Review by Choice Review
Perez describes the progression over 25 years of two dual-language bilingual programs in San Antonio, Texas--the lessons learned, the successes and failures, and "the maturation of the 'ways of knowing and thinking' about language minority education" that developed. Her qualitative study of classroom practices and the literacy development of participating students combine a sociocultural perspective with the critical pedagogy of Freire and the poststructural constructs of Bourdieu. Consequently, the volume is aimed at readers interested in the education of Mexican American children and their language, literacy, and education rights. Perez's story of the restructuring of these bilingual programs captures the sociopolitical climate, the involvement of parents, and the teaching and learning of classroom life. Teachers put into practice theories of language acquisition, and students develop biliteracy skills amid the pressures of testing and accountability. The later chapters detail the many challenges for sustaining the program studied and the policy issues related to the justification and implementation of bilingual education and especially two-way bilingual immersion programs. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. W. W. Brandon Rollins College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
