Children connect with stories and themes that they know. If something is recognizable to them in a book, they will often relate to it in a way that draws similarities to the people and events in their own lives. Through this familiarity, reading becomes more enjoyable and serves a stronger purpose towards promoting successful literacy outcomes. Teachers who work with … Read More
Bilingual Books: The Secret Recipe for Family Literacy with Hispanics
Literacy begins in the home. Parents who begin to read to their children from a very young age make great strides in the child’s educational and social evolution later on. Reading to a child promotes successful outcomes for literacy even before they start their first day of kindergarten. This is true for families of all languages, backgrounds and cultures. For … Read More
How Oral Stories Foster Reading Development
Oral storytelling is a type of narrative dialogue that enables children to experience interpersonal sharing and relating while they improve their understanding of word choice, sentence structure, and fluent speech. Children who hear and tell stories gain critical practice in using and adopting a language that carries over into their ability to read and write in that language. In an … Read More
3 Ways Bilingual Books Benefit Spanish Speaking Parents
Books that are bilingual are excellent resources for Spanish speaking parents and their children. By including and honoring two languages, these books welcome and invite native Spanish speaking adults to develop their English literacy alongside their children. Here are three ways that bilingual books can serve Spanish speaking parents: Parents Will Learn Vocabulary Along With Their Children: Spanish speaking parents … Read More
How Poverty Impacts Reading
There is much discussion about poverty these days. Nearly 22% of children, upwards of 16 million of U.S. children, live in poverty. Nearly 45% of children live in low-income families, which are above the poverty threshold, but still disadvantaged. Children of color are especially affected, with higher rates of childhood poverty among African American, Latino, and Native American families. Besides … Read More