Exploring+the+barriers+of+Latinos'+access+to+literacy+and+addressing+change+through+community+partnership

**Exploring the barriers of Latinos’ access to literacy and addressing** **change** **through community partnerships**

Tammy Oberg De La Garza, Assistant Professor, Roosevelt University [tobergdelagarza@roosevelt.edu]



**Keywords:** Literacy, Latino, elementary students, Photovoice methodology

**Track:** Community partnerships and reciprocity

**Format:** Poster presentation 
 * Date & time: **Friday 3:20-4:30
 * Location: ** Salon 4 / Salon 9

**Summary:** This research is the product of a campus-community partnership, centered in the culturally diverse, Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago. The lack of educational success and literacy achievement of Latinos (NCES, 2009; Buchanan, 2005), the fastest growing population in the nation (Gándara, 2010), is staggering. To counter this, undergraduate, pre-service teachers partnered with Latino elementary students in a community literacy program to explore literacy access and barriers using PhotoVoice (Wang and Burris, 1997) research methodology. Photographic images of literacy in the home and community are used to contrast and highlight differences in literacy access between the Latino community and the middle-class pre-service teachers.

This examination (a) brings the perspective of those whose access to literacy is different from those who shape public policies, (b) uncovers social and educational inequities, and (c) provides a foundation for community organizations to address inequitable literacy access, not only in Chicago, but in culturally diverse centers across the nation. The analysis of 320 literacy images in neighborhood schools and the Latino community of Logan Square revealed significant barriers that prohibit access to literacy. Two major impediments emerged - the lack of literacy opportunities in homes and the community, and non-academic literacy influences in the homes and community.

Using this research schools, educators, and community stakeholders can impact public policy to increase and improve the presentation and utilization of literacy by all. This work promotes critical discourse towards ways that Latinos gain literacy access that is typical of non-marginalized groups. Increasing the availability and accessibility of libraries, culturally relevant literacy activities, and print-rich materials in Latino communities, is a step in the right direction. Helping parents understand ways to increase the visibility of print materials and literacy engagement with their children is another. With such an urgent need, much work remains to be done.

**References:** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Buchanan, B. (October 2005). //Dropping out, dropping chances; dropping out comes at high personal cost//. Greensboro, NC: News & Record.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Ewald, W. (2001). //I wanna take me a picture: Teaching photography and writing to children//. Boston, MA: Center for Documentary Studies/Beacon.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Gándara, P. (2010). The Latino education crisis. //Educational Leadership//, //26//(2), 24-30.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Gay, G. (1994). //A synthesis of scholarship in multicultural education//. Naperville, IL: North Central Regional Education Laboratory.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Keis, R. (2006). From principle to practice: Using children’s literature to promote dialogue and facilitate the “coming to voice” in a rural Latino community. //Multicultural Perspective//s, //8//(1), 13-19.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Kramer, L., Schwartz, P., Cheadle, A., Borton, J. E., Wright, M., Chase, C., & Lindley, C. (2010). Promoting policy and environmental change using photovoice in the Kaiser Permanente Community Health Initiative. //Health Promotion Practice//, //11//(3), 332-339.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Moll, L. (1992). Bilingual classroom studies and community analysis: Some recent trends. //Educational Researcher//, //21//(2), 200–224.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">National Center for Education Statistics. (2009). Racial/ethnic enrollment in public schools. Indicator 7. In //The condition// //of education.// Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Reese, L., Thompson, S., & Goldenberg, C. (2008). Variability in community characteristics and Spanish-speaking children’s home language and literacy opportunities. //Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development//, //29//(4), 271-290.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Wang, C., & Burris, M. A. (1997). Photovoice: concept, methodology, and use for participatory needs assessment. //Health Education and Behavior//, //24//(3), 369-387.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Wang, C., Morrel-Samuels, S., Hutchinson, P., Bell, L., & Pestronk, R. (2004). Flint Photovoice: Community building among youths, adults, and policymakers. //American Journal of Public Health//, //94//, 911-913.

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