OneCommunity Reads: A Model for Latino Parent-Community Engagement and Its Effect on Grade-Level Reading Proficiency

The importance of establishing effective literacy/reading skills at an early age, preschool to early elementary, is well known and accepted among educators. For students whose heritage language is not English, the influential factors of cultural relevance and parent/family involvement for the acquisition of these fundamental skills are underscored. OneCommunity (OC) Reads is a literacy program focused on enhancing Latino children’s reading proficiency in a culturally sensitive manner utilizing the funds of knowledge of parents/families and community. Using a community-based, participatory evaluation/research paradigm, the impact of OC Reads was examined using both quantitative and qualitative data. Findings indicated parents/families were affected positively, resulting in increased empowerment and involvement in the schools and the community. Themes derived from the qualitative data included (a) broad empowerment, (b) increased mutual understanding and respect, (c) shared responsibility, and (d) academic and reading improvement. Strengths were noted in the areas of culturally sensitive and helpful processes, and additional activities and enhancements. OC Reads’ success in enhancing literacy/reading proficiency with its nontraditional approach of empowering parents and building on the cultural realities of the students gives further credence to the literature regarding the success of such approaches.