Date: 9/11/2023
Independent Publishers Meet Demand for Latinx Books for Kids
Lectura Books published its first book in 2001 as a response to its sister organization, The Latino Family Literacy Project, needing more authentic stories to inspire Spanish-speaking parents to read with their children and to build oral language skills by connecting the stories with their own lives. The organization’s aim has always been to help families fall in love with reading together.
“Our mission is to support families who speak Spanish by providing culturally relevant and engaging books,” says publisher Katherine Del Monte.
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Date: 6/1/2023
University of North Texas
UNT shares SUCCESS with English language learners and families and with bilingual and bicultural books published by Lectura Books. The U.S. Department of Education 2.5 million dollar grant included English Language Learner teacher preparation and culturally relevant books with parents and kids. Books and curriculum published by Lectura Books were the main offerings for the parent and family engagement training with teachers and pre-service teachers.
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Date: October 09, 2020
Star Watch Honorees 2020
Lectura Books fills a void in bilingual and bicultural education for Spanish-speaking parents and English learner students.
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Date: April 28, 2020
How Kids’ Lit Is Responding to the Coronavirus
Lectura Books is helping educators, librarians, and parents teach kids through a series of free bilingual handouts called Learning at Home. The handouts cover homeschooling subjects from How to Read Aloud to Creating a Time and Place for Studying.
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Date: June 7, 2019
Bilingual Books in Spanish
In order to help the entire family learn English at the same time, many have turned to bilingual books. Del Monte of Lectura Books, who also runs the Latino Family Literacy Project explains, “It makes sense to have today’s children’s books in two languages so families can read together. This, of course, helps their children’s academic achievement levels improve.”
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Date: April 4, 2019
Literacy program helps 33 Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD families with dual language
The Latino Family Literacy Project, a program held in partnership between Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD and the University of North Texas, has wrapped up its second year, and more than 30 families have benefited from the program. Read More
Date: December 2018
Tom Max in the Wild West / Tom Max en el viejo oeste
This English-Spanish book finds young Max spending his summer in Hatch, where he helps his father with ranch chores, saves his brother from drowning, learns to make chile verde, and encounters a scary rattlesnake. Lectura’s bilingual books aim to foster family literacy. Hop onto Max’s big adventure and learn how to tell it in more than one way.
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Date: July 5, 2018
Socorro ISD’s Latino Family Literacy Project Celebrates Families, Reading
More than 200 parents were recently honored by the Socorro Independent School District’s Bilingual Department for their participation in the Latino Family Literacy Project.
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Date: March 20, 2018
Biliteracy Program to Help Latino Families
One school is helping Grand Valley Latino families improve their child’s education at no cost. Parents reading aloud, Telma, The Little Ant, a bilingual book is helping children with their literacy skills
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Date: February 28, 2018
FCUSD receives $1.2 million for early education
Folsom Cordova Unified School District’s Early Childhood Education Program was recently rewarded a grant amounting in $1,247,457 to be used for school readiness educational services. For the past 12 years, FCUSD has been participating with First 5 California where they receive funds every three years for their early education programs.
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Date: February 21, 2018
Lily Madrigal has been chosen to represent Stanislaus County in the 2018 State “Classified School Employees of the Year” program.
Lily Madrigal is considered a crucial member of the Hughson Elementary campus and Hughson community as she both serves as a paraprofessional at the Language Learning Center where she assists second-language learners with the obstacles they face. As the coordinator at the Health Start Center, she works with parents with young children. She also has served as the PTC president, chair of the Bond Oversight Committee, board member for the Hughson Education Foundation, and member of the Student Attendance Review Board. Madrigal helps to organize and lead the Latino Literacy Program and Parent Help classes.
Date: February 12, 2018
Lakewood’s Oscar Orellana is a guidance counselor, coach, literacy volunteer and immigrant advocate.
Let’s see. On Sunday mornings, he coaches in a sports league for children with disabilities. On Monday nights, he helps run a literacy program for Latino families.
Date: January 28, 2018
3 New Bilingual Books From Lectura Books
Representation is important and Lectura Books is doing an amazing job at helping to narrow the gap in multicultural literature by publishing books that can speak to underrepresented communities. I love how this award-winning bilingual publisher is committed to help parents and children “learn strong language skills and establish family reading routines.”
Date: January 3, 2018
University of North Texas (UNT) will collaborate with The Latino Family Literacy Project for 5 years
Beginning this month, The Latino Family Literacy Project will collaborate with the University of North Texas (UNT) for 5 years and will bring its award-winning parent involvement program for English Learners to 15 elementary schools in the Carrollton Farmers Branch Independent School District (CFBISD) to train 150 in-service and pre-service teachers.
Date: July 26, 2017
How To Create Diversity in Publishing
Dr. Max Benavidez writes about the current growth of the publishing industry in the U.S. and the expanding need for more diversity in children’s books. He also reviews Lectura Books and its mission.
Date: July 11, 2017
Socorro ISD Honors Parents who Participated in Latino Family Literacy Project
The Socorro Independent School District recently recognized more than 125 parents who participated in the Latino Family Literacy Project during the 2016-2017 school year.
Date: April 1, 2017
CHEF Announces Spring Teaching Excellence Grants
The Cape Henlopen Educational Foundation recently announced 15 grants totaling $10,536 to help Cape Henlopen School District teachers provide new educational resources for their students.
February 16, 2017
Williams Elementary Hosts The Latino Family Literacy Project
Williams parents have gone back to primary school to learn how to inspire their children to love reading, writing, and art.
Date: February 11, 2017
South Marshall Hosts Latino Family Literacy Project
Mrs. Zaragoza, Mrs. Collazo and Mrs. Avelar have been leading the Latino Family Literacy program at South Marshall STEM Academy. The program is brought in from the Marshall ISD Bilingual/ESL Department.
Date: September 19, 2016
‘College: The Latino Dream’ is Sept. 24 in Texarkana
The Texarkana Independent School District, Texarkana College and Texas A&M University-Texarkana have developed a long-term partnership to provide students and families with tools for higher education.
The group’s first event, “College: The Latino Dream,” is set for Saturday, Sept. 24, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the University Center on the A&M-Texarkana campus, 7101 University Ave., Texarkana, Texas.
May 8, 2016
Family Involvement Makes Schools, Students More Successful
School is more than reading, writing and arithmetic. School is a place where children prepare for their life journey. Schools help children build intellectual, social and emotional relationships, and physical skills.
Educating our students takes a partnership between parents, community and educators in an effort to meet students’ needs. Success in partnering with parents depends on creating a school culture that welcomes all parents.
Date: April 19, 2016
The Latino Family Literacy Project Now In Lakewood
The Latino Family Literacy Project (LFLP) is currently being held in the Lakewood School District. This is a nationwide program which extends literacy skills to parents, so that they in turn can assist their children. It is an effort to get families, educators, and communities working together in order to improve teaching and learning.
The award winning program teaches and encourages parents to read with their children and establish a successful family reading schedule at home.
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April 18, 2016
GOOD MORNING: The heart of Latino literacy
Earlier this month, Mayes Elementary School in Denison finished a literacy program for Latino families to understand the importance of reading and help parents learn English vocabulary and grammar. It’s been a few weeks since I wrote about the Mayes Latino Literacy Project but it’s an experience that cannot be easily forgotten.
Fifteen families met every Thursday night for an hour and a half to read picture books in Spanish. After reading the story in class, parents brought the book home to read with their children in both languages. Just like their children, the parents were also responsible for homework assignments to help them learn English.
Date: April 3, 2016
‘Cuentos Familiares’: Mayes Latino Literacy Project helps parents to read with children
When her daughter first enrolled in the bilingual pre-kindergarten program at Mayes Elementary School in Denison, Edith Vasquez had only been in the U.S. for a short time. Not knowing how to speak English, Vazquez would drop her daughter off in the cafeteria and leave quietly. Since enrolling in the Mayes Latino Literacy Project, Vasquez is no longer afraid to greet teachers in the cafeteria with a “good morning” in English.
Date: March 21, 2016
Kisthardt Elementary School had its first Latino Family Literacy Project Night October 3, 2012.
This new initiative was implemented in response to our growing Latino communities and the need to have effective literacy programs tailored to meet the needs of Latino parents and children. All Title One elementary schools in Hamilton Township School District will take part in this new endeavor.
Date: January 14, 2016
Boosting the role of parents of English learners in preschools
Selene Ramirez has a lot on her plate caring for her three children and two nieces who live at her home in Buena Park, near Anaheim, but she finds the time to spend 15 minutes every day with each child – reading, writing or working on crafts.
A few years ago, Ramirez, who came to the United States from Nayarit, Mexico, about 13 years ago, was unsure about how best to help her children and nieces – now ages 4 to 9 – prepare for school. But a twice-a-week parent-and-toddler class called the Early Literacy and Math Program, run by the nonprofit organization Think Together, gave her additional tools.
Date: November 17, 2015
Rethinking Family Engagement for Successful Learning
The power of parent engagement and the impact it has on a student’s academic success has rid doubt of even the most skeptic. But the debate about effective parent engagement strategies – even about what constitutes parent engagement – continues to divide.
Through our research and interviews we have come to some conclusions we hope will be useful to education policymakers in this region. We’ve learned that in order to be effective, Parent Engagement should:…
Date: October 15, 2015
Latino Family Literacy Project and technology training for Spanish-speaking parents begin February 12 & 13
The Latino Family Literacy Project begins this February at the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach. The twelve-week program is held every Wednesday evening from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. LBUSD School Community Liaison Javier Diaz coordinates the interactive parent-child program designed to help develop family reading routines and vocabulary development for Latino parents and their children.
Date: October 15, 2015
Taylor Elementary hosts Hispanic literacy program
Learning how to read is difficult, but it’s even more difficult when there’s a language barrier. Jack Taylor Elementary School in Burleson hosts a Latino Family Literacy Project from 5-7 p.m. every Tuesday at the JTES library.
Date: September 15, 2015
The White House Selects The Latino Family Literacy Project™ for Bright Spot in Hispanic Education
The White House announced on September 15th that The Latino Family Literacy Project™ is one of the Bright Spots in Excellence for Hispanic Education. The Project was selected because it offers a culturally relevant and bilingual approach to parent involvement…
Date: July 29, 2015
KCUSD budget for ’16 is $107.6m
With a 2015-16 budget of $107.6 million, the Kings Canyon Unified School District will increase its focus on students who need more support while boosting its technology to enhance education.
Date: July 15, 2015
National Biliteracy Program Teacher of the year is MUSD’s Alicia Ramos
MONTEBELLO – The Association of Two-Way & Dual Language Education (ATDLE) has named Alicia Ramos, a fifth- grade teacher at La Merced Elementary School, its 2015 Teacher of the Year. With 20 years of teaching experience as a bilingual and two-way bilingual immersion teacher, Ramos is considered an outstanding educator dedicated to ensuring that her students and families are firmly on the path toward reaching biliteracy goals.
Date: July 8, 2015
Latino Family Literacy Project Helps Mountain View School District
The Mountain View School District continues to provide parents and families with educational experiences to support their child’s success in school. A valuable program offered this year for parents and families at a few schools was the Latino Family Literacy Project.
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Date: March 31, 2015
The Secret Lives of Bilingual Books
Dr. Max Benavidez writes about the current topic for the need for diversity in children’s books and reviews Lectura Books and its mission.
Date: February 10, 2015
Columbus Elementary is Bridging Communication Gaps
“To me, communication is big. That’s why we offer it…to have communication with all stakeholders,” said school principal, Terri Tomlinson said.
Date: Dec. 10, 2014
Weekly Reading Sessions with Parents foster Reading with Parents and Kids
“If the children see their parents reading, they’ll want to read even more. A side benefit is it brings the family closer together,” said school principal, Sandra Aguilera.
Date: November 24, 2014
Kisthardt Elementary Holds Latino Family Literacy Project Night
All Title One elementary schools in Hamilton Township School District will take part in this new endeavor. This is just one approach the school district is developing to build stronger schools and community connections.
Date: October 29, 2014
Support for bilingual education grows as population shifts.
The Lake Travis school district implemented two new programs this semester designed to increase the success of Spanish-speaking students.
Date: Oct. 17, 2014
Bilingual books connect Latino families
Every day Benny Lopez woke up looking for a way to help people. One day he finds a mask and wears it while helping an elderly lady crosses a busy street. With that act of grace, he becomes Boy Zorro—defender of good.
Date: Oct. 16, 2014
Parents Praise Literacy Program – Latino Family Literacy project helps children succeed
Parents thanked Cutler-Orosi Joint Unified School District board members at last Thursday’s meeting for having a family literacy program to help their children succeed in school.
Date: Sep. 17, 2014
Bilingual books connect Latino families
While dropout rates and poverty levels for Latinos have decreased in recent years, they are still more than double the rates of whites in the U.S. Katherine Del Monte wants to change that by tackling illiteracy, starting with children’s books that are written with more than kids in mind.
Date: Sep. 09, 2014
More Funding for Reading Program Awarded for The Latino Family Literacy Project™ in Palatine
Kindergartners needing extra help in Community Consolidated School District 15 are getting new books in their classroom libraries, and Latino families had a new location for a program to help them help their children.
Date: September, 2014
Ector-County I Makes Improvements after TEA Visits
Ector-County I graduates parents in The Latino Family Literacy Project™ as a response to a TEA visit last year.
Date: Aug. 26, 2014
DFEF grants fund Latino Family Literacy, extended-day kindergarten libraries
Earlier this summer, the District Fifteen Educational Foundation announced that it has funded two new grants that further its mission to enhance and supplement the educational experience of District 15’s students.
Date: Aug. 11, 2014
The Bullying Epidemic and Ways to Counter It
Our award-winning book Boy Zorro and The Bully was mentioned in The Huffington Post as a current way to address the bullying epidemic.
Date: Dec. 10, 2014
Weekly Reading Sessions with Parents foster Reading with Parents and Kids
“If the children see their parents reading, they’ll want to read even more. A side benefit is it brings the family closer together,” said school principal, Sandra Aguilera.
Date: Mar. 14, 2014
New Children’s Books From Lectura Books
The Teaching Tolerance staff reviews the latest in culturally aware literature and resources, offering the best picks for professional development and teachers of all grades.
Date: March 13, 2014
Latino Family Literacy Project Teacher wins Teacher of the Year
Sophia Derrig, a bilingual instructor, started the school’s Latino Family Literacy Project, an after-school workshop for parents, and is a mentor for the school’s Gang Reduction and Intervention Program.
Date: December 20, 2013
Latino Literacy Program Helps Bayonne Families Learn English Together
Over a semester of 10 classes held Wednesday evenings from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., a community of Latino parents navigate the same halls that their children do, in an effort to improve their literacy, hopefully bridge the cultural gap and help both parent and child transition into the mainstream.
Date: May 29, 2013
Summer Programs at Texas Libraries using Lectura Books
Summer programs offered at rural Texas libraries for families. Programs use bilingual books from Lectura Books and age-specific curriculum from The Latino Family Literacy Project™.
Date: May 29, 2013
5 Rural Libraries in Texas offer The Latino Family Literacy Project™
The six weeks Summer Latino Family Literacy project kicks off the first week of June for children and adult family members at five rural libraries in East Texas.
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Date: Apr. 03, 2013
Latino Family Literacy Project builds family connections at Hamilton schools
Latino parents learned how to promote reading within their families with the help of bilingual teachers. This past fall, Greenwood, Kisthardt, Klockner, Kuser, Lalor, McGalliard, and Wilson elementary schools took part in the Latino Family Literacy Project, a national campaign that was created to provide a literacy program tailored to meet the needs of parents and children in growing Latino communities.
Date: Apr. 02, 2013
Hamilton schools embrace Latino Literacy Project
The township has been experiencing an influx of Latino residents. This is evident by the various Latino-owned businesses opening, and the changing demographics in schools. According to the US Census, Hamilton’s Latino population doubled from 5.13% of the overall population in 2000, to 10.87% in 2010.
Date: Jan 01, 2013
Latinos en Progreso Program Leading to Success at JWMS
The Princeton Public School (PPS) system has numerous ways of engaging parents in their children’s education. Its website offers a wealth of information about personnel, programs, calendars, and events, as well as online access to student information through a Power School portal that allows parents to follow their children’s academic progress and eases communication between student, home, and school.
Date: March 27, 2012
Lectura Books Launches Five New Bilingual Titles in Spring 2012
Nation’s only bilingual children’s book publisher dedicated to Parent Involvement works to improve educational opportunities for Latino families.
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Date: March 21, 2012
Lectura Books Launches Five New Bilingual Titles in Spring 2012
Nation’s only bilingual children’s book publisher dedicated to Parent Involvement works to improve educational opportunities for Latino families.
Filling the Gap
Lectura Books publishes culturally relevant bilingual titles for children and young adults-and their parents.
Date: March 21, 2012
Strong Families – Culture, Tradition and Literacy
Reading with children is just one of the activities encouraged in the after- school program in Orange Cove. Rachel Aguilar is a teacher with the program designed to establish family reading routines. “Our goal is to work with parents, to have a partnership with parents so they understand their role in the literacy, in literacy and all of the important things they can do at home when it comes to helping our kids to become literate and be successful in school.”
Date: January 3, 2012
East Side Story: A literacy project for parents
Kenny Martinez admits he hasn’t always been as involved with his kids as he could have been.
The 30-year-old from Saugus works during the day, and when he came home he let his pre-schooler and first-grader play on their own.
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Date: October 26, 2011
Cameron Ranch Hosts Latino Family Literacy Project
An instructor read from a book in Spanish on Tuesday morning at and had her students repeat after her. Next the teacher said phrases in English and had the students repeat those. But the students weren’t children; they were Cameron Ranch parents who are taking part in the school’s Latino Family Literacy Project.
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Date: December 12, 2009
Latino Family Literacy Project Celebration
The Latino Family Literacy Project hosted by Kilgore Intermediate School concluded a nine week program for parents of Spanish speaking students with a celebration meal and awards presented by Andy Adams, KIS Principal and Joy Swetnam, KISD ESL Director.
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Date: June 04, 2009
Latino Family Literacy Program promotes parental involvement
To help promote literacy among students, Fort Bend Independent School District parents are taking part in the Latino Family Literacy Program. The program helps families develop reading routines with their children, build English language skills, and form a closer connection to their schools.
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Date: March 09, 2008
Reading, the true treasure of knowledge Organization promotes reading among Latino families
REDWOOD CITY – Even though Noel Murillo arrives very tired at his house after working all day in construction, he dedicates 20 minutes of his time to read to his two young children, 5 and 9 years old, before they go to bed. This is exactly the same for Angel Alvarez and his wife Marisela. Every night they dedicate around 30 minutes to read with their children.
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