Children Should Not Be Taught Apart

* Re: The debate over bilingual education.

I taught for years on the Avenue, where my classes were made up of many little children from Mexico. I had success, even using my limited Spanish. Later, I taught for the Defense Department in Germany, Japan and Taiwan. In our classes we had children from many backgrounds--Chinese, Japanese, Indian and so forth. Did a professor teach in each language? No, we did what I had done in learning foreign languages--we used objects with commands, questions, connections, illustrations. We also involved parents in the classes.

I now do volunteer tutoring with a program instigated by our church. The schools selected have a heavy enrollment of Spanish-speaking children. We spend 40 minutes with a child after school, once or twice a week.

My most recent pupil only knew about six English words, and she was 7 years old and in the second grade. We involved the parent, and now we are reading the book the child developed using her new vocabulary.

When I see these children separated in our schools by culture, by looks and education, I see an isolation that seals a hardship these children shouldn’t bear. I know they can be taught better by staying in the classroom.

VIVIAN THOMAS

Ventura