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Picture of Pat Mora
Pat Mora

What can educators learn about Latino families and their involvement in education from Tomás and the Library Lady?

A basic lesson is that all families tell stories, and everyone in a family has stories to tell. This is an especially strong value in Latino culture. At first, the grandfather tells his stories, and then later, Tomás goes on to tell his own stories. The book also shows how a child's enthusiasm for learning can be a catalyst within the family.

In the story Tomás goes to the library during the summer months. What can you tell us about community-based learning experiences for Latino families?

One of my own special passions is museums. Museums, historically, have welcomed certain people and not others. But now, museums offer days with free admission and all kinds of activities. The democratization of museums has been happening for a while now, but it will take time to get families used to going. The child is an important link. When I was a museum director, we had the schools bring the children in. I would tell the children: "This is your space, and I want you to come back with your parents. Bring them to this room. Let them know we have free parking." Museum directors and teachers need to help families who may not be familiar with museums or libraries feel welcome there.

What should U.S. elementary school teachers understand about Latino families to support their involvement?

We all bring a set of values and assumptions with us when we go into a classroom. The further a family deviates from that image of what an involved family is and how they behave, the more likely some teachers can feel that such families don't really care (and I'd like to think this is changing). I hope more and more teachers and librarians realize that most families do care.

Another issue is that successful outreach to Latino families not familiar with our educational system—whether they have lived here for generations or are new families—requires creative strategies. If a teacher takes the time to meet families where they are, sees their strengths, and views them as partners in the child's success, the gratitude and willingness of families is overwhelming. I do see examples of schools doing this.

I saw an example of really innovative outreach that connects families with learning outcomes at the Barrett Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia, called Kitchen Math Exchanges. During these exchanges, teachers visit the student's home and help in the preparation of a traditional dish of the family's native country. The cooking is an opportunity to review and teach math skills. After the family and teacher enjoy the meal together, they all play a math game that the teacher brings and leaves for the family.

The school has parents who do not speak English, who are new to the country, and who are at school volunteering because of a committed Family Program Coordinator. One of the most popular events at the school is the monthly Family Library Night. It includes a book reading, an arts-and-crafts activity, and time for checking out books. Translators are available to explain the story to non-English-speaking families. We all respond when we feel valued.

In Tomás and the Library Lady, the grandfather tells stories in Spanish and his grandson, Tomás, tells the stories in English. How can teachers and parents encourage children's literacy in both their native language and English?

I tell teachers that to be able to read in both languages is an intellectual activity, not a weakness. I often say to Spanish-speaking parents, “Ask your child to read the book in English to you. Tell your child that you are going to listen. Then ask the child to tell you in Spanish, in his own words, what happened in the story.” That process can be done page by page or by the child just talking about what she read.

You are especially interested in how educators can reach out to parents who are not print literate. How can educators effectively and sensitively reach out to these parents?

We can reach these parents first, by honoring the parents' journey and the knowledge they bring. We often could not survive what they have survived. We need to give them the respect they deserve. Anyone who is print illiterate in a literate country is going to feel embarrassed. We need to realize this and create psychological safe places for these families. This can help parents feel supported by teachers and schools. Then, educators can share strategies to help these parents be actively involved in their children's education.

During a public school workshop some years back, a teacher said, “When I was a little girl, my father used to sit across from us at the kitchen table and have us read aloud to him. Although he could not understand English, he still made us read to him every night.” Tears were running down the teacher's face when she told me her story. She continued, “What must that have been like for my father? But he did it.”

We have to recognize that many parents are intensely interested in what their children are learning. Many feel unprepared to be a partner with the school because they may not understand our educational system. We need to encourage and assist these families not to step back and feel that because they can't read—or speak—English, they can't be part of this educational process. Teachers cannot fully prepare students to reach their potential without the parents' help. There is too much work to do.

Reference

Mora, P. (1997). Tomás and the library lady. New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers. Hardcover. Also available in paperback from Dragonfly Books, with editions in both English, and Spanish (Tomás y la señora de la biblioteca). Tomás, a Mexican American child of migrant farm workers, discovers the joy of sharing stories from his grandfather at home and the joy of reading books from the librarian at the local library.

Interview conducted by Martha Kateri Ferede, Elizabeth Heymann, and Ellen Mayer, November 2005.

Go to Pat Mora's website at www.patmora.com to learn about her work, including El Día de los Niños/El Día de los Libros (Children's Day/Book Day), a family literacy initiative, started over a decade ago by Pat Mora and others, that celebrates the beauty and power of books. Schools, libraries, and communities all over the country participate by planning activities every year for April 30.

Learn more about Pat's ideas about partnering with and reaching out to Latino families in an interview with Colorín Colorado at www.colorincolorado.org/read/meet/mora.

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