Hispanic Students

1
Hispanic Students

• By
• Brittany Gumn
• October 2007

2
Introduction

• Hispanics and Spanish speaking immigrants
  have the most rapidly growing language spoken in
  the United States today. This issue is sometimes
  challenging for teachers because often
  accommodations must be made to ensure success and
  student retention. Teachers need to have an
  understanding for Hispanic students and their
  culture in order to provide a productive and
  comfortable learning environment.

3
Overview

• This presentation will provide statistics on
  Hispanic demographics and drop out rates along
  with ways to accommodate Hispanic students in the
  classroom. As accommodations are being made,
  there are many factors that need to be taken into
  consideration such as
• Know your students
• Cultural differences and values
• Language barriers
• Reasons for teachers to learn Spanish
• Programs that may be offered to students
• Ways to create a comfortable learning environment
  
• How to create a multicultural classroom

4
Hispanic Demographics In The United States

• In the Census 2000, 35.3 million or 12.5 of the
  U.S. population were of Hispanic origin.
• Hispanics are the fastest growing race in the
  U.S.
• By 2015, 1 in 5 teens will be Hispanic.
• In 2000, 7 states in the U.S. had one million or
  more Hispanic residents. These states include
  California, Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois,
  Arizona, and New Jersey.

5
Hispanic Dropout Rates

• Hispanic students drop out of high school at
  higher rates than both blacks and whites.
• 30 of overall Hispanic students fail to complete
  high school.
• Hispanics born outside the U.S. are more likely
  to dropout of school than first generation
  Hispanic youth.
• ½ of Hispanic immigrants never enroll in U.S.
  schools.

6
Factors Contributing to Dropout Rates

• Poverty
• Teen pregnancy
• Lack of parental involvement
• High absenteeism
• Limited English proficiency
• Misbehavior
• Inadequate responses from school
• Family
• English is not the primary language

7
Know Your Students

• Ask students about themselves and their
  families. This lets them know you care about
  them and who they are.
• Questions that may be asked to get a better
  understanding of Hispanic students.
• Are they immigrants?
• What primary language is spoken in the home?
• What was their prior educational experience like?
• What is their culture like?
• What makes their culture special and unique?

8
Cultural Differences And Values

• The culture of Hispanic students emphasizes their
  loyalty to family while American society promotes
  individualism. Hispanic children may not be the
  center of attention in their family because the
  family unit comes first. American families
  differ because most families cater to the needs
  of their children.
• In American culture, competition is encouraged
  but in the Hispanic culture group cooperation is
  encouraged.
• Misunderstandings between the teacher and
  families may develop due to misinterpretations of
  cultural differences and values.

9
Language Barriers

• Language barriers may be frustrating and can
  create complications for the teacher and student
  both as lessons are being prepared and taught.
  The easiest way of communication is for one or
  both parties to learn a new language. However,
  it is often difficult to overcome this lack of
  communication.

10
Reasons For Teachers To Learn Spanish

• Spanish is spoken by approximately 377,600,00
  people all over the world.
• The U.S. is the third largest Spanish speaking
  country in the world.
• Learning a new language increases problem solving
  skills and improves memory.
• There are a diverse group of students that are
  limited English proficient. Spanish speaking
  students form the largest group.
• Learning a new language promotes cultural
  understanding.
• To develop a better understanding of English.
• Programs that are offered to Hispanic students
  often involve both Spanish and English, teachers
  that speak Spanish will have a less difficult
  time implementing and assisting in these
  programs.
• To communicate easier with Spanish speaking
  students.
• To avoid language barriers.

11
Several Programs That May Be Offered To Hispanic
Students

• Bilingual Education
• There are two types of bilingual education
  programs
• Subtractive Bilingualism -English is
  introduced to replace the native language.
• Additive Bilingualism-English is introduced
  but does not replace the native language.
• There are two programs that cannot be considered
  as bilingual education which are
• Submersion
• Structured English Immersion

12
Several Programs That May Be Offered To Hispanic
Students (Continued)

• Structured English Immersion (SEI)
• The goal of this program is to teach the
  skills necessary for students to be
  proficient enough in English to succeed in
  mainstream classrooms
• Transitional Bilingual Program (TBE)
• This program maintains skills in Spanish while
  introducing and developing new skills in
  English.
• Dual Language Programs
• Instructions in this program are given in both
  English and Spanish to develop proficiency in
  both.

13
Ways To Create A Comfortable Learning Environment

• Photographs and flashcards may be used to teach
  English
• Modified instructions and tests may be given
• Allow lengthened response time to questions
• Label items in the classroom in both English and
  Spanish
• Create a multicultural classroom
• Speak slowly and clearly

• Be aware of cultural differences
• Value all students equally
• Promote students to value differences
• Encourage inter-group work
• Correct but dont criticize your students
• Assign classroom duties to make all students feel
  part of the group
• Use hands on activities

14
How To Create A Multicultural Classroom

• Use visual aids that represent children and
  community leaders from various cultures and
  ethnic backgrounds.
• Incorporate multicultural centers into the
  classroom.
• Allow lesson plans to be adapted to incorporate
  multicultural literature and activities.
• Teach students about various cultures, ethnic
  groups, and demographics different from their
  own.
• Have community leaders speak to the class that
  come from diverse backgrounds.
• Embrace differences.

15
Summary

• In conclusion, Hispanic students can easily be
  successful in the classroom when teachers are
  prepared, educated, willing to work with their
  students and provide an environment that
  encourages learning. Hispanic students do not
  lack intelligence and have potential to be as
  productive as any other child that may be in the
  classroom. The key to educational success for
  Hispanic students is awareness. Teachers must be
  aware of background information that may hinder
  learning in order to find ways to help students
  succeed.

16
References

• http//sitemaker.umich.edu
• This site is easy to navigate through and is very
  informative. There is a lot of information that
  can be found at this site such as Latinos in the
  classroom and opinions of Hispanics in the U.S.
  and can be recommended to anyone.
• http//cds.aas.duke.edu/ltp/spanishalphabet.html
• The article I read from this site was Creating A
  Spanish Alphabet. This site is useful to read
  about creative projects that are currently being
  used. Anyone can use this site.
• http//nces.ed.gov/pubs2002/droppub_2001/8.asp?nav
  1
• This site is very useful for finding statistics
  and facts. I would recommend this site to
  teachers.