K-State partners with Manhattan Public Library for bilingual story time
Books, for many, are a door to endless possibilities. Within their pages lie portals to new worlds, time-traveling tools and infinite sources of imagination. Harnessing the power of stories, faculty and graduate students from K-State’s Department of Modern Languages partnered with the Manhattan Public Library to bring fun bilingual learning opportunities to children.
¡Cuenta cuentos/Tell Tales!, a bilingual story time for kids ages 3-8, featured award-winning Spanish and bilingual books, craft making and other activities. Through K-State’s Chapman Center for Rural Studies, the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation and the Scholastic Corporation, attendees were also given free books.
Claudia Nazario, teaching assistant professor of Spanish in the College of Arts and Sciences, said she started the program to fill an important need in the community.
“While reaching out to Spanish speakers and Latinos in our community, I learned that this demographic lacked a place, events and services dedicated to Latino cultures and peoples,” she said. “Many community members of diverse backgrounds are interested in cultural and linguistic diversity in Manhattan, so I hope that in a tiny way ¡Cuenta cuentos/Tell Tales! has begun to fill those voids.”
While Manhattan youth were able to grow from the language learning programming, K-State Spanish students also benefited, gaining hands-on experience by assisting with events and leading story time readings.
“I love making Spanish accessible and enjoyable for kids and watching them connect with the language and each other,” said Camila Robles Carera, graduate student in the Teaching English as a Foreign Language program.
Each book in the story time series was thoughtfully chosen by Nazario, with the goal to encourage curiosity surrounding culture and language. They explored themes like family dynamics in different cultures and how heartwarming traditions, with a little understanding, can cross language barriers.
“¡Cuenta cuentos! has been a beautiful way to bridge language and culture,” said Carera. “The way everyone came together is inspiring. It’s an incredible community, full of warmth, support and so much fun.”
Written By: Abbigail Marshall
