Keys to Exploring Latino Cultures: Folktales for Children

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Abstract
With “Keys to Exploring Latino Cultures: Folktales for Children,” Professor Perez-Stable gives readers a sample of the rich Hispanic folktales currently available for children. The folktales come in colorfully illustrated picture books, making them all the more enjoyable to read. Although the largest group of folktales falls into the category of creation and religious stories, all can be integrated into the social studies curriculum in one fashion or another. As delightful as these folktales, legends, fables, and myths may be, however, a real possibility of misusing this valuable resource exists. Too often the ambiguity of the subject area results in a hodgepodge of curriculum “odds and ends,” with social studies becoming whatever one wants it to be. Folktales should enhance but not replace or interrupt a social studies program. Indeed, the potential for reinforcing Hispanic stereotypes is strong if the folktales are not understood within an appropriate historical, geographical, and social context. Perez-Stable concedes that a folktale offers only a glimpse of a culture's world view, and she encourages teachers to provide their students with background information about the geographical and historical settings of the folktale. The concern is that the tale will become the focal point of instruction without appropriate social science skills, concepts, or generalizations to balance the content of instruction. The “tale,” that is, should not wag the dog, for literature plays a critical role within the social studies, but the issue of content balance continues to be of concern, particularly at the elementary level. The Curriculum Standards for Social Studies developed by the National Council for the Social Studies, for example, include culture as one often themes within an organizational framework. Accordingly, the study of culture prepares students to answer questions such as, What are the common characteristics of different cultures? How do belief systems, such as religion or political ideals, influence other parts of the culture? How does the culture change to accommodate different ideas and beliefs? and What does language tell us about the culture? Although the folktale can play an important role in teaching about the culture arena, the elementary teacher must balance that with the nine other interrelated themes essential to the social studies. The following article reviews a frequently requested type of literary material in terms of Latino representation, and it should prove to be a welcome resource for classroom teachers.

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