2005 NCTE Annual Business Meeting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Background

In 1995 NCTE issued the Literacy Compact to support English language arts standards that meet society’s needs for the 21st century. The Literacy Compact calls for students, teachers, parents, administrators, and communities to work together to support children’s literacy. Furthermore, research demonstrates that students who participate in literacy activities at home have higher school achievement (Colker) and students who engage in acts of reading that are culturally and linguistically relevant are more successful readers (Pransky and Bailey 2002).

NCTE, libraries, school districts, and community organizations have developed many ways of fostering literacy for children of all ages, cultures, and linguistic backgrounds. Developed under the leadership of author Pat Mora, El día de los niños/El día de los libros focuses on providing children with books in many languages and making reading an integral part of their lives. El día de los niños/El día de los libros, celebrated on April 30, is supported by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), and REFORMA, an ALA affiliate that provides library and information services to Latinos and the Spanish-speaking community.

Resolution

In light of research demonstrating that students who participate in culturally and linguistically diverse literacy activities at home, in school, and in the community are more successful readers, be it resolved that the National Council of Teachers of English

• help raise public awareness of El día de los niños/El día de los libros, observed on April 30, to promote literacy for children of all ages, cultures, and linguistic backgrounds;
• collaborate with the American Library Association to support multilingual family literacy programs;
• reaffirm family literacy and the value of home languages as part of the English language arts curriculum; and
• promote multilingual programs that offer young people and their families a voice through positive representations of diverse cultures.

This position statement may be printed, copied, and disseminated without permission from NCTE.