Students in Santa Maria Joint Union High School’s English 2 Intensive Class for English Learners received a literary treat when the author of a memoir they’ve been reading spoke to their classes on
March 22.
Author Reyna Grande, who wrote a memoir entitled The Distance Between Us, gave students a first-hand account of her experience as a young immigrant student from Iguala Guerrero.
Teachers from across the district have shared that their students have been “devouring” the book. Santa Maria High School English teacher Diane Cabrera said in a statement, “My students are greatly enjoying the memoir by Reyna Grande. I’ve had two reluctant readers volunteer to read aloud and continue to read outside of class—on their own.”
Maria Larios-Horton, director of Multilingual and Migrant Education Programs, added in the statement that “reluctant readers often find motivation to read when the content of their books reflect their experiences … which is the case with this memoir.”
Students have commented that they were able to relate to the book because their situation was similar, teachers said.
This article appears in Mar 31 – Apr 7, 2016.
