The Roles of Parents in Community Korean–English Bilingual Family Literacy

Abstract

The Korean parents were valuable resources and played important roles as facilitators and participants at the Family Storytime. Ms. Gang: 소영아 너 너무 잘했다 이쁘게. 저것도 잘했네. 이거 누구꺼야? [Soyoung, you did very well making it pretty. That one is good, too. Whose drawing is this?] Erin: [It's] Rachel's, Rachel's. Ms. Gang: 레이첼꺼네. 반짝반짝 빛나네. 진희도 잘하구, 미선이도 잘하구. 떡꼬치 예술이야. [I see it's Rachel's. The drawing is shining. Jinhee did well, too. Misun also did well. Rice cake on a stick is an art.] T he children, pre-K to fifth graders, drew their food trucks after reading Chef Roy Choi and the Street Food Remix by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and June Jo Lee (2017) at the Family Storytime, a community Korean-English bilingual family literacy program. Ms. Gang, one of the parent participants, called individual children's names and said, "The children drew their food trucks very well." She added that Misun's rice cake drawing was an art. Ms. Gang knew how to compliment children in ways that made them feel confident and good about themselves. Like Ms. Gang, Korean parents at the Family Storytime were important and irreplaceable members.