Literacy – Spanning the US :: Milford CT :: Williamsburg VA :: Boston MA

@MilfordLiteracy

Helping people through literacy

Stratford Star: 1.19.2017

Residents have a chance to make a difference in someone else’s life.

According to the Literacy Volunteers of Southern Connecticut, based in Milford, more than 15,000 people in Milford and Stratford are without a high school diploma. There are more than 1,600 adults who are not fluent in English. There are 53 non-English languages spoken in these cities.

Residents can help out by becoming literacy tutors. Classes in tutor training for English as a Second Language and Basic Literacy are coming up.

Volunteer tutors will be shown techniques to assist Basic Literacy and ESL students with dialogue, listening comprehension, oral fluency, phonics, reading comprehension and writing skills. No previous teaching experience is required.

The training empowers regular people to make a big difference in someone’s life. We have seen non-English speaking residents use the local resources offered at the literacy center to slowly and steadily master the language and begin to find a voice that they need to flourish here. Some of their stories bring tears to your eyes: Some are people who grew up in third world countries where they did not have the chance to read and write. They struggled just to survive. Here, they have the chance to not only learn these skills, but they have used their newfound writing skills to share their stories and to let people here know what life is like in other parts of the world.  READ MORE @

@Literacy_4_Life

Education, literacy determine your long term health

Virginia Gazette: 1.21.2017 by Morgan Goad

New Year's resolutions are often attempts at self-improvement.

Determined, well-intentioned people try to exercise and eat better, choose a book over tv, sign up for a class. Everyone has habits they want to break or hobbies they want to pick up. Resolutions are usually about changing yourself, but this year the Williamsburg Health Foundation dares you to think big. We challenge you to make a resolution to change the world around you: make your community a healthier place to live for everyone.

Good health is not just a personal success, and poor health is not only a personal failing. Your education is a dramatic social determinant of health – the more years in school, the easier it is to stay healthy.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reports that college graduates live at least five years longer than those who never finished high school. Better education is linked to lower rates of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. With the higher income jobs education affords, families unlock many opportunities to stay healthy: they're likely to live nearer supermarkets, parks and sidewalks, as well as adequate health care.

On its website, the local nonprofit group Literacy for Life makes a bold statement: "literacy is a stronger predictor of an individual's health status than income, employment status, education level and racial or ethnic group."

Literacy for Life has been educating Williamsburg-area residents since 1975. Literacy is only the tip of their iceberg.  READ MORE @

Boston Public Library releases offerings for 2017 literacy services

Boston.gov: 1.24.2017

The Library starts 2017 with a full slate of literacy resources and opportunities for learners.

The Boston Public Library begins 2017 with a full slate of literacy resources and opportunities for learners throughout Boston and the Commonwealth, including ESL classes and conversation groups, HiSet preparation classes, online tools, and immigrant information material. Visit the Library's website for a complete list of offerings and services.

ESL Classes: ESL instruction is offered in a traditional classroom environment.

ESL Conversation Groups:  Practice speaking English in an informal and friendly group setting with other adult ESL students and new English speakers.

HiSet Preparation Classes: The HiSet test (High School Equivalency Test) is the new replacement to the GED test.

Immigrant Information Corners: a strategic collaboration between the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Boston Public Library, and the City of Boston, as well as community partners.

Learn Online and Literacy Resources:

LearningExpress Library — Log on and practice for SAT, GED, HiSet, TOEFL, and other education tests.

Mango Languages — Mango Languages is a great online language learning program for both English and foreign languages.

Small Group Tutoring: Both English as a Second Language (ESL) and Adult Basic Education (ABE) skills instruction are offered.

Volunteer Opportunities: The Library seeks volunteers to work with either adult

English as a Second Language (ESL) learners or adults who are in need of developing basic reading and writing skills towards their individual life goals.  READ MORE @