The Inner World of the Immigrant Child

by Cristina Igoa

This powerful book tells the story of one teacher's odyssey to understand the inner world of immigrant children, and to create a learning environment that is responsive to these students' feelings and their needs. Featuring the voices and artwork of many immigrant children, this text portrays the immigrant experience of uprooting, culture shock, and adjustment to a new world, and then describes cultural, academic, and psychological interventions that facilitate learning as immigrant students make the transition to a new language and culture.

Particularly relevant for courses dealing with multicultural and bilingual education, foundations of education, and literacy curriculum and instruction, this text is essential reading for all teachers who will -- or currently do -- work in today's school environment.

Genres: Education, Teaching, Nonfiction

299 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Niko · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for anyone teaching in a multicultural classroom.

[Nicole Cesarini · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an Undergrad student studying Early Childhood Education, I completed a course called Teaching English Learners. During the course, we were asked to read Dr. Cristina Igoa's book "The Inner World of the Immigrant Child" and I am so glad we did! In her book, Dr. Igoa shares a compilation of research and understandings that she gathered throughout her career as a teacher and student. She has spent much of her adult life learning from and working with immigrant children to empower them socially and academically. Once a child immigrant herself, she reflects on her own personal experiences as a way to connect and better understand her immigrant students' feelings. Exploding with information and powerful insights, Cristina Igoa takes us on an interactive journey through the hearts and minds of immigrant children in this book. It is a story that reveals growth, of immigrant children as try to integrate their two worlds and of a teacher, who is constantly learning from her students and adapting to meet their needs.

Although anyone can benefit from all this book has to offer, it is especially useful for teachers to use as a guide to not only understand, but to appreciate the backgrounds and needs of their ELL and immigrant students in their classroom. The inclusion of the dialogue between Dr. Cristina Igoa and her immigrant students adds to the value of the book as they offer their own messages to the teachers about how they could help them. Realizing the effects and influences we can have on children as teachers is inspiring but essential in. Other immigrant children can relate to the experiences and feelings shared by the children in the book as well while offering them a sense of support and comfort they might need.

This is definitely a book that I will keep and plan to use again in the future!

[Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to see the world through my students' eyes.

[Nicholas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book describes Igoa's work with newcomer students. She describes how she created a nurturing environment for them to heal emotionally, to share who they are in order to acculturate and learn academically. She describes various techniques she uses to do this.

[Shelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Important read for any ELL/ENL teachers. Learned a lot and enjoyed it too. God bless

[McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for a class... Interesting read!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christina Igoa writes about her struggles as an immigrant child and how she applies her theories to practice with her sheltered ESL classes in two different schools. She provides work samples from her students to provide a deeper understanding of the immigrant child and shows how her practices prove to be successful. This book is a great read for any teacher whether you are ESL certified or not. In today’s classrooms there are more and more English Language Learners coming into the regular classroom. I believe this book can help regular education teachers, like myself, to better prepare you on how to actually help the student. I truly enjoyed reading about the experiences of all her students and how she applies her theories in her classroom. She makes it easy and possible for any classroom. Overall a great read for all teachers in early childhood and elementary!

[Sara Best · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book a number of years ago by my principal when I was the Sheltered English instruction science teacher. Of course in the time squeeze of teaching I never got around to reading it. Now that I am about to teach Understanding Cultural Diversity in Education in the teacher ed program - I figured I better read it! It was very worth while and will be a significant source for my course. I found the case studies particularly helpful as was the example of applying research in the classroom as a tool in curriculum development.

[Lindsey Kizer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cristina Igoa did a great job at helping me realize the importance of putting myself in the ESL childrens shoes. Igoa also made me realize how important the environment plays in their learning development. She also talked about using strategies such as home visits, peer collaboration, and the teacher as a research. This book was well written and I suggest that all teachers that teach ESL students to read this.

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book for those who educate immigrants. We truly can't even begin to understand the things they are going though. Great study and great examples! With lots of pictures! A bit repetitive at times but really drives the point home!

[Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never would have read this book if it hadn't been for class. But like many teaching books, I find it incredibly difficult to actually take anything useful from it.

[Nikol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating! I have to admit, the books I had to read for my class this summer were awesome and not boring at all!! :) So many things to learn!!