The trick is to learn and understand what does work for children of color and for this blog, specifically what works for Hispanic students. We obviously know what isn’t working. Patricia Gándara says in her book, Over the Ivy Walls:
Our increased understanding of the factors that lead to failure has not appreciably diminished the rate of failure. Perhaps a better understanding of what leads to academic success will yield more fruitful outcomes…an important element missing from most research has been the insights which can be gained from an understanding of how students who don’t fail, in spite of adverse circumstances, manage to escape that fate (pp. xii, 9).
What we will explore and share on this blog is what we can learn from a variety of research sources as to what works for Hispanic learners.
Received this email from John Morefield on 9/6/10
ReplyDeleteThank you, Barbara, both for caring so much about Hispanic learners and for your ideas about how to ensure the quality of their education. Also, thank you for sharing it with me. John
Received this email from Rogie Shutt on 9/06/10
ReplyDelete"I think Hispanic learners are the same as the rest of us. I have noticed in the building industry they are fast learners. I like the program where they send the reading book home, read to their family and then pass off their book while reading parts to their teacher, then they advance on to another more challenging book. Spelling words are taken from their reading books. My grandchildren attend at Kindergarten through eighth grade school. The ratio is 75% Hispanic and American Indian to 25% Anglo American. The illegal drug industry seems to be the biggest challenge to their progress."