Grant aids Spanish-speaking parents, kids

WEST VALLEY — Language barriers, poverty, a parent's educational level — all affect how well children do in school.

But Granite School District has received a $600,000 grant to break through those barriers.

It is one of five school systems nationwide given seed money under the Toyota Family Literacy Program grant this school year. The program brings Spanish-speaking parents into schools to learn right alongside their children.

"I know how very important education is for me and my family," said Cecilia Samaniego, who is participating in the program at Monroe Elementary with her kindergartner. "It teaches us how to help our children in school and at home."

The idea is to create a better future for kids and communities. "The family literacy approach breaks down barriers to success," Granite Superintendent Stephen Ronnenkamp said. "By helping parents be the first teachers of their children, we as educators can do a much better job in the classroom."

The comments came Thursday at a program unveiling at Monroe, an event that included legislators, Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon and executives from Toyota and the National Center for Family Literacy, which partners with the auto maker for the program. The program also runs at Granite District's James E. Moss and Woodrow Wilson Elementary.

The Toyota Family Literacy Program has served English language learners in 20 communities and 60 elementary schools in cities including Chicago, New York, Denver and Detroit for the past four years.

This year, the program selected Granite District and school systems in Miami, Seattle, Oakland and Mesa, Ariz., to receive grants; 230 applied.

The program aims to address community need. About half of Granite District students qualify for free- or reduced-price school lunch. More than 18,000 of its 68,000 students speak English as a second language — a population growing more than three times faster than the native English-speaking population.

Monroe's program has been running since October, English as a second language teacher Janice Harmon said. Twelve parents of kindergartners through third-graders participate.

Parents come to class with youngsters in the morning, observe what the children are learning and how the teachers teach. There, they encourage and read with their children. Later, parents separately learn English as a second language and how to help children learn at home. The school offers day-care services at the same time.

"I think the children are improving because parents are being taught the need to sit down with your children at home, side by side ... and help them do their homework," Harmon said. "I think that is the biggest educational benefit."

As Samaniego puts it: "It's important for our children to see we are interested in their education."

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E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com