By Quetzal Mama • August 16, 2013

Back to School Tradition –

a Strategy for Latino Parents

In the next few weeks, our students will begin or return to school. This is an exciting time, but also very hectic. After scouring the discount stores for backpacks, school supplies, attending “Back to School Night,” meeting the teacher(s), and establishing our kid’s daily homework and extracurricular activities, we can finally take a deep breath. However, many Latino parents neglect to include a “back to school” ritual that is closely tied to their children’s acceptance at selective colleges and may help fund their college education. This activity is free, takes one hour per day, and will improve writing skills, vocabulary, college interviewing skills, college essay development, and dramatically improves SAT scores. What is this activity? Reading. That’s it. I know it sounds simple, but it is extremely effective.

Let me explain. Last year I spoke at ¡Leer Para Crecer! – a literacy conference hosted by Oakley Unified School District in Contra Costa County. I shared with Latino parents how reading directly impacts their child with regard to the above referenced areas. I also shared the strategy I used with my three children – the “one hour per day” reading rule. Reading one hour per day sounds like a lot of work, but it is entirely manageable. Some tips I shared included ordering a series of books in advance to ensure materials are always available and accessible, and providing reading materials that are interesting to your child. While most parents agree that reading will help their child in school, many do not make the connection between reading and college admission. This topic piqued their interest!

First, I explained how reading and writing go hand-in-hand. To illustrate my point, I projected onto the screen a few paragraphs written by a student. I chose a particular passage to highlight the sophisticated literary techniques this student demonstrated within his work. Beginning with the first few sentences, this student used highly descriptive exclamatory and declarative sentences to set the tone and frame his character. He was quite generous with his use of adjectives, and he used them precisely and confidently. For example, when he described a “booming voice” – it was befitting for the character he described. I asked the audience to look closely, and see how this writer cleverly employed a literary strategy for emotional affect. He shifted from third person narrative (the “Omniscient Narrator”) to second person through a pivotal, “Now reader, you are probably wondering. . .” Effortlessly, he switched back to third person. I then pointed out examples of his advanced vocabulary. For example, he referred to “a swarm of bees.” He knew it was not “a pack of bees” or “a flock of bees.” Through extensive reading he knew to select the word “swarm” to accurately describe the fashion in which bees form together. Finally, I asked the audience to guess the age of this student. Many were surprised this talented writer was a nine-year old, 4^th grade student attending a public K-5 school in San Joaquin County. As a proud Quetzal Mama, I was delighted to share that this writer was my son, Emilio! I used Emilio as an example to reinforce how reading one hour per day yields excellent writing abilities and an extensive vocabulary.

Second, I explained how extensive reading will help their student during the important college interview. How so? During interviews with selective colleges, the recruiter will often inquire, “Tell me about a book you’ve read that has influenced your way of thinking.” Or, the college recruiter may also inquire, “Now, tell me about a book you recently read, that was not part of your assigned class reading.” In either of these scenarios, students who are constant readers will easily recall a literary work and begin to articulate their points. A student who reads infrequently may shift in his or her seat, sheepishly responding, “Well, ah, I really can’t think of any.” Instead, wouldn’t it be wonderful if this student could say, “Well, it would be a toss between some of my favorite works including The Labyrinth of Solitude by Octavio Paz, or Pablo Neruda’s The Book of Questions.” I can already envision the large acceptance package waiting in this student’s mailbox!

Third, essay development is a critical skill significantly influenced by constant reading. A strong reader will not struggle while composing a solid essay – including the structural components, tone, language, and literary techniques. More importantly, essay development does more than help students score an “A” in AP English. Their writing ability will come into play when they begin applying for scholarships, internships, and leadership programs in their junior and senior years of high school. Nearly all of these types of competitions require an essay. In assisting many high school, community college, and undergraduate students throughout the last several years, I have observed this correlation: Students who write exceptionally well, are avid readers. Those who are not avid readers, have difficulty.

But, this audience wanted to know how their child’s reading ability is directly tied to his/her performance on the SAT. I explained that research confirms voracious readers perform in the highest percentiles in the Critical Reading and Writing portion of the SAT. If math is not your child’s forte, you can see how important the Critical Reading and Writing portion will be toward their overall score. These two sections account for two thirds of the entire SAT examination! Each section has the potential for 800 points (the entire 3-section examination has 2400 points maximum).

Reading alone cannot guarantee your child’s success on the SAT, nor guarantee admission to their dream school. However, reading is definitely a strategy that will yield positive, long lasting results. Now that we are in another school year, let’s ensure one of our annual strategies will be to enforce the “one hour per day” reading rule. Your children will thank you later, and you may be rewarded with fewer college loan balances.

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