no matter how it comes—in less-than-perfect English, or in Spanish," says Scruggs. "Literacy builds on talking and writing and reading in any language."

—Michelle Y. Green

For More: Visit www.lulac.org

HOW to...

INCREASE LITERACY THROUGH ART

Edward Gonzales is well known for fine art depicting Hispanic culture. Gonzales also produces a bilingual poster and calendar series that promotes literacy, learning, and cultural identity.

Why did you become an artist?
When I returned from Vietnam and got a degree in art, I decided my art was going to focus on the Chicano identity. One reason I felt compelled to do this was the lack of realistic images of Hispanics. As a child growing up in New Mexico, I wondered where the positive images of my culture were. I decided to use my art in a positive way to show how much our culture shaped New Mexico.

Why did you create the poster series on literacy and learning?
I wanted this series to send the message that Hispanic families want a good education for their children as much as anyone. Each of these paintings supports the theme that education is paramount in the Chicano family and culture. Everyone is appalled at the statistics that show Mexican-Americans doing poorly in school, but you never hear about the families who've sacrificed themselves to make sure their children have a sound education.

I wanted a visual means to say, even to children who have struggled in school, that education is important. That's a part of our heritage. It's also saying to the dominant Anglo culture and others that we have the same belief systems and expectations. We're not raising taggers and little gangsters. We're more alike than they realize.

Everyone wants a good education for their children. That's my social message.

How are educators using the series?
Educators from California to Delaware are using the series for the positive role models they show. Hispanic children and adults are depicted learning, teaching, and helping others. It helps Latino children see themselves, and it helps others understand our culture.

The fact that the posters are bilingual also sends a strong message. We are a nation of many cultures and languages, and young people need to grow up with the language of their culture. We should not fear other cultures, we should embrace them. That's why my art shows the beauty of my people.

For more: www.edwardgonzales.com