Child Aid - Building Brighter Futures

Guatemala is a country with 22 distinct languages. Some think that the Maya languages are closely related and that they share many of the same words. The reality is that there are more Spanish words in common than shared Maya words.

Carlos Pos Ben, a native Kakchiquel speaker, reads to a class in Spanish while the teacher translates into Tz’utujil

Child Aid works in regions where different Maya languages are spoken. In the Lake Atitlán region part of the villages speak Kakchiquel (Kaqchiquel), while another portion speak Tz’utujil, and another K’iche. In the rural areas the children learn their mother tongue at home and then begin to learn Spanish while they are in school. The first few years are hard for them, the teachers begin teaching everything in their home language, as they graduate to higher grades the teachers use more and more Spanish. By the fourth grade all classes are typically taught in Spanish. While they do well in school, it is still obvious that their first language is not Spanish in that their vocabulary is limited. Reading can make a difference. Through books the students are exposed to more words, and the words they hear are reinforced by words they read. Furthermore, they can take their time in understanding the context of how the words are used. One school director told me that students whose first language is not Spanish do not do as well in high school because their vocabulary is typically not well developed. However, she told me, that by reading more, they can do very well.

Guatemala’s multiple languages present both challenges and great opportunities for us. Our regional coordinator in the lake region, Carlos Pos Ben, speaks Kakquichel, while people in the community of Tzanchaj, which we’ve partnered with, speak Tz’ utujil. When Carlos is working with the teachers and students of the first three grades, he relies heavily on assistance from the teachers. Carlos and the local teacher read a story “tag-team” style. The teacher will interject with Tz’ utujil words when he realizes that the students won’t understand something. In this way, the students get further exposure to books, their mother language is reaffirmed, and the kids can enjoy the book instead of be frustrated by not understanding what is going on.

The teachers in the Tzanchaj school are grateful for Child Aid’s assistance. One teacher told me that it is difficult for him to read a story by himself and keep the attention of the kids because he tries to translate the whole book. He said Carlos’ assistance makes it easier for him and more fun for the kids.

Portland people, put Friday, June 19 on your calendars!

Portland rockers Pink Widower, Chores and the all new Tine will play a benefit show at The World Famous Kenton Club to help the community of Las Canoas, Guatemala. Local musician/youth development activist, Ivy Ross, organized the event, which promises to be four hours of loud and very danceable rock-and-roll!

Proceeds from the benefit, matched with training and support from Child Aid, will help Las Canoas reopen its library, hire and train a librarian, and start a reading program for nearly 600 elementary school children!

Even if a night of rock isn’t your cup of tea, please pass this along to anyone you think might be interested. It’s another great example of how communities here can make a huge and positive impact on communities that are less fortunate!

For more information, check out:
www.child-aid.org/building/lascanoas.

Have you ever tried to calm a bunch of kids who just ran into the classroom after recess? This teacher in Santo Domingo Xenacoj, Guatemala, has her 3rd grade students sing a song before they sit down to listen to a story, just to release any extra energy. In this song they are counting to ten in their native language, Kaqchikel, one of more than 20 Mayan languages spoken in Guatemala.

Esta pequeña historia está relacionada con el programa de animación a la lectura. La maestra Magali Castillo es la madre de alumna Andrea Hernández Castillo de 11 años de edad y quien estudia en la escuela cantonal de El Tejar, Chimaltenango, cursando el quinto grado. Hace algunos días tuve la oportunidad de platicar con ella en el colegio Melotto, pues ahí trabaja. Me contó  que su hija llegó a su casa muy contenta y animada, comentándole que sus mejores días en la escuela son los días que reciben lectura por parte de la biblioteca ya que es muy divertido como les leen y que disfrutan mucho. Unos de sus comentarios fue: “Así si me gusta leer, no quiero faltar por que no quiero perderme ni un cuento!”

Elba reading to a group of young students

[Elba es la bibliotecaria de niños en la Escuela Pedro Molina en Guatemala. A cientos de niños cada semana, ella les lleva la pasión de lectura con las programas de Child Aid in animación]

(This brief story is about Child Aid’s active reading program. The teacher Magali Castillo is the mother of the 11-year-old student, Andrea Hernández Castillo, who attends fifth grade at the school in El Tejar, Chimaltenango. A few days ago, I had the opportunity to speak with [Ms Castillo] at the Melotto school where she works. She told me that her daughter arrived home very happy and animated, and was telling her that her best days in school were the days that they were read to in the library, that the way they read was very fun and that they enjoyed it immensely. One of things she said was, “I like reading so much that I don’t want to miss a single day because I don’t want to miss even one story!”

[Elba is the librarian at Pedro Molina school’s children’s library in Guatemala. She brings the passion of reading to hundreds of children every week through Child Aid’s active reading programs])