PARENTS LEARN TO HELP KIDS ENGLISH LITERACY PROGRAM A BOON FOR AREA FAMILIES.

Byline: CONNIE LLANOS  Staff Writer

NEWHALL -- With two children in tow, Rosalinda Lopez made her treacherous journey out of Oaxaca, Mexico, and settled in Newhall.

Lopez, not so far from being a child herself, moved to an unfamiliar place where people spoke a language she didn't understand.

Now, almost two years later, she is empowered.

She can communicate in English, even if modestly, she can read books to her children, 4 and 9, and she is confident about her family's future.

``If you know how to speak English, you can build relationships with all kinds of people,'' Lopez said. ``If you don't, you just remain in a corner.''

She credits the Even Start Family Literacy Program that started seven years ago at Newhall Elementary School for helping her family and hundreds of others learn English in their adopted land.

As the oldest school in the Santa Clarita Valley, Newhall Elementary serves a significant low-income immigrant population and has chosen to address the issue of literacy with a different approach.

It takes a household approach at improving education.

``Our mission is to break the chain of poverty,'' said Even Start teacher Edith Gomez, who along with Soledad Kline works with moms, dads and tots to build the foundation of reading and communication in these families.

The program, which includes bimonthly teacher home visits, is designed with a four-pronged approach that targets literacy in parents, parenting courses, enriched childhood education and parent-and-child interaction. Qualifying families must be low-income, and have at least one child younger than 5.

The program receives its funding from William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program grants and the State Department of Public Education, which this week awarded Newhall a $172,500 grant that can be renewed for the next four years.

Federal funding cuts have threatened programs like Even Start. Newhall received $20,000 less than it did last year.

Parents learn English and other subjects such as math, which is generally taught differently in the United States than in other countries.

And there are classes for parents -- most of them from Mexico and Central America -- that teach basic skills such as nutrition, active play for kids and the importance of reading with children.

Kline stresses the importance of cultural sensitivity to the predominantly female class.

``We want them to take the best of both cultures,'' Kline said. ``They are learning English, and then they can integrate themselves into the culture along with their children.''

As the parents learn their ABC's, their pre-schoolers, infants and toddlers are right next door. Within the yellow, red and blue walls of the children's room, miniature princess dresses and firefighter uniforms hang for for dress-up games. Animal puppets dress a coat rack, and alphabet posters wrap around the wall near the ceiling.

``We read books to the kids, have them engage in active play and we sing songs in English and Spanish,'' Kline said.

Four-year-old Mestly Galicia proudly asked her teacher for a sticker to place on her recently finished art project.

``I like preschool,'' the raven-haired little girl said.

Pressure on schools to improve student performance mounts as more and more children enroll who are learning to speak and read English. Studies show that these programs give youngsters an edge when they move onto preschool and kindergarten.

For Susana Sosa, the Even Start program has been life-changing.

The 27-year-old mother of three watched as her rambunctious 4-year-old, Moises, learned to love books.

``He does not forget his nightly bed-time story,'' Sosa said.

Sosa, who used to work the drive-through window at a local fast-food restaurant, is determined to continue her education. She can't wait to graduate from Even Start and move on to College of the Canyons.

It pains the young mother that her first child didn't reap the rewards of Sosa's new education.

``I couldn't help her with her homework, so I would just not pay any attention to what she was doing. But now, I can see how proud my daughter is when she brings me an assignment and she knows her mother can actually help her.''

Sosa says she plans to join the school's PTA when she gets a little better command of the language.

``I want to know what the school is doing with their funds, and what teachers are teaching my children, just like any other mom.''

Newhall Principal Timothy Lankford said he sees positive results.

``I just visited the program yesterday and there is a definite increase in enrollment,'' Lankford said. ``They have two rooms available right now, but I am probably going to have to increase it to three rooms.

``By helping parents become more literate, they are more concerned with their own education and more concerned about their child's.''

The only drawback is that funding is never guaranteed.

``It's hard to prove to Sacramento that a place like Santa Clarita has a need for a family literacy program for low-income families,'' said Alisia Miller, Even Start co-director.

Local schools perform among the top 10 percent in the state, but there are schools that need special boosts, Miller said.

Just a few years ago, Newhall Elementary was struggling with dwindling test scores.

Sulma Gurrola, Even Start co-coordinator and first-grade teacher, credits the program with improving performance by educating parents.

``Some of these parents have no idea what their role in their child's education is, and we are trying to teach them that.''

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Soledad Kline works with Hispanic parents of children who attend Newhall Elementary School. The popular program helps the adults learn English and math so they can help their children with their homework and participate fully in their education.

(2) Hispanic parents of children at Newhall Elementary School study an English lesson. The program helps adults learn English.

David Crane/Staff Photographer