Literacy and Biliteracy in Latino Households: Testimonios of Commitment

• In Event: Roundtable Session 40
  In Roundtable Session: Community Voices and Bilingual Education

Abstract

In this presentation, I explore the ways in which poor and working-class, Spanish-speaking Latino families engage in activities that promote the literacy and academic development of their children. The data for this study are short, personal narratives that I refer to as memorias (memoirs). The data set was abstracted from a larger, ten-year compilation of writings penned by 225 Latino/a pre-service and in-service teachers in Texas. Findings indicate the parents' commitment to the child's education; the benefit of the Spanish language as a contributor to English language development and the social nature of literacy use and development.

Author

• Howard L. Smith, The University of Texas - San Antonio