Children from Latinx families bring rich and varied literacy practices and cultural models to their classrooms. When teachers are able to recognize these assets, they have opportunities to make their teaching more responsive and engaging. One way to learn about these assets is through relationship-building, assets-framed home visits. In this…

Describes how using the Hispanic tale "La Llorona" can help teachers connect cross-culturally with their students for enhanced literacy instruction. Describes ways "La Llorona" may be used in courses for preservice education majors and in elementary and middle-grade classes. Includes an annotated list of seven printed versions of "La Llorona." (SR)

Present brief annotations of 19 books for children and adolescents that present Latino children or adolescents and their families experiencing life, celebrating special occasions, or dealing with difficult situations. (SR)

Describes how, through parent-student interactions in written homework assignments, the author (in her predominantly Hispanic American sixth-grade classroom) has successfully engaged parents in the literacy development of their children, brought parent voices into the classroom, and affirmed and appreciated the experiences, culture, and language…

Results of a study conducted with first-grade Mexican American children indicate that direct reading instruction to precise behavioral objectives is more effective than teaching to Mexican American children's supposed "cultural learning styles" as recommended by Manuel Ramirez and Alfredo Castaneda in 1974. (GT)