CREATOR: ESTELLE MENDOZA LEISY - 1985 to present
Publisher of LEISY’S PAN AMERICAN ABCs
PHONICS FOR LATINOS - ABCs IN COMMON
- Hunter College, NYC: BA in Sociology/Psychology 1948
- Columbia University, NYC: MA Sociology 1950
- UCLA, Education 1965
- 30 years teaching with the Los Angeles Unified School District, primary grades
- Creator/1985-present, Publisher of Phonics for Latinos - ABCs in Commo
- Presenter at numerous Reading/Teacher conferences including
California Association of Bilingual Educators (1985-2008)
- Presented in Sacramento at the California State Conference on Adopting New Textbooks
Prompted by a chance remark of a kindergartner in Ms. Leisy's ESL pull out class years ago: "My teacher says 'manzana' starts with an 'A. '" Leisy knew that this kindergartner already knew his letter sounds, but that he had gotten his home language confused with the one used in the classroom. Leisy knew there was a solution to this problem and that solution eventually became PHONICS FOR LATINOS - ABCs IN COMMON.
"Bilingual Kindergarten Strategy: Oral English/Spanish Self-Voice”
by Estelle Mendoza Leisy
"Bilingual HISPANIC kindergartners do not automatically read pictures silently in their second language -- English. Visual ABC sound clues, such as, 'A is for APPLE' may likewise be perceived as 'A is for manzana' part of the time.
Alternative PAN-AMERICAN images have space for a Spanish self-voice. 'B is for BICYCLE' can also be 'read' by LATINOS as 'B is for bicicleta' without losing the initial sound message.
Learning familiar Spanish/English letter sounds becomes overly complex, if bilingual HISPANICS are only exposed to traditional sound clues -- ones with conflicting beginning sounds - BEAR (oso), BUTTERFLY (mariposa), etc. There is an ABC fast track option available to HISPANICS, which other ESL students do not enjoy.
In addition, the English ONLY caution required by traditional sound clues is so difficult for bilingual five year olds that a simplified FORGET SPANISH message is sometimes perceived, carrying another set of perils."
PAN-AM COMPONENTS: Posters, flashcards, workbooks, and games |
