With the help of her parents and her kindergarten teacher, Giuliana Tapia progressed from not knowing the alphabet when she began kindergarten to achieving membership in the “100 club” –meaning that she can read, say and spell one hundred words. Giuliana is a student Telesis Academy of Science and Math in West Covina.
Can a child who starts kindergarten with few reading or math skills catch up? #dyscalculia
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Parents play a major factor in the success their children experience.
Similar to other Mexican American children Giuliana had not experienced reading aloud at home and had not attended preschool. But once the school talked to the parents they become very active in promoting literacy experiences for their daughter. Giuliana’s mom had her keep a journal of words, read aloud to her every night, and incorporated quizzes about words into daily activities. Giuliana’s kindergartner teacher affirms that such parent involvement is the biggest factor in students’ success.
Author Quote
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Giuliana is not atypical of Latino children, who have the lowest rates of preschool attendance among all racial and ethnic groups. A 2015 UC Berkeley study of 4,550 children nationwide found that although Latino children showed roughly the same level of language comprehension as their white peers at 9 months old, four-fifths had fallen up to 5 months behind by the time they were 2.
"Key Takeaways:
1
Kindergarten children are often tested for deficits.
2
Minority children are at a disadvantage because of socioeconomic and societal issues.
3
Pre-school is a well-rounded precursor for kindergarten.
