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Collection: Read Aloud Collection Paired with Caminos & CKLA Core Resources
Supplementing core instruction like Amplify Caminos and CKLA with literature is incredibly important for dual language students. Here are just a few reasons why:
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Enhance Linguistic Repertoire: Amplify resources instruct academic language in an academic setting, but books show kids how people really use language. They'll see more varied words, sentences, and ways of speaking in both English and Spanish.
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Love of Reading: When students read stories they enjoy, they read more. The more they read in both languages, the better they get at it. This is key for becoming truly biliterate.
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Cultural Competency: Books let kids explore different cultures (windows) and see their own lives reflected (mirrors). This helps them understand and appreciate diverse perspectives, which is a big part of becoming bicultural.
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Critical Thinkers: Stories often have problems to solve, characters to understand, and messages to figure out. This makes kids think deeper and helps them become better problem-solvers overall.
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Boosts Core Learning: Literature can make the topics in Amplify CKLA more exciting and easier to understand. It also offers different reading levels and topics, so every student can find something they love.
While core programs build a strong foundation, literature brings language to life, helps students connect with different cultures, and makes them better, more engaged readers and thinkers in both English and Spanish.
Example Set:
Connecting "Columbus and the Pilgrims" (English) to "Friendship" (Spanish)
The English books focusing on Columbus and the Pilgrims often touch upon themes of encounter, conflict, gratitude, and the origins of community. The Spanish books, centered on friendship, explore social dynamics, understanding, inclusion, and conflict resolution. By bringing these two seemingly disparate sets of books together, we can facilitate powerful discussions about how historical events impact relationships, and how principles of friendship are essential for building just and harmonious communities.
Here's a breakdown of the connections:
English Books: Themes of Encounter, Gratitude, and Early American History
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"Keepunumuk Weeâchumun's Thanksgiving Story": This book offers a Native American perspective on the first Thanksgiving, highlighting themes of interdependence, environmental stewardship, and the complex relationship between the Wampanoag people and the Pilgrims. It shows moments of cooperation but also hints at underlying tensions.
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"Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message": This powerful text emphasizes gratitude for the natural world and the interconnectedness of all living things. It fosters appreciation for the earth and traditional Native American values.
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"We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga": This book explores the Cherokee tradition of expressing gratitude throughout the year. It showcases the importance of community, tradition, and a respectful relationship with the land and each other.
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"Around the Table That Grandad Built": This cumulative tale emphasizes the building of community through shared meals and contributions from many individuals. It highlights the idea of different people coming together to create something meaningful.
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"Gracias / Thanks": A bilingual book that simply celebrates everyday acts of gratitude, from the smallest things to the largest.
Spanish Books: Themes of Friendship, Social Dynamics, and Conflict Resolution
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"Hoy no quiero ir a la escuela" (Today I Don't Want to Go to School): This book likely deals with a child's reluctance due to social anxieties, perhaps related to peer interactions or fitting in. It opens a door to discussing feelings, understanding, and the importance of supportive relationships.
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"Bullying": This book directly addresses the difficult topic of bullying. It is crucial for discussions on empathy, standing up for others, conflict resolution, and creating a safe and inclusive environment.
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"Hoy no juegas" (Today You Don't Play): This title suggests exclusion or social conflict among children. It's perfect for talking about inclusion, fairness, the impact of exclusion, and how to resolve disputes among friends.
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"Espaguetis en un panecillo de perro caliente" (Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun): This book often celebrates individuality, accepting differences, and standing firm in who you are even when others might question you. It can lead to discussions about respecting unique qualities in others.
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"Chocolate y Merengue" (Chocolate and Meringue): These characters likely represent two different personalities or types of people who form a friendship, highlighting the beauty of complementary friendships and embracing differences.
Making the Connections: Bridging History and Social-Emotional Learning
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Encounter and Conflict Resolution:
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Connection: The "Columbus/Pilgrim" books describe a historical encounter between different cultures (Native Americans and European settlers), which led to complex relationships, including cooperation and conflict. The "Friendship" books explicitly deal with interpersonal conflicts and challenges.
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Discussion Points:
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How did the characters in "Keepunumuk" (Wampanoag and Pilgrims) try to get along? What were the challenges?
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How are the feelings of being excluded in "Hoy no juegas" similar to or different from the challenges faced by the Native Americans in their interactions with the settlers?
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What lessons from "Bullying" can we apply to historical conflicts or situations where one group had power over another? How can we be "upstanders" not just in our classroom, but when we learn about history?
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Gratitude and Community Building:
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Connection: Books like "Giving Thanks," "We Are Grateful," and "Around the Table" celebrate community, shared resources, and gratitude. The "Friendship" books show how individuals contribute to positive relationships.
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Discussion Points:
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How do the Native American practices of gratitude ("Giving Thanks," "We Are Grateful") contribute to their strong communities?
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In "Around the Table That Grandad Built," how do different contributions help build something wonderful? How does this relate to building strong friendships, where everyone brings something unique (like "Chocolate y Merengue")?
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How can showing gratitude, as in "Gracias / Thanks," help resolve conflicts or strengthen friendships, like those challenged in "Hoy no quiero ir a la escuela"?
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Respecting Differences and Inclusion:
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Connection: The historical narratives show the consequences of not respecting different cultures. The friendship books directly address the importance of accepting individuality and ensuring inclusion.
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Discussion Points:
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How might the historical encounters have been different if the Pilgrims and Native Americans had approached each other with the principles of acceptance and understanding seen in "Espaguetis en un panecillo de perro caliente" or "Chocolate y Merengue"?
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What does "Hoy no juegas" teach us about the importance of inclusion? How can we apply this lesson to understanding historical injustices or current events where groups are excluded?
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How do the themes in "Bullying" relate to historical power dynamics and the treatment of Indigenous peoples? What responsibility do we have to learn from the past and advocate for justice and respect today?
By weaving these themes together, students don't just learn historical facts or social skills in isolation. They see how these concepts are deeply interconnected, fostering a more nuanced understanding of both historical events and their own roles in building positive, inclusive communities. This approach supports all three pillars of dual language education: strengthening bilingualism and biliteracy through diverse texts in both languages, and developing biculturalism and sociocultural competence by critically examining history and current social dynamics.
Collection:
