Literacy as a Tool for Social Transformation

Ofelia:  Before I started studying at MAIA, I liked to read stories and books to learn new words. When I was in elementary school, I didn’t know many words in Spanish, and that is why I wanted to develop my vocabulary and improve my pronunciation. The teacher would let us read for just two minutes a day; the lack of focus on reading made it difficult for me to develop my literacy skills. 

The books we select for reading assignments are stories of resilient young women, just like the Girl Pioneers, and this connection sparks curiosity and interest in the narratives presented. 

We leverage literature to expand their vocabulary and improve their pronunciation. Each student has a dictionary, and they look up the definitions of the words they don’t know. Understanding vocabulary is an important step before developing paraphrasing and analytical skills. For each book the Girl Pioneers read, they have to submit a list of the new vocabulary they learned. 

To support the Girl Pioneers with their pronunciation, we create challenges with tongue twisters. Students work as a team so that each one can say their tongue twister. This is a fun and stimulating way to help them improve their pronunciation in Spanish.

Ofelia: When I was in 7th grade, my educator would randomly select one student to read a paragraph or two in front of our classmates. Reading was difficult, and sometimes it made me nervous, but it helped me overcome my fears and pronounce the words well. At home, I also liked to read aloud with my family because I didn’t feel nervous around them.

With the goal of creating a community, we work on “class praises” in which we acknowledge someone’s effort publicly. When a Girl Pioneer has difficulties but manages to advance in her reading, she is celebrated in the classroom with applause to motivate her to continue. This activity creates bonds of companionship amongst students.