Hope you attended the ASHA convention in Chicago this year. It was interesting and for me always fun to see my former students. This year I was invited to present a seminar on Biliteracy in second language learners. I've been reading about this area for the last couple of years and finally had a chance to talk about what I've learned about children's literacy development. This area of research is exciting and also a maze. There's so much that we know and also don't know.
It amazes me that some research looks at the quantity of occurrences when we also need to look at the quality of the events that influence the literacy development of children. Some reports concerning Hispanic children look at the number of books that are in the home. For some reason that seems to offend me. I've tried to understand why I get upset when researchers equate the number of books families have in their home with success. Fewer books in the home will mean failure.
Ortiz (1986) reported that education and reading frequency were important factors in the lower achievement of Hispanic and Black children. Parents with lower education had less literacy materials and read less in the home than more educated parents.
Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics (2002) documented that 42% of Hispanic families read to their children on a daily basis.
Gonzales (2000) reported the following among 28 Puerto Rican Families (1st or 2nd generation):
- 39% had 1 to 10 books
- 25% owned more than 30 children's books.
- 43% read to child several times/week.
- 29% read to child every day.
- 50% of children looked at same books repeatedly.
- 43% of children looked at books on their own daily.
- 64% of children scribbled or drew every day.
- 32% rarely told stories.
- 29% engaged in storytelling once a month.
Hammer, Miccio, & Wagstaff (2003) reported the following for 43 Puerto Rican Families, who had children that were either exposed to English sequentially (after age 3), or simultaneously (two languages in the home).
- Both groups of mothers had literacy activities an average of 1 time per month.
- Mothers of simultaneous learners engaged in activities that supported academic achievement weekly, while sequential learners were exposed 2 to 3 times per month.
- Both groups had fewer than average of 10 adult/children?s books
- Mothers of the sequential learners read to children 2-4 days/week while SE learners were read to approximately once a week.
When I read the above notes for a few studies, I wonder what happened with all of my Latino friends who have graduate degrees in speech language pathology and with me. How did we develop literacy skills necessary for school? I know that I come from the same background characteristics that so many of the reports say are indicators of possible failure in school. What helped me to be a successful reader? I remember that my father would read the newspaper daily at the kitchen table. While I ate, he would lecture me on the world events. He didn?t read to me, but I knew that what he had to say, his opinions, his knowledge of the world came from that newspaper. I also remember that my mother, who wasn't an educated person, couldn't help me with my homework. So she provided a place for me to study everyday, an ironing board in my room.
I asked some of my former Latino students about their literacy environments. This is what they told me.
Jose told me that his father loved Mexican music and that Jose as a very young child would select the music for his dad and take it to him. Dad would tell him to look at the record album, the color, the letters, the pictures, and any other feature that helped identify the artist on that album.
Ecca told me that she remembered that her parents couldn't help her, but they made sure that there was a quiet room for her to study. She also remembered that the summers were always in Mexico, where she and her siblings would get Spanish schooling.
Sandy told me that her mother influenced her greatly. Her mom learned English and then went to college. Mom was busy reading herself.
I know that books are important in the development of children's skills for reading. The emergent literacy research indicates that children exposed to books early develop the basic skills that form the foundation for later literacy abilities. For our Latino children who are poor, who may have parents who are not literate, have high drop out rates from high school, who live in a world where there is an increase in anti-immigrant sentiment and a move to discourage bilingualism, who go to schools that are poorly resourced and are poorly maintained... How many books does it take to make a successful student?
Learning to read is more than the number of books. We need to fight outside the school walls as well as inside to increase the chance for success for poor children who are also second language learners.
Have a wonderful Holiday!
