bilingual storytime at your biblioteca
DESCRIPTION
This is the Power Point for a presentation I am doing at the Virginia Hamilton Conference on Multicultural Literature for Youth in April 2010. The presentation is titled, "Bilingual Storytime at Your Biblioteca: What, Why and How." This presentation is designed to provide library staff interested in developing a bilingual storytime program a framework for doing so. There is information for current bilingual storytime practitioners on how to enrich their programming using early literacy skill building techniques. Ideas on how non-bilingual library staff can make their programming more inclusive of the Latino community are also presented.TRANSCRIPT
BILINGUAL STORYTIME AT YOUR BIBLIOTECA: WHAT, WHY AND HOW
Katie Cunningham, Children’s Librarian
Lexington Public Library, Village Branch
Lexington, KY
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Miss Katie reads Perdido y encontrado by Oliver Jeffers to local children enjoying a bilingual storytime about friendship at the Village Branch Library.
February 10, 2010
TODAY WE WILL COVER…
What is bilingual storytime, and who can do it?
Why should my library/school offer bilingual programming?
How do I plan and implement a bilingual storytime program?
Resources and questions
WHY ARE YOU HERE TODAY?
WHAT IS BILINGUAL STORYTIME…and who can do it?
BILINGUAL STORYTIME IS:
A standing storytime program that uses various elements such as books, music, fingerplays, flannelboards and other storytelling techniques to equally promote and encourage the development of early literacy skills and inspire a love of reading in both English and Spanish
From “Bilingual Storytime: What, Why and How” chapter by Katie Cunningham in Celebrating Cuentos: Promoting Latino Children’s Literature and Literacy in Classrooms & Libraries, edited by Dr. Jaime Naidoo. To be published Fall 2010.
WHAT IF I’M NOT BILINGUAL?
Incorporate books by Latino authors/illustrators
Incorporate books that positively feature Latino characters
Choose books that have some Spanish words in the text
Choose bilingual books and read the English, while pointing out that Spanish text is also included
Use Spanish and/or bilingual movement songs, rhymes and fingerplays
Tandem programming with community volunteers
WHY SHOULD I OFFER BILINGUAL STORYTIME AT MY SCHOOL/LIBRARY…and how do I convince my boss?
BENEFITS OF BILINGUAL STORYTIME
Casts a wider net than monolingual storytime; will appeal to those already speaking Spanish and those who want to expose their children to other languages
Opportunity for social interaction among diverse groups of children
Opportunity to visibly welcome your Spanish-speaking community, and to showcase Spanish materials, programs and services
Model early literacy skill building techniques in two languages
LITERACY NEEDS OF LATINO CHILDREN
There is no one picture of the “Latino” child!
Every Child Ready to Read / Cada niño listo para leer
Reinforce to parents importance of speaking/reading with children in their native language
Alternative early literacy skill building techniques for low-literacy parents
CHALLENGES TO BILINGUAL STORYTIME
Staff Buy-In
Budget
Anti-Immigrant Sentiment
MY ADVICE?
Know Your Community!
Know Your Administration!
Be An Advocate!
Don’t Reinvent the Wheel!
THINKING ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY
Who are the Latinos in our community? Where are they coming from and why? How long have they been here? Where do they live? How do they exchange information?
What organizations are helping the Latino community?
Do the Latinos in our community use the library? If no, what barriers are preventing this?
THINKING ABOUT YOUR ADMINISTRATION
What are the mission, vision, values and strategic goals of your organization? How does bilingual storytime align with each of
these? What is the goal of bilingual storytime and
how will you measure its success? Outreach? Kindergarten readiness? Inclusive
programming? Who are your advocacy allies? Who are
roadblocks? Know what motivates them! How can you maximize/minimize their impact?
BE AN ADVOCATE!
Always remember, Advocacy Is Not Whining!
Sell your story Invite others to observe or participate in your
program Turn cultural celebrations into large scale
events that the whole library/school can be part of
Encourage holistic inclusivity of the Latino community in all things your organization does
DO NOT REINVENT THE WHEEL!
Collection – bilingual titles are more bang for your buck than translations
What does your organization already have that you can modify? Flannels Drawing stories Storytime kits/plans
What have other bilingual storytime practitioners already done that you can do too?
¡ESTOY LISTA! I’M READY! SO NOW WHAT DO I DO?Choosing books and planning bilingual storytimes
MY APPROACH
Family storytime format Early literacy development Math/science skill inclusion Books by Latino authors/illustrators Traditional folklore and nursery rhymes Repetitive and cumulative tales to reinforce
specific Spanish vocabulary Simple movement songs with motions in the
lyrics
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We graphed our amigos during our friendship storytime to explain math concepts such as counting and comparing in a visual way.
COMMON OUTLINE
Typically a 30 minute program Welcome – take time to explain rules and to
point out early literacy skills Opening Song First Book Storytelling: Flannelboard, Drawing Story,
Creative Dramatic or other technique Second Book Movement Song Third Book Closing Song
SAMPLE: SNOW/NIEVE
Welcome Opening Song: “Hola amigo” Fingerplay: Five Little Snowman / Habían cinco
muñecos de nieve Froggy se viste by Jonathan London
Retell using flannelboard to reinforce clothing vocabulary
Movement song: “Los niños cuando bailan” Phonological awareness and vocabulary
El día de nieve by Ezra Jack Keats Reinforces narrative skills
“Disappearing Snowman” cut-and-tell Closing Song: “Adiós amigos”
WHAT TO AVOID
Overly wordy bilingual books
Books that reinforce stereotypes
Translated books with awkward word flow
Books you don’t like
FLANNELBOARDS
Folktales and cumulative stories The Bossy Gallito La Hormiguita
Stories that reinforce vocabulary Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Picky Paul Eight Animals Dog’s Colorful Day
FINAL THOUGHTSDid we cover everything?
FINAL THOUGHTS
Available resource lists Establishing a Collection to Support Bilingual
Storytime: Recommended Books and Music Recommended Online and Print Resources Taking Storytime Home / Cuentos en casa Bilingual Family Storytime Sample Plans:
Birds / Pájaros Friendship / La amistad
Questions? [email protected] www.bilingualchildrensprogramming.blogspot.co
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