collaborating for literacy through culture and community: día and ncte ncte annual convention...

Collaborating for Literacy through Culture and Community:

Día and NCTENCTE Annual Convention • Nashville, TN • November 17, 2006

El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day), known as Día, is a nationwide celebration of families, culture, and literacy implemented in public libraries nationwide every April 30. Día brings families together and emphasizes the importance of literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds. The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is the national home of Día.

© 2006 Association for Library Service to Children • 50 E. Huron, Chicago, IL 60611

Día’s Mission

• Día’s mission is to spread “bookjoy” every day by linking children from all cultures with books, and celebrating together on and around April 30.

• The Día goals are to honor children and their cultures and languages, to foster literacy, and to promote library collections and programs that reflect America’s plurality.


10+ Years of Día• Día is an enhancement of Children’s Day, which began in 1925 at the

first “World Conference for the Well Being of Children in Geneva, Switzerland.”

• Different countries celebrate Children’s Day at different times; Mexico chose April 30.

• In 1996, children’s book author Pat Mora proposed linking the celebration of children with literacy.

• Since 2002, the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), has been the national center for Día through a series of grants from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.

• ALSC works with other national organizations, such as Founding Partner REFORMA: the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking, to promote Día to families and libraries.

• April 30, 2006 marked the Tenth Anniversary of Día.


Día’s Current Reach• Texas and Florida support Día on the state level,

and are known as “Día states.”• California is poised to become the third Día state.• Hundreds of libraries in nearly 40 other states,

Canada, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia also hold Día celebrations, ranging from bilingual story hours and book displays to full-fledged, community-wide events that attract thousands of attendees.


Día Celebrations• Held on or around April 30, Día celebrations take place in

schools, libraries, church basements, and fairgrounds, and can include:– Author/Illustrator appearances– Bilingual or multilingual storytelling– Community celebrity volunteers reading– Book fairs– Arts and crafts– Music– Dramatic performances– Picnics – Book displays– Book giveaways


Día Celebration in Austin, Texas

• More than 2,000 children and their parents attend.

• More than 3,000 new books are given to children to support reading at home.

• 40 community organizations and more than 100 volunteers participate.


• Popular public television characters Maya and Miguel participate, thanks to costumed volunteers

• Young authors create books in one of the sponsors’ tents


More Examples• Houston Public Library (Houston, TX): All 35 branches

participate. In 2006, Día founder Pat Mora read from her award-winning book, Doña Flor; Houston also featured early literacy discussion groups, bilingual storytelling, arts & crafts, a literacy workshop for parents, and a dance and music program.

• Queens Library (Jamaica, NY): Queens put on La luna me está mirando, a Spanish play that was especially conceived for children and young audiences.

• Union County Public Library (Monroe, NC): Bilingual story hour, a puppet show, and an art workshop with Colombian sculptor Olid García.

• Hundreds more celebrations like these take place nationwide.


ALSC and Día• Through the generous support of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation,

ALSC is the national home of Día.• ALSC appoints a National Advisory Committee to steer Día. • ALSC provides Día brochures in English and Spanish; in 2002 8,250

went to participating libraries; to date, 560,000+ have been sent. • ALSC hosts a dedicated Web site that serves as a national

clearinghouse of information about Día: http://www.ala.org/dia• ALSC sponsors programs about Día at conferences like this one.• ALSC conducted a major media campaign for Día’s 10th anniversary.• ALSC seeks grant funds and corporate sponsorship to support Día.• ALSC is working with ALA Graphics on a suite of materials for sale

in late 2007, in time for purchase for 2008 celebrations.• ALSC seeks to give community efforts a common element, such as

literacy, while encouraging planners to create local flavor.


Brochures in English and SpanishBrochures feature a list of recommended books by andabout Latinos, including bilingual books; tips for parents on reading with young children; and ideas for encouraging independent reading by children age five and up. More than 560,000 brochures have been distributed through ALA, AASL, REFORMA, NABE, and to participating libraries nationwide.


Día Web Site Home Page

Día Web Site About Page

Día Web Site Partners/Sponsors Page

Día Web Site Celebrations Page

Día Web Site Education Programs Page

Día Web Site Resources Page

Día Web Site Contact Page

Día Web Site en Español Page

10th Anniversary National Media• CBS Radio Network ran Día PSAs (serves 1,000+ stations)

• Univision Radio Network ran Día PSAs (69 stations in 16 of the top 25 Hispanic markets, including Los Angeles, NY, Miami, San Diego, more)

• Chicano Radio Network ran Día PSAs (radio affiliates throughout U.S. & Mexico; Web site receives 250,000+ hits daily)

• Que Pasa Media Network ran Día PSAs (8 Spanish-language stations in NC)

• CNN en Español interviewed Día founder Pat Mora (national/international)

• Time for Kids featured Día in their teachers’ guides (circ: 3,700,000)

• La Opinión ran our Día Op Ed (circ: 122,807 in L.A. area)

• Dallas Morning News columnist Mercedes Oliva wrote about Día in her 4/29/06 column (circ: 465,469)

• More than 85 news Web site placements, including AOL Latino, Yahoo en Español, Hispanic PR Wire, LatinaStyle, and Hispanic Business.


NCTE and Día

NCTE Position Statement:Resolution on El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s

Day/Book Day)

Approved at the 2005 NCTE Annual Convention in Pittsburgh

http://www.ncte.org/about/over/positions/category/libr/123155.htm


NCTE and Día

• Help raise public awareness of El día de los niños/El día de los libros, observed on April 30, to promote literacy for children of all ages, cultures, and linguistic backgrounds;

• Collaborate with the American Library Association to support multilingual family programs;

• Reaffirm family literacy and the value of home languages as part of the English language arts curriculum; and

• Promote multilingual programs that offer young people and their families a voice through positive representations of diverse cultures.


In light of research demonstrating that students who participate in culturally and linguistically diverse literacy activities at home, in school, and in the community are more successful readers, be it resolved that the NCTE:

NCTE’s “Position Statement onBilingual Education”

• From the Background section: “Research shows that the more quality time students have to study and learn in their native language, the better they do later socially and academically…From a more far-reaching perspective, our commitment to bilingual education speaks to the pluralist and humane society we choose to build.”

• Item #4 in the actual resolution: “Resolved, that the NCTE encourage and promote appreciation and respect for bilingualism and for language variations and differences.”

• Item #7: “Resolved, that the NCTE work constructively on the above resolutions with other organizations concerned with bilingual education.”


NCTE’s “Position Paper on the Role of English Teachers in Educating English

Language Learners”

“Teachers can support ELLs’ literacy development by:

• Introducing classroom reading materials that are culturally relevant;

• Connecting the readings with the students’ background knowledge and experiences;

• Asking families to read with students a version in the heritage language;

• Replacing discrete skill exercises and drills with many opportunities to read

• Recognizing that first and second language growth increases with abundant reading and writing.”


Día and You: What Next?• If you live in TX or FL (or, soon, CA!), check to see what

resources are available from your state, including grants.• Check to see if your public or school library celebrates Día, and

if so, ask how you can collaborate and how your students can get involved.

• If not, celebrate Día in your own school or classroom using ideas presented here today or available via the Día Web site at http://www.ala.org/dia. Many activities suggested for librarians are easily adaptible to classroom settings, such as author/illustrator visits, book displays, readers’ theater, and the like.

• Email us for brochures in quantity at [email protected].• Have fun! Celebremos!


The Future of Día• Día moves beyond the library community to become a

regularly observed literacy promotion event like Teen Read Week, Children’s Book Week, and Drop Everything and Read Day (D.E.A.R).

• Every state could be a “Día state” like TX and FL.

• Each week more than 220 million people visit America’s 16,500 public libraries. With thousands of libraries, including school libraries, participating in Día, millions of children and families could be reached.

• Día could reach beyond the Latino community to other cultures and languages without losing sight of its roots.


Contact• To order brochures in quantity: [email protected]

• For more information: http://www.ala.org/dia

• Diane Foote, Executive DirectorAssociation for Library Service to Children50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL [email protected], 312-280-2162

• Linda Mays, Program OfficerAssociation for Library Service to Children50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL [email protected], 312-280-1398

• Joan Claffey, DirectorALA Development Office50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL [email protected], 312-280-3215


collaborating for literacy through culture and community: día and ncte ncte annual convention...

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