BACK TO SCHOOL : SANTA ANA : Students to Focus on Storybooks
Learning to read and write will take on a whole new dimension this fall for Spanish-speaking students in the Santa Ana Unified School District.
The district is embarking on a new literature-based approach for teaching reading and writing to these students--a method that proved successful last year when it was introduced to English-speaking students.
Storybooks and other types of literature will take the place of textbooks to teach students to read. District officials claim this method promotes more interest and enthusiasm among students and does away with the notion that reading is boring.
“The children enjoy it, and the teachers enjoy it,” said Susan Johns, interim deputy administrator for the district’s elementary division.
Before reading a story, students will go over some of its vocabulary with the teacher. They will also go over key points in the story and discuss similar experiences in their own lives. “This is getting away from Dick-and-Jane type of stories and having them read stories that have more of a connection with their lives,” Johns said.
To help teachers implement the program, the district held a one-day training seminar at Century High School where more than 600 teachers and assistants received tips on teaching the new approach.
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