Yvonne Valdez Brings the World to Harlandale Elementary Students through Reading

Yvonne Valdez believes reading is the key to success for her students. Visiting her Morrill Elementary classroom and hearing the students' sophisticated vocabulary makes it hard to believe that these students were struggling readers at the beginning of the school year.

In class discussion, the students talk about "genre" and "personification." They explain "cause and effect" and figure out what motivates their readers by the words the author uses. Ms. Valdez helps them look for context clues to figure out meanings of words they don't know. Then she helps them use the words in their own writing.

She realizes that many of her students won't travel the world, so she focuses on books that include culture and information about far-away places. Her students have found "traveling" through books an exciting trip. They can experience the world through books.

Learn to read, learn to write, learn to think, she says. These skills will help the students later in life to express themselves in interviews and even help them read important signs to be aware of danger. Her goal is to help her young students understand that they can achieve success and go where they want in life if they're willing to work hard. Wherever they want to go or whatever level of success they choose is fine, she explains, but "it's important to be the best at whatever you do."