Accommodating and Educating Somali Students in Minnesota Schools

Book excerpt: This handbook for educators involved with K-12 students from Somalia is an invaluable guide to the cultural, religious, socioeconomic, and family issues that these immigrant students bring to the classroom. The authors present a sensitive portrait of the traumatic experiences that immigrant Somali families in the United States had to endure to reach this land of opportunity. In detailed description and realistic vignettes, teachers and administrators can gain a deeper understand of the behaviors and attitudes of Somali studentsand, thus, learn to create a successful educational environment for them.