Migrant families

The use of literature in the classroom provides a window of opportunities for teachers to talk about topics that students in the classroom may identify with. Like Kiefer and Tyson (2014) have mentioned, selecting a good book that incorporates characters or themes about certain topics, is a great way for teachers to encourage discussion about these topics. One topic that I think may be of interest for teachers to address is the lives of migrants. An excellent children’s picture book that depicts this is Amelia’s Road, written by Linda Jacobs Altman. This is a story about a young girl named Amelia, whose family is constantly moving because they are farm migrants. They move when the harvest moves, meaning that they aren’t in a permanent place for long.

All that Amelia wants is a permanent house to call her own, which leads to her hatred of roads because when their family is on one, or even mentions roads, it usually means that they have to move. One day after school, she finds an accidental road leading to a tall, sturdy tree. She claims this tree as her own and admires it because of how permanent it is. When the day comes for her family to move again, she digs a hole next to the tree, and places a box with some of her favorite things into it. She then tells the tree that she will be back and leaves happily knowing that the tree will always be there.

I believe that this book offers plenty of discussion questions about the lives of migrant workers. It can teach students to value what they have and to acknowledge the fact that sometimes other children aren’t as fortunate when it comes to having a permanent home. It also touches on the topic of poverty as Amelia’s family has very little money.

For educators, I think that this book explains the real life situation for some of our own students, which may explain why some of the parents of these children aren’t as easily accessible to talk to, because they are busy. Overall, I think that this book highlights some of the struggles that these children face, and should encourage educators to make sure they are given assistance when needed. 

This book can be easily fit with Common Core Standards for ELA Reading for second graders such as: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.2 Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral. Or CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3 Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

A great organization for teachers to find resources geared to English Language learners and their families is ColorinColorado.org, which I recommend highly to teachers who may have ELLs in the classroom. There are great book recommendations that address diversity and culture as well as teaching resources for the teacher.

Kiefer, B. Z. & Tyson, C. A. (2014). Charlotte Huck's Children's Literature A Brief Guide (2nd ed.). New York City, New York: McGraw-Hill. 

Altman, L. J. (1993). Amelia’s Road.  New York: Lee & Low Books.