ABSTRACT
Four-year-old Illa lives with her family on the outskirts of mountainous Cuzco, Peru. Her story is typical of Peruvian families who seek to maintain traditional values while also providing opportunities for their children. Illa is bright and expressive. She developed strong oral competencies in Quechua through interaction with her parents and extended family. However, her Spanish language skills are very limited—based on what she has overheard in the marketplace where her parents sell blue potatoes grown on their steeply positioned plot of land, a 40-minute bus ride from central Cuzco.
