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Hispanic Heritage

Children's Day

Children's Day
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 4 to 6
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   5.14

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    literacy, generation, meeting, verse, author, celebration, stirring, ability, convince, importance, palms, present, future, honor, include, important
     content words:    World Conference, Many Mexican, Pat Mora, On April, El Dia, Los Ninos/El Dia, Los Libros, New Mexico, Sante Fe, Los Ninos

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Children's Day
By Jane Runyon 		  
1     It all started in 1925. A meeting was held in Geneva, Switzerland. It was called the World Conference for the Well-being of Children. It was decided at that conference that a day should be set aside each year to celebrate children. The people at this meeting wanted the people of the world to stop and think about the children of the world. It was their hope that by taking the time to think about the children, they would take better care of their children. After all, children are a country's hope for the future.
 
2     Each country chose a different day to celebrate Children's Day. Most of Mexico chose April 30. The Children's Day celebrations include parties, games, lots of food, and songs. One of the songs that might be sung was also a game. Many Mexican children enjoy a chocolate drink with their breakfast. They stir it with a molinillo. The molinillo is rolled between the palms of their hands. The children sing about stirring their chocolate. They rub their hands together as if they are stirring their chocolate. Each time the verse is sung, it gets a little faster.

          Bate, bate, chocolate,
Tu nariz de cacahuate.
Uno, dos, tres, CHO!
Uno, dos, tres, CO!
Uno, dos, tres, LA!
Uno, dos, tres, TE!
Chocolate, chocolate!
Bate, bate, chocolate!
Bate, bate, bate, bate,
Bate, bate, CHOCOLATE!		          Stir, stir, chocolate,
Your nose is a peanut.
One, two, three, CHO!
One, two, three, CO!
One, two, three, LA!
One, two, three, TE!
Chocolate, chocolate!
Stir, stir, chocolate!
Stir, stir, stir, stir,
Stir, stir, CHOCOATE!

 
3     In 1996, an author of children's books first heard about the Mexican Children's Day traditions. Her name is Pat Mora. She is from Texas and writes children's books. She began to see how learning to read and the celebration of children were meant to be joined together. She realized just how important literacy, or the ability to read, is to the future of all children.

Paragraphs 4 to 6:
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