“Spanish Literacy Bags Continue Student Engagement in the Community”

Angelique Dwyer’s Spanish 280 course: Introduction to Literature and Film in Spanish, partnered with the St. Peter Public Library. As part of this class, students made Spanish Literacy Bags for both Spanish and English speaking children. These themed bags include various exciting materials that engage children while improving their Spanish literacy skills. The multi-level bags will be available this summer and placed in the children’s area, which is complete with books and educational manipulatives. Families may check out the literacy bags just as they would books. Literacy bags in English have been previously utilized and viewed as a success. Recognizing the high number of Spanish-speaking families in Saint Peter, the library faculty in conjunction with the Creative Play Place board approached Dwyer in order to discuss the addition of Spanish Literacy Bags. This seemed like an excellent way for Spanish speaking parents to receive materials to foster their children’s love of reading, as well as for English speaking parents who are interested in their children acquiring a second language. This presented an opportunity for the Spanish 280 students to use their language abilities and creativity to reach out to their own community and invest in making literacy bags based on fun themes, one example being a “Tooth Fairy vs. el Ratón Pérez” bag. The library is excited to implement the bags and will keep in touch with Dwyer and her students to communicate their use. Because of this, and several other successful community-based learning projects that Spanish faculty are implementing in their courses, the section has continued to implement engagement as central to Spanish courses at Gustavus.