Celebrating Culture, Reading, & Family Literacy @ the Library with the Latino Reading and Literacy Programs “El día de los niños/

El día de los libros” (Día) and “Noche de Cuentos”

Presented by Jamie Campbell Naidoo, Ph.D.

University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL (USA)

  

Paper by

Jamie Campbell Naidoo, Ph.D.University of Alabama

Patricia Montiel-Overall, Ph.D. University of Arizona

Lucía González REFORMA

Oralia Garza de Cortés REFORMA

Irania Macías PattersonCharlotte Mecklenburg Library

  

Affiliate of the American Library Association Dedicated to Library

Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking

Literacy DevelopmentDeveloping literacy is one of the key functions

of school and public libraries throughout the world.

Literacy extends beyond traditional reading literacy to also include cultural literacy and family literacy.

In addition to reading, library programs often include art, dance, drama, storytelling, and numerous other expressions of literacy.

Role of Libraries in Literacy DevelopmentProvide opportunities for children and their

families to interact with high-quality children’s literature in the first language of the family.

Offer exciting, culturally relevant, literacy programs in the library throughout the calendar year.

Connect all children with rich materials (print and non-print) that represent their cultural experiences.

Role of the Library in Literacy Development

Demonstrate the importance of literacy to life-long learning.

Promote cultural competence by creating a forum for facilitating understanding and acceptance of diversity based upon culture, ethnicity, linguistic ability, religion, physical ability, immigration status, and sexual orientation.

2 Latino Literacy Programs“El día de los niños/El dia de los libros (Día)”

and “Noche de Cuentos” are two library programs that promote the literacy development of second language learners.

Both programs focus on cultural literacy and family literacy.

Both programs include numerous expressions of literacy (reading, art, dance, drama, and storytelling).

Día: Children’s Day / Book DayFounded in 1996 by award-winning

Latina author and literacy advocate, Pat Mora, who was assisted by REFORMA.

Celebration of children, families, and reading that culminates every year on April 30th.

Highlights the importance of literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

Día: Children’s Day / Book DayDaily commitment to link all children

to books, languages, and cultures. It celebrates individuality and cultural diversity and emphasizes culturally pluralistic library programs and collections. (Pat Mora Website)

Currently housed at the American Library Association: www.ala.org/dia

Día’s PotentialIncreases understanding of the importance of

serving multicultural, multilingual populations.

Allows librarians to introduce families from all cultural backgrounds to the rich diversity of other cultures from the United States and around the world; thus, promoting cultural literacy.

Builds community and provides a logical avenue for community collaborations.

Día’s PotentialDía is more than a single day celebration.

Incorporating programming ideas from Día into daily, weekly, and monthly library services:

Encourages everyone to learn about the cultures that are different from their own.

Communicates to all members of the community that the library values their cultures and languages as well as the literary contributions of their people.

Noche de Cuentos: Evening of StoriesA family literacy initiative created by REFORMAEncourages families from Latino communities to

gather in libraries across the U.S. on March 20th, World Storytelling Day, to share:

Cultural stories and songs Experiences from their families,

communities, and native countries.

Noche de Cuentos: Evening of StoriesIn 2009, Noche became part of ALA President

Camila Alire’s Family Literacy Focus Initiative “Libraries: The Heart of ALL Communities,” which encourages families in ethnically diverse communities to read and learn together.

Noche de Cuentos: Evening of StoriesIn March 2010 with the

theme "Everyone Comes from Somewhere," REFORMA invited libraries everywhere to join in bringing Latino families and communities together through the celebration of Noche de Cuentos.

Noche’s Potential Creates a forum that allows everyone in the

audience to connect with the rich Latino culture.Extends beyond a single day to encourage

children and families from all cultures to share their personal stories throughout the year.

Facilitates an appreciation of oral tradition as well as respect for the stories from other cultures which can lead to the development of cultural competence.

Noche’s Potential Children and their families who hear stories

from other cultures are encouraged to explore additional cuentos via the library’s collection and then draw intercultural connections between the stories of their culture and that of their neighbors’ culture.

Exemplary Día and Noche Programs

Estela and Raúl Mora Award for Día Programs: http://www.reforma.org/Mora2010.htm

Noche de Cuentos Mini Grants: http://nochedecuentos.wordpress.com/

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library – Charlotte, North Carolina (USA): http://www.plcmc.org/programs/diaarchive.asp

Día & Noche: Linking children of all languages and cultures with books!

Questions? Comments?