Newswise — A new backpack, a box of crayons, a calculator " all are important items on a parent's back-to-school checklist. But the most important tool isn't found in a store. It's already in your home. In fact, it's you " the parent.
And for Hispanic and other immigrant families, navigating a new school system can be daunting.
That's why the National Center for Family Literacy, which pioneered the concept of raising the literacy level of parents and children simultaneously, has created important resources designed specifically for those families.
Many of the tips from NCFL resulted in experience and research from its Toyota Family Literacy Program, which is the first nationwide project of its kind to focus on the needs of Hispanic and other immigrant families. Results show that parental involvement created significant literacy gains for adults and improved academic performance for children.
One set of materials is patterned after comic books and graphic novels called foto-novelas, which are extremely popular in Spanish-speaking cultures. The innovative materials will be more effective than traditional literacy materials in helping Spanish-speaking families improve their English skills and increase their involvement in their children's education.
"Foto-novelas are an excellent way to provide information while using photography and a minimum of text to convey the message," said Dr. Deborah Hasson, director of the Hispanic Family Learning Institute and co-director of Toyota Programs for the National Center for Family Literacy. "They are very popular in Spanish-speaking countries and have a much stronger visual impact than most materials for English learners. The text is a conversation rather than narrative in format. Readers can rely on visual cues in the faces and expressions of the characters to help them guess at the meaning. In the United States and Canada, foto-novelas have become popular educational tools."
The two bilingual foto-novelas for parents are "Get Involved!" (Involúcrate!) and "Reading at Home" (Lectura en el hogar). In addition, a practitioner guide with lesson plans and activities for adult ESL and native language use is available.
In addition, Cultivating Readers (Cultivando el hábito de la lectura) is a 16-page magazine that includes activities and strategies to increase the reading readiness and school success specifically for young children. The foto novelas and Cultivating Readers are available online in English and Spanish at www.famlit.org/families/free-resources.
Here are just some of the tips for parents from these helpful tools:
"¢ Be involved in school. Unlike some other countries, in the United States, parents are expected to be involved in school " to understand how their children are being taught and participate in the system.
"¢ Ask questions of your children's teacher. Many schools have a translator or bilingual teacher who can help parents who don't speak English.
"¢ Teach your children new words in Spanish, which also will help them improve their reading in English;
"¢ Make books and magazines available in your home, and dedicate time to read each night. Take turns reading aloud with your child. Have your child read part of a story, and then you read the next part;
"¢ Compare sounds of words in English and Spanish, so your children can learn the similarities and differences;
"¢ Encourage your child to tell you about what she is learning. What subjects interest her? Talk with her teachers for suggestions about supporting her learning at home; and
"¢ Point out new words you hear on television and words you see in your community—on billboards and road signs, menus, food labels and store advertisements.
The foto novelas were funded by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, and Cultivating Readers was funded by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
To conduct an interview in Spanish, please contact Dr. Deborah Hasson at 502-584-1133, ext. 123, or [email protected].
The National Center for Family Literacy is the worldwide leader in family literacy. More than 1 million families have made positive educational and economic gains as a result of NCFL's work, which includes training more than 150,000 teachers and thousands of volunteers. For more information, visit www.famlit.org.
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