What are the De Madre A  Madre Prenatal Care Photonovels?

• Easy-to-read, bilingual stories about common experiences and concerns during pregnancy.

• Designed especially for Latinas 

With the De Madre A Madre Prenatal Care photonovels, you can…

Reach adults with limited literacy skills.

Share prenatal information in a way that is clear, culturally appropriate, and motivating.

• Improve client understanding of important health messages
• Save valuable time and resources
• Educate despite missed appointments and classes
• Reinforce essential postpartum care and breastfeeding basics covered by staff after a birth
• Learn basic Spanish and English
• Train new staff and interpreters
• Meet JACHO Guidelines

Transform how you deliver traditional prenatal education

Essential prenatal care topics are covered in the photonovel series.

Testimonials

 "The attention to the cultural appropriateness of the material and the nuances of the Spanish language is remarkable. These photonovelas are universal and easily understood by those with lower educational levels." 
Tom Furtwangler
Novela Health Education
University of Washington

“Of all the materials we have, these are the best! The photonovels are at a level the people understand.  The information is good, not too overwhelming. The pictures are great. The families read and relate to these the most…the ‘picture book’ format is something that they’re used to and find much more interesting than pamphlets or information sheets. I highly recommend them!”  
Karen Horner, RN
OB Hispanic Educator
Women’s Birthplace Pavillion,
WakeMed Hospital
Raleigh, NC

“These are excellent materials, easy to understand. The women love the stories and pictures of Hispanic women. They also like the Spanish/English layout…I know for sure they read them because they learn key words in English and use them to help explain problems at the clinic when I’m not here. These are definitely the ones that we keep in stock!” 
Rosa Correa 
Hispanic Outreach Worker
 NC Davie County Health Dept.

Language Tool for Health Professionals

"There are many Latinas in my community. I know these materials will help them, especially with all the pictures. But what’s great is that they really help me with my Spanish!" 
Midwife, Livemore, California

“I am just learning Spanish...  I do home visits with many Spanish-speaking clients.  I feel so frustrated since we do not have enough Spanish-speaking staff.  I have started memorizing the photonovel dialog and phrases since they contain many of the important messages I have to communicate.  I know it’s not the best situation but at least I can communicate some of the essentials to these new mothers who need the information now.” 

Lactation Consultant, Raleigh, NC

“I know very little Spanish and many of our clients speak very little English.  We use the side-by-side layout and the numbered dialog boxes to help us ‘read’ and communicate between English and Spanish. They have really helped me out of some difficult situations!”  

Public Health Social Worker, Greenville, NC

Why teach with stories?

• Research shows that people remember stories better than a mere set of facts.
• Stories build a reader's self-confidence.
• Photonovels are fun to read.
• Readers save and share them with family and friends.
• Our unique photonovel features make them an ideal ESOL resource.

 

“You can’t just tell people something and expect them to change as a result. You have to find ways to start with where people’s hearts are and to connect to things that mean something to them.”                                                            
Student Action Health Team Member


A story of how teaching with a photonovel sparked one woman's request for help.

Photonovel FAQS

Q. What is a photonovel?

A. A photonovel (photonovela, photonvella, or fotonovela) is a story told through dialog and photographs.

Sometimes photonovels are illustrated with cartoon or line drawings. The visual layout looks similar to a comic book.

Novelas, such as fotonovelas, telenovelas and radio novelas, typically have dramatic plots like soap operas. They are extremely popular in Latin America.


Q. What features make the De Madre A Madre Prenatal Care photonovels unique?

A. Three Unique Design Features

1)  Side-by-Side Layout with numbered Dialog Boxes (English/Spanish) 

Unlike most "flip-over" formats, our unique side-by-side format offers the following advantages:

• Makes it easier for people with lower literacy levels to follow the order of the bubbles when reading the story.

• Makes it easier for English-speaking health professionals to follow the story in Spanish

• Can be used as a tool for Spanish-speaking clients to communicate problems to English-speaking staff

• Can be used for literacy instruction to learn English and
  Spanish

2) Bilingual Glossary with Key Words

• Help you communicate more clearly and be more sensitive to potential comprehension issues. 

3) Communication Training Tool for Staff and Interpreters

• Field-tested definitions model simple, clear explanations. Read lessons learned

More FAQs


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