Literacy:
Spanning the U.S.
Literacy
council efforts go beyond reading instruction
Muskogee Phoenix: 8.18.2017 by Rebecca Walkup
The
Muskogee Area Literacy Council is dedicated to helping adults improve all parts
of their lives through lifelong learning. The council serves as an advisory
body for the Muskogee Public Library adult literacy program.
A focus of the organization is on getting the community involved in literacy
programing [sic] by recruiting tutors and volunteers as well as promoting
literacy programs in the community. Many members of the literacy council are
tutors.
Adult
literacy programming at the library goes beyond just reading instruction with
several focus areas. Adult Basic Education individual tutoring includes
reading, spelling, writing, and comprehension; GED preparation courses cover
math, science, social studies, and language arts in a group setting. English as
a Second Language classes provide beginning to advanced language training, and
the U.S. Citizenship test preparation class covers the broad range of material
on the citizenship test. Volunteer tutors must be 21 or older, be proficient in
English, and have a high school diploma or equivalent. They receive nine hours
of initial training taught by literacy staff and must take three hours of
continuing education training each year. All classes are completely free for
students. Sixty students are currently enrolled in adult literacy courses. READ MORE @
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Variety
of services available through Literacy Council of Reading-Berks
Reading Eagle: 8.20.2017 by Michelle N. Lynch
Harry
Jeffries always had an affinity for math. In his school days, it was the
49-year-old Reading man's favorite subject.
"I
was interested in algebra," he said.
But
despite his fascination with numbers and equations, he ended up dropping out of
high school.
Jeffries
knew if he wanted to follow his interest at the college level, he would need to
earn a diploma first. So, he called the Literacy Council of Reading-Berks.
Not
Just ESL
"Many
members of the community view us as the mom-and-pop shop that just provides
English as a second language (or ESL) courses," said Ryan A. Breisch,
executive director of the council.
The
West-Lawn based council does offer such courses, he said, but it also offers
much more.
"We
offer what we call high school equivalency classes," he said.
But
don't call the course a GED class, Breisch warned. People who take the classes
will feel confident taking General Educational Development, or GED, exam or the
High School Equivalency Test, or HiSET, he said. READ MORE @
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Fighting
illiteracy takes courage
Detroit Free Press: 8.20.2017 by Hilarie Chambers, Executive
Director-Reading Works
Every
day, adults in our families and workplaces are taking the courageous step to
come forward, admit they don’t read well — and do something about it.
They
may not read well enough to do the small things that many of us
take for granted, like reading a prescription or a note from a teacher. And not
well enough to do the big things, like filling out a job application or reading
an employee manual.
Put
yourself in their place. Imagine what it would be like to wake up in the
morning and have to communicate with the world in a different language. How
could you read your daily instructions at work or write a report for your boss?
You'd have that pit in the bottom of your stomach, and you'd feel
inadequate, insecure.
And
if you decide to improve your life, to take the time-consuming steps to learn
to do those things big and small, you'd have to do so while maintaining all of
your current responsibilities — maybe raising kids, paying the mortgage or the
rent, trying to stay afloat financially. You'd face what could be a long,
lonely struggle.
This
is where Reading Works and our partner network of
adult literacy agencies come in. It's where you come in, too. It's important
that we collectively signal to these courageous people that they are not alone. READ MORE @
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