Trauma-Responsive Literacy: for Latinos and Newcomers in PreK-12 Classrooms

Trauma-Responsive Literacy is a book for teachers and school personnel who are seeking ways to improve the academic achievement of Latinos and Newcomers in PreK-12 classrooms. Almost 80% of Latino youth suffer childhood trauma; interfering with brain development which can negatively impact physical health, emotional health (anxiety, depression, aggression, substance use), and academic achievement in language, literacy, and math. This textbook is divided into two parts. Part One introduces the prevalence of childhood trauma and how it negatively impacts brain function; creating a barrier to expected behaviors and learning. Exploring history, narratives, and personal essays, each of the major traumas experienced by Latinos and Newcomers are examined – immigration, first generation, racism, loss, and violence. After a thorough examination of the five major traumas, the text outlines a whole-school approach of supporting and extending trauma-responsive practices in order to maximize student achievement. For each of the traumatic themes, the authors introduce the practice of storytelling or reading leveled books with students about a specific topic in a way that increases compassion, develops empathetic understanding, and enhances self-awareness. Part Two of the textbook includes lesson planners, detailed trauma-responsive activities, and worksheets for each book that can be used in preschool, elementary, middle, and high school classrooms. The lesson planners were designed to meet content, language and trauma-responsive goals. Both vocabulary and higher-order thinking questions are provided in each of the twenty books. Before-, during-, and after-reading activities are also provided.