South Florida is home to countless Spanish-speaking families. This month, we urge the community to join us as we raise awareness on the important issue of dual language development during the first Read Conmigo Bilingual Literacy Month.
In 2011, as part of our community outreach, we realized that many Spanish-speaking families are struggling to develop both English- and Spanish-language skills in the home. Some Hispanic families are hesitant to read to their children in English, because of the language barrier.
In response, we launched the Read Conmigo bilingual literacy campaign so parents and children can develop language skills together.
Since its inception, Read Conmigo has distributed more than 750,000 bilingual storybooks to families with the support of almost 10,000 educators.
Bilingual literacy is crucial in educational development, which leads to a highly skilled workforce. We urge the community to push for these initiatives in their homes and schools.
James Gober, chairman and CEO, Infinity Property and Casualty Corp., Coral Gables