Latino Families: Culture and Schooling Flora V. Rodríguez-Brown University of Illinois at Chicago

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, Latino immigrant parents and early literacy development Different researchers (Valdes, 1996; Rodríguez- Brown, 2004; in press) have found that Latino immigrant parents believe that they can not support their children’s literacy learning because: 1. They do not know English, and/or 2. Many of them feel that they do not have enough schooling to teach their children.

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, It is important then, for parents to understand and be reassured that you do not learn only in English, and that what they teach the children in Spanish support their learning in English later in life. Parents also need to be reassured that not all knowledge comes from schooling.

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, Immigrant parents and schooling in the U.S.A. Many new immigrant parents have a great curiosity about schools in the U.S.A. How are students taught in the classrooms? What is expected of the children? What is expected from the parents?

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, Teale (1986) and Purcell-Gates (1995) have stated that children who do well in school come from homes where there is congruency between what children learn at home and what is taught at school. In the U.S., the schools and the curriculum reflect middle class beliefs and values.

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, Children who come from culturally and/or linguistically different homes have problems in transitioning between home and school. It is not that they are not learning anything at home, but what they learn at home may not be relevant to what the children suppose to know when they start school.

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, Schools and teachers do not recognize as relevant the knowledge that culturally and linguistically different children bring to school. From the beginning of school, children sense a disconnection between home and school.

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, Culture, teaching, and learning There are some concepts that are central to understand immigrant (particularly Latino) parents values and behaviors in relation to how they see their role in their their children’s education.

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, Familia The concept of “familia” (Abi-Nader, 1991) is central to Latino families life. It means that the family is more important that the individual. Family needs take precedence over individual needs.

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, Because I belong to a “familia” I have obligations, and I also have an extended family that cares and look for my well being. It also means that when something in the “familia” is not going well I have some responsibility to help solve a problem or take care of others.

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, If the concept of “familia” was understood by schools, there will be an understanding of why families disappear when someone in the family dies.

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, The concept of “familia” has implications for the planning and implementation of programs for Latino parents. Programs that provide knowledge that benefit the children as well as parents are more relevant for Latino families.

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, Educar vs. Enseñar Valdes (1996), Reese, et al. (1995) and Rodríguez- Brown (2004) have found a dichotomy between the concepts of “educar” (to educate) and “enseñar” (to teach). Latino immigrant parents believe that it is important in their role as parents to educate their children. This means parents are responsible for teaching manners, morals, and values. Their role is to help their children become “good people”.

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, When you ask Latino parents what they “enseñan” (teach) their children at home, they act surprised. For them, teaching is the role of the school and the teachers. After all, who are they to take the role designed for more educated people.

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, Latino parents look up to teachers and schools. They tend to not interfere with what children do in school. Teachers are seen as very educated people. They have the knowledge.

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, Latino parents and schools Latino parents need to learn about the school expectations in relation to the education of their children. Reese and Gallimore (2000) found that Latino parents are willing to add new cultural ways repertoires always that they do not compromise their values and morals.

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, Goldenberg (1987) found that explicit instructions from teachers are the best way to get Latino parents involved in their children’s education. If teachers want the parents to work with the children at home, they should explain to them explicitly how they should teach their children. Otherwise, they will tend to “teach” in the way they learned.

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, Respeto “Respeto” (respect) is very important to the family and the community. If you are older, or more educated you will be respected by the parents and the children.

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, In order to lower the parents’ anxiety in dealing as equals with someone they respect, teachers should let parents know that: -they value the knowledge the children bring from home and -they want the parents to become partners, not only in educating but teaching their children.

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, “Confianza” (mutual trust) There is a need for teachers to understand what confianza means before the families have “confianza” in them. “Confianza” is a sense that you are part of a network where everyone know, support, respect, and trust each other.

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, It is through a sense of “confianza” that parents see teachers as partners in the education of their children. “Confianza” also allows teachers to become part of community networks which inform and enrich the school curriculum (Moll,1992).

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, Characteristics of programs responsive to parent’s needs It is very important for parents to have a voice in the planning of program activities. Teachers and program designers should accept cultural ways of learning from the community and add new repertoires, rather than subtract what parents bring to the program.

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, It is very important to allow, value and respect the parents’ cultural ways and languages used at home as they share knowledge with their children.

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, Parent involvement programs “Functional” vs. “critical” parent involvement programs How do programs go from a functional to a critical perspective?

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, Basic principles to work with culturally and linguistically different parents Accept the knowledge that individuals bring to the learning situation. Use cultural ways of teaching/learning and primary discourses as stepping-stones to new learning. Connect with the knowledge that participants bring to a learning situation to make new knowledge more relevant for them.

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, Add, rather than subtract, new knowledge and repertoires to the already existing knowledge in the families. Let families know that their contributions to the learning situation are important and wanted. Instructors need to learn about “funds of knowledge” and cultural ways of learning existing in the communities where they work, in order to become more effective teachers.

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, Although parents may be familiar with a specific way to learn (i.e. direct teaching), it is important to expose them to different methods or ways of learning. According to The New London Group (1996) parents, as well as school children, should be exposed to different ways of learning, while respecting and accepting the ways they learned at home and the community.

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, Relevant issues in the development and implementation of programs directed to families Defining family Recruitment and retention issues: mail, phone, program liaisons Supplemental services: transportation, childcare, food

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, Need to address beyond literacy issues School teachers’ role in the program Defining length of participation Addressing the needs of graduating parents

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, Lessons learned in relation to program design Programs should have a component where parents learn about classrooms and learning in USA. Parents should be offered opportunities to talk to teachers, share expectations and knowledge.

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, The development of home-literacy centers is one of the activities that contributes the most to parents’ participation in supporting their children’s learning. The concept of emergent writing is one of the hardest for parents to understand. They should be given time to fully understand this concept.

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, Community literacy sessions are very relevant to family literacy. Parents should be provided with information about how to use resources in the community where they live, and the community at large, in order to enrich their children’s and their own lives.

Flora V. Rodriguez-Brown, Illinois, Issues of change and ethics in family literacy Family literacy changes families and, as such, change may produce conflicts within the families. The schools, teachers and program staff play a role in supporting families as they change.