Literature in Spanish for Bilingual Students!

Funded Dec 6, 2024

Dearest Delightful & Generous Donors,

On behalf of our bilingual program, my students, my colleagues and myself, we THANK YOU! GRACIAS! Your incredible generosity opened doors that once seemed impossible to access.

The very first thing we did with the books was to laminate the covers to lengthen their lives. We intend to use these books for years to come, for hundreds more students over the years! We then numbered them and established a check-out system so each student was clearly responsible for the integrity of their individual book. We established a system of annotation that involved mini sticky notes as we delved into the text, getting to know the characters as if they were our own friends–but without damaging our precious new resource!

My beautiful bilingual students were able to each have a book in their hands as we read the novels together. As we enjoyed the novel, we discussed the different themes and connections, comparing and contrasting the lives of the characters and our own realities. Every few chapters, we'd pause and hold a lively Socratic Seminar in which students engaged in deeper conversations with one another, using the books for easy reference and to provide evidence for their various points. It was a wondrous thing to witness in action!

A third of the way through, students split into mini Book Clubs, focusing in on a few chapters at a time before reporting back to the larger group. This not only added an additional dynamic way of reading together in the classroom, it deepened the level of engagement of each student as the smaller groupings tend to do. So many connections were made throughout the book and a large portion of my students felt seen as they saw family member's stories and experiences align with those characters' experiences published on a page and given import in an academic setting.

You have given my students' a voice, helped establish a place where they are celebrated and have important things to say & share. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for your generosity and kind spirit.”

With gratitude,

Maestra Rousculp