By Ernesto R. Villarreal, Ed.D.
July 19, 2026
For generations, public education has been one of the most important institutions in democratic societies. Schools do much more than teach students to read, write, and solve equations. They prepare young people to think critically, evaluate evidence, participate in civic life, and contribute to their communities.
Today, that mission faces an important challenge.
Education writer Natalie Wexler recently argued that schools can no longer assume students are building the background knowledge they need outside the classroom. As recreational reading declines and digital media increasingly competes for students’ attention, schools have become one of the few places where children can systematically build the vocabulary, knowledge, and reading skills needed to understand complex ideas. If schools fail to provide that foundation, many students will struggle not only in school, but also as informed citizens who can participate thoughtfully in public life.
At Villarreal Educational Enterprises and Capacitando.org, we agree with this concern. We also believe there is another important piece to the conversation.
For many Latino, Hispano, Chicanx, Mestizo, and Indigenous students, the challenge is not only that they are reading less. Too often, they have not been given enough opportunities to learn through materials that reflect their own histories, cultures, languages, and contributions to society.
When students can connect with what they are reading, they are more likely to stay engaged, ask questions, and continue learning.
Knowledge Begins with Connection
Reading comprehension depends on background knowledge. Every new idea a student learns connects to something they already know.
Unfortunately, many students rarely see their families, neighborhoods, or cultural traditions represented in school materials. Reading can begin to feel like learning someone else’s story rather than discovering how their own story fits into the larger history of the world.
In Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire argued that meaningful education begins with learners’ lived experiences. Rather than treating students as empty vessels waiting to be filled with information, Freire believed education should invite students to become active participants in constructing knowledge. When students recognize themselves in what they are learning, education becomes more meaningful and empowering.
Representation by itself does not create strong readers.
But representation can spark curiosity. Curiosity encourages students to read more deeply, ask better questions, and build the knowledge that makes future reading easier and more enjoyable.
Belonging Helps Students Learn
Research also tells us something else that is equally important.
In Belonging in School, Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, Dominique Smith, Vincent Pompei, Stephanie Stewart, and their colleagues explain that students learn more when they feel they belong. Belonging is not simply about making students feel comfortable. It is about creating classrooms where students know they are respected, included, and capable of success.
Students who experience belonging are more likely to participate in discussions, tackle difficult reading assignments, work collaboratively, and persist when learning becomes challenging.
Academic excellence and cultural relevance are not opposites.
They strengthen one another.
When students see themselves reflected in high-quality educational materials, they are more willing to engage with rigorous academic content.
Supporting Readers Inside the Classroom
This philosophy also guided my own doctoral research.
In my 2024 dissertation, Increasing Inclusion in the Heterogeneous Secondary Social Science Classroom Through Existing Research-Based Strategies, I examined how teachers can strengthen students’ reading abilities without reducing academic expectations or sacrificing historical content.
Many educators today face the reality that students do little reading outside of school (other than text messages. If schools depend only on homework to improve literacy, many students will lag behind.
Instead, my research focused on helping students become stronger readers during class time. Through structured reading supports, vocabulary development, classroom discussion, collaborative learning, and carefully scaffolded historical texts, students can improve their reading while simultaneously developing a deeper understanding of history.
Students should never have to choose between learning to read and learning history.
They deserve both.
This approach closely aligns with Natalie Wexler’s argument that schools must become the primary place where students build the knowledge necessary for literacy, civic engagement, and lifelong learning.
Why Capacitando.org Exists
This belief is at the heart of everything we do at Capacitando.org.
Our goal is not simply to publish more articles.
Our goal is to create knowledge-rich resources that invite students, families, educators, and lifelong learners to explore the rich histories, cultures, languages, and the achievements of our communities while maintaining high academic standards.
Whether someone is learning about José Martí, Dolores Huerta, Ellen Ochoa, Roberto Clemente, Sonia Sotomayor, Lin-Manuel Miranda, or further developing the Spanish language itself to access the greats of Spanish Literature, we want every article to build knowledge, encourage curiosity, and inspire further learning and deeper understanding of the world.
Representation should never replace academic rigor.
It should help open the door to it.
Education Is the Future of Our Communities
Education has always been one of the greatest investments a society can make, true for our communities here in the U.S., throughout the Spanish-speaking world, as well as indigenous communities.
Strong schools prepare future teachers, scientists, entrepreneurs, artists, engineers, healthcare professionals, and civic leaders. They help preserve language, protect cultural traditions, strengthen democratic institutions, and create economic opportunity for future generations.
For our communities, education is not simply about earning a diploma.
It is about ensuring that future generations have the knowledge, confidence, and leadership skills needed to shape their own future while preserving the rich cultural heritage they inherit.
When we invest in literacy, we invest in families.
When we invest in knowledge, we invest in stronger communities.
When we invest in education, we invest in the future of our communities.
Building Readers, Building Citizens
Healthy democracies depend on citizens who can read critically, evaluate evidence, understand history, and participate respectfully in public conversations.
Those abilities begin with literacy.
Literacy grows through knowledge.
Knowledge grows through reading.
Reading grows when students find meaningful reasons to keep turning the page.
That is why culturally relevant, knowledge-rich education matters.
At Capacitando.org, we believe every learner deserves access to rigorous educational materials that reflect both the diversity of our communities and the shared history of humanity. We believe that every student deserves the opportunity to discover not only where they come from, but also what they can contribute to the future.
Join Us in This Mission
Building a stronger future is not the work of schools alone.
Parents, educators, students, community organizations, businesses, artists, historians, writers, and cultural leaders all have a role to play.
If you believe that education, literacy, and cultural understanding can strengthen our communities, we invite you to become part of Capacitando.org. Read our articles. Share our resources. Tell others about our work. Contribute your expertise. Partner with us. Encourage young people to become lifelong readers and lifelong learners.
Together, we can build a growing library of knowledge that reflects the richness of our shared heritage while preparing future generations to lead with wisdom, compassion, and confidence.
The future of our communities will be written by those who are inspired to read today.
References
Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed.
Smith, D., Fisher, D., Frey, N., Pompei, V., & Stewart, S. (2024). Belonging in School. Corwin
Villarreal, E. R. (2024). Increasing Inclusion in the Heterogeneous Secondary Social Science Classroom Through Existing Research-Based Strategies (Doctoral dissertation).
Wexler, N. (2026). How Schools Can Counter the End of Reading.
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