Alma Flor Ada

Alma Flor Ada

An award-winning author of more than 200 books for children. She is also an educator, poet, storyteller, mother, and grandmother.

" My Name is Maria Isabel "

After 35 reprints My Name is María Isabel, published in 1993, has become a children's classic. Alma shares some insights about the messages contained in her book including: the significance of one's language and culture, the power of being bilingual, and the importance of recognizing and respecting the uniqueness of each child.

Creative Reading Method

Overall Message

"If we really want to educate young people, not just teach them, we need to ask ourselves, what is the purpose of education, if not for justice? What is the purpose of education, if not for inclusion? What is the purpose of education, if not for peace? Although peace has not been a constant in human history, it can be our constant goal. We need to believe that it is indeed a possible and a realistic goal."

What is it? Alma's 4 step approach to teaching and learning

What age can this method be applied to? Any

What curriculum is it effective for? Any content area!

3. Critical Analysis Phase

1. Descriptive Phase

Getting to Know Alma Flor Ada

4. Creative Action Phase

• New content is shared by the teacher, text, media, ect. with the students
• This phase is the initial introduction to the content that is to be learned

2. Personal Interpretation Phase

• In this phase the students are encouraged to reflect critically, draw inferences, seek implications, and analyze
• Questions such as the following are asked here: Is the knowledge valid? For whom? Always? Why? Is it applicable for all cultures, classes, ethnicity? Is it gender free? Is any particular group absent? Ignored? Silenced?

• This is the action phase of learning
• The learning flows from the classroom to the real world of the students
• How can students take the knowledge they learned and use it to help the community?

• Questions are made about the new information to encourage reflection of the new knowledge ( ex: Have you ever experienced this?)
• The most important aspect of this phase is to link the information to the students' personal lives
• Considering previous knowledge on the subject introduced is also discussed

Alma Flor Ada has lived in Cuba, Spain, Peru, and the United States. Alma Flor Ada says that she writes to share some of the feelings she had as a child: "the joy, the excitement, the surprise." She says that seeing her books in the hands of a child is one of her greatest joys. She writes books in both Spanish and English.

Fascinated by Nature

Her Journey in Education

Alma Flor Ada grew up in Cuba in a big house with a big family and spent much of her time as a child fascinated by the surroundings of her backyard. She got lost marveling at natures' beauty: watching frogs and turtles in the river by her house, looking at flowers and trees. The memories of these things have remained very alive and have all found their ways into her books.

For many years, Ada followed her academic interests around the globe. In Spain she earned a degree in Hispanic Studies. In Peru she received a Ph.D. in Spanish Literature. After conducting post-doctoral research at Harvard University, Ada became a professor at the University of San Francisco, where she directed the Center for Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults. Over the years, Ada has been an influential leader in the field of bilingual education in the United States. Ada is still currently teaching at the University of San Francisco.

The Power of Words

Ada has had a lifelong love for stories. She was surrounded by excellent storytellers in her family. When referring to her grandmother she states "Her ability to tell stories made history alive to me and planted the seed that children can listen to very important topics if they are presented as a good story."