Creciendo con libros (0-5 aņos) [Spanish] [Video][Early Book Stages]
Roxanna Holguin
Using a lighthearted and simple approach, this 23-minute videotape in English and Spanish versions presents interactions between parents and children while reading books. The children in the videotape range in age from 0 to 5 years. The video is introduced by scenes of children enjoying books while a narrator discusses the impact of reading to children at a very early age. The remaining portion of the video is divided into segments by years: 0-1, 1-2, 3-4, and 4-5 years. The video covers the developmental stages and reading behaviors children go through in each period. The video shows infants chewing books and learning how to open books, older infants naming pictures and holding books upside down or turning pages backwards, and still older children gradually using books and listening to stories in a more traditional way. Interaction with the child is stressed in the video. A review of the entire footage is seen at the end of the video (about 1 minute in length) where it is easily observed that children who are read to early on go from "chewing books" to "reading books." The video uses graphics to make developmental points for each year. The video shows clearly what to expect children to do with books at different ages and how parents can facilitate their children's language skills and love of books by reading to them.
Roxanna Holguin. Creciendo con libros (0-5 aņos) [Spanish] [Video][Early Book Stages] (1995). Roxanna Holguin: Rio Rico, AZ.
Language: Spanish
Reading Level: Easy
Formats Available: Videotape
Roxanna Holguin
c/o Early Book Stages
285 Calle Cappella
Rio Rico, AZ
85648
Phone: (520) 377-9616
Languages Available: English, Spanish
Intended User Audience:
The intended audiences are parents and early childhood educators from all disciplines. The videos are intended to be used with children from all cultural and linguistic groups.
Product Development:
The author, a speech pathologist, developed these videos. In her home setting, she observed children (4 months-5 years) from both genders who were from a variety of cultures, linguistic groups, sibling groups, home environments, etc. In the English video, the children are from European American, African American, Native American and Hispanic backgrounds. In the Spanish video, the children are Hispanic and are monolingual Spanish speakers.
Product Evaluation:
Though used in a wide range of early childhood programs, the videos have not been formally evaluated.
Product Dissemination:
Approximately 500 copies have been distributed nationwide.
Review #1
About the reviewer:
The reviewer is a bilingual assistant research professor who for over
ten years has worked extensively with students from Spanish-speaking
communities in the United States and South America. Presently she
works with mothers who are African American on how to use language and
behavior intervention techniques with their children. In addition,
she is developing a research project that defines pragmatic skills
for African American preschoolers. She is a recipient of a minority
supplement for a parent and child intervention project at Vanderbilt
University funded by the National Institute of Mental Health.
Audience:
The video is targeted for Spanish-speaking parents of children ages birth - 5 years of age and early childhood educators from all disciplines.
Strengths of the Material:
The material covers information related to the importance of pre-reading. It provides opportunities for early childhood educators to observe various ways parents may read with their children. It also promotes the importance of honoring the child's first language, since the interactions between parents and children are not translated.
The videotape provides a useful explanation for how to interact with children and their books during 0 - 5 years of age. It shows different ways in which young children may interact or "read." There are real families and authentic voices used in the parent and child interactions. The presentation of the information is easy to follow, and the purpose of the material is clear. The language in the video acknowledges diversity among family structures and gender.
The Spanish version uses appropriate registers (formal/informal), and the bulleted information and narration presented by the speech pathologist is a direct translation, although the interactions between the parents and children are original in essence and content and appropriate for the intended user.
Limitations of the Material:
Because the videotape provides only an overview of the rationale for reading with children birth - 5 years, providing additional developmental information about children's language and social-emotional growth through interactions with books would be a good additional component to accompany the video. The video briefly mentions the rationale for reading the same book repeatedly, sharing predictable stories, and recitation of rhymes; therefore, additional support and development for understanding the importance of environmental print becomes especially important. In the video ideas for reading with a young child include only books; brainstorming examples of the multiple purposes for text such as writing letters, making lists, describing a drawing, and writing stories would enhance the video.
Adaptations:
Suggestions for creating a parent reading book-group may be generated. It could be a fun and supportive way to encourage reading to children. The book-group might facilitate book swapping or book making with children as well as provide another opportunity where parents can read with their children. Additional material would be valuable explaining how various literacy activities such as rhyming games, singing, listening to and telling stories affect emergent literacy.
Additional ideas can be given which demonstrate the use of different types of home and community literacy activities that can occur by using tools such as cookbooks, how-to books, magazines, mail, parent work-related material, newspapers, comics, the computer, and coupons.
Users can provide further material that illustrates how everyday reading that occurs in the child's home and community can encourage emergent literacy development. In addition, users can provide material that acknowledges the variety of people (siblings, extended family, neighbors, and religious mentors) who can influence the literacy development in young children, instead of always assuming only parents can fulfill this role.
Generalizability:
This videotape could be used in a variety of teaching situations where individuals learn about the essential learning elements parents contribute to their children when interacting with them. The videotape could be used in other settings such as religious groups and family therapeutic settings. The material is useful in helping individuals understand how book-sharing activities with non-literate families still provides support to young children by sharing family stories, conversations associated with daily life routines, sharing music or singing and by playing games together.
Recommendations:
Recommend with adaptations. The video is interesting to watch and extremely useful for parents who may not have had lots of exposure to child development. It is amusing to watch how each child interacts with each of the books differently. Using the adaptations along with the video will provide important information for caregivers and parents of young children.
Producer's Response:
The feedback given for the Early Book Stages and Creciendo Con Libros videos is greatly appreciated. I am pleased with the general evaluations. In particular, I appreciate the extensions and related sources and ideas given, which would complement the content of the videos.
The videos were developed with simplicity in mind for parents to be able to clearly see that even with books, there are definite developmental stages children go through. Reading to children is the theme, though I took particular note of comments made about elaborating on print awareness in the environment. I would strongly encourage my videos be used as a piece of a literacy program, not as a total program for early literacy. It was meant to be a stepping stone for more extensive or in-depth conversations about literacy in general. The videos were developed to show parents visually, in a simple format, how reading to a child is an "interactive" as well as a nurturing time with a child. The benefits to a child over time become obvious as the viewers see the four and five year olds on the verge of reading simply because they were read to from an early age. Hopefully this will be a further reward to parents if this is pointed out to them, in addition to the bond that is developed with their children over books.
I would like to thank all the reviewers who took the time to view the videos and make their suggestions, which complement the video content. I will be using much of this information and have already begun modifying books for children with augmentative communication needs.
Review #2
About the reviewer:
The reviewer has been professionally involved in minority education
for over 25 years. She has a doctorate in bilingual and special education
with background in early childhood. She directs a bilingual preschool
for Hispanic children with disabilities. Her areas of expertise include
bilingual special education, assessment, and parent involvement.
Audience:
The developer indicates that the videotapes are to be used by parents and early childhood educators. They reflect the use of books by children from all cultural and linguistic groups.
This reviewer feels that parents are the most appropriate consumers of these materials. Most early childhood educators would have the information included in the videotapes. The information is simple and direct. It is valuable in getting parents to understand the developmental stages of children's use of books. Parents will get to see the breakdown of responses at the various age levels from 0-5 years of age.
Strengths of the Material:
The videos include Hispanic mothers and fathers in the Spanish version. This allows for Hispanic parents to see themselves reflected in the content. The language in the tapes is understandable and simple. Important information is highlighted at the beginning of each age group segment. The format that the information is presented in is very user friendly. The developer of the materials has made a conscious effort to include mothers and fathers with a diverse style of interacting and reading to their children. The Spanish version is not a direct translation of the English version, but it rather takes on its own form. This form is culturally and linguistically appropriate.
Limitations of the Material:
While the developer of the material feels that it might be useful for personnel preparation, this reviewer feels that the information presented does not have enough substance to be used for that purpose. The videos present basic information on the child's progression in the use of books.
The translation often includes a less formal Spanish with certain colloquialisms. The introductory remarks by the narrator before each segment are stilted and contain some minor errors.
Adaptations:
If this video is to be used for personnel preparation, additional information on literacy development should be provided. The videotape can act as a stimulus for discussion on certain aspects of literacy and literacy development.
Generalizability:
This material would be very useful with Hispanic parents in New Mexico. The language is appropriate, and the interaction style is appropriate for parents within this area of the Southwest. Some of the language might have to be changed if it were to be used with other Hispanic parents in the United States.
Recommendations:
Recommended.
Producer's Response:
The feedback given for the Early Book Stages and Creciendo Con Libros videos is greatly appreciated. I am pleased with the general evaluations. In particular, I appreciate the extensions and related sources and ideas given, which would complement the content of the videos.
The videos were developed with simplicity in mind for parents to be able to clearly see that even with books, there are definite developmental stages children go through. Reading to children is the theme, though I took particular note of comments made about elaborating on print awareness in the environment. I would strongly encourage my videos be used as a piece of a literacy program, not as a total program for early literacy. It was meant to be a stepping stone for more extensive or in-depth conversations about literacy in general. The videos were developed to show parents visually, in a simple format, how reading to a child is an "interactive" as well as a nurturing time with a child. The benefits to a child over time become obvious as the viewers see the four and five year olds on the verge of reading simply because they were read to from an early age. Hopefully this will be a further reward to parents if this is pointed out to them, in addition to the bond that is developed with their children over books.
I would like to thank all the reviewers who took the time to view the videos and make their suggestions, which complement the video content. I will be using much of this information and have already begun modifying books for children with augmentative communication needs.
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