Sunday, June 13, 2021

Literacy ▬ Spanning North America :: Texarkana AR :: Calexico CA :: Ardmore OK :: Edmonton AB

Literacy In The News :: Spanning North America

@ARadultlearn

Literacy Council Wins Pair Of Awards
Texarkana Gazette: 5.21.2021

The Literacy Council of Bowie and Miller Counties won two awards during the Adult Learning Alliance of Arkansas' conference Friday.

The Literacy Council won for Innovative Project of the Year and Student of the Year, two of the six awards the ALA gives annually to outstanding adult learning programs in Arkansas.

Innovative Project of the Year was awarded for a program developed by Myesha Holmes-Thomas, a student intern for the Literacy Council who is completing a master's degree in social work at Texas A&M University-Texarkana. For this project, she initiated a partnership with the Arkansas Department of Human Services to help serve local families.

Student of the Year was awarded to Denise Anderson, a Literacy Council student who worked hard to gain literacy skills and at age 56 read her first book in December.  READ MORE ➤➤

 
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 14
Reading Level: difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 21-22 yrs. old
(college level)

 

ALS program
Camarena Library 
 Tutor Spotlight: Kimberly Valenzuela
THE LITERACY CIRCLE: May 2021

Q: How has your experience been so far as a tutor?

A:  My experience so far has been really good. I enjoy helping people learn new skills that they can use to achieve their personal goals. It is also a very rewarding experience being part of a learner's progress through the ALS program. It is such a good feeling hearing back from my learners on how they implement the skills they learned in their daily lives.

Q: Give three reasons why being a tutor might influence an adult member in your community struggling with literacy skills.

A:  Whether it is reading the morning newspaper, applying for a job, or communicating with doctors, a tutor can help a learner achieve these goals. Another reason is by prioritizing their needs in a one-to-one setting. Sometimes it is difficult to keep up in a class with 20 other students with different goals, while working with a tutor focuses on the learner’s individual goals, level, and pace.  READ MORE ➤➤

 
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 9
Reading Level: standard / average.
Reader's Age: 13-15 yrs. old
(Eighth and Ninth graders)



@ArdLitLead
Ardmore Literacy Leadership Celebrates Graduates From Partner Organizations
Daily Ardmoreite: 5.22.2021 by Michael D. Smith

During a graduation season full of high school and college commencement ceremonies, one ceremony this week stood out with a collection of graduates from area literacy groups. The Ardmore Literacy Leadership on Thursday recognized learners for completing their high school diploma, GED, English as a Second Language, Spanish language or U.S. citizenship test.

Over 100 guests were on hand at the Colvert Ministry Center to celebrate the graduates including families, tutors and other supporters. Oklahoma Rep. Mauree Turner, an Ardmore native, provided a recorded camessage and Ardmore City Commissioner John Credle addressed those in attendance. 

ALL organizations represented on Thursday included Ardmore Family Literacy, Ardmore Public Library, New Dimension Literacy Council, Boys and Girls Club of the Red River Valley, and St. Mary Catholic Church.  READ MORE ➤➤

 
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 12
Reading Level: difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 17-18 yrs. old
(Twelfth graders)

 

@palsedmonton

PALS Has Been Changing Lives Through Literacy Since 1979
Edmonton Journal: 5.25.2021 by Fish Griwkowsky

Though he lived in Edmonton as a child, Greece-born Nicholas Koronios spent most of his life in Athens — returning to Canada in 2016 when he was 24.

Back in Europe, he spoke English with his mother after coming home from school and soccer, pretty basic stuff like, “Hello,” or “Are you hungry?”

“I thought I knew some things. But in reality,” the now 29-year-old Edmontonian admits with a laugh, “I didn’t really know anything.”

Koronios was hardly alone in the city, struggling with a language that throws the homonyms there, their and they’re at us randomly on a daily basis, tripping up a good number of lifelong Canadians, as well.

🔽
“I thought, what can I do to better myself, right?”

On top of being able to communicate in a way it’s so easy to take for granted, Koronios wanted to be an electrician, maybe a police officer.

“So what do those jobs require? Number one: English.

“So the first thing was like, ‘Oh, crap, I need a tutor. I’ve got to pay big money.’ And you know, I didn’t even have a job.

“How could I afford that?”

Enter Project Adult Literacy Society — the friendly-sounding PALS for short.

Running in the city since 1979, the mostly volunteer organization quietly does some of the most noble work in Edmonton: increasing our ability to communicate. And, most importantly, the program is free.  READ MORE ➤➤

 
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 7
Reading Level: fairly easy to read.
Reader's Age: 11-13 yrs. old
(Sixth and Seventh graders)


Saturday, June 12, 2021

45 Facts On The Importance Of Reading Books ▬ Helpful Professor

45 Facts On The Importance Of Reading Books

Importance Of
Reading Books
Helpful Professor: 7.17.2019 by Chris Drew, PhD

Everyone knows reading is important. But sometimes digging down and saying why reading is important … can be harder than we think! So here are some reasons it is important to read.

Reading books is important because:

➧ Reading improves your vocabulary

 Books make you wiser

 Readers have higher incomes

 Books can help reduce stress

 Reading books builds your reading fluency

 Reading increases your general knowledge

 You’ll become a better conversationalist

 People who read novels live longer

 Reading maintains cognitive function

 Reading prevents Alzheimer’s disease

 Reading can make you more attractive

 Reading is motivational

 It can increase empathy

 It can improve your sleep

 It can help you improve your focus

Importance Of Reading Books

Reading is important because it helps improve your life. Benefits include that: books help our cognitive development, prevent cognitive decline, make us more empathetic, and improve confidence. Many of us may take reading for granted, but many countries in this world have millions of people who lack fundamental reading skills.

🔽

45 Reasons Why Reading Is Important

READ MORE ➤➤

 
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 14
Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 21-22 yrs. old
(college level)


Friday, June 11, 2021

How to Beat the Summer Slide ▬ All About Learning Press

How to Beat the Summer Slide

Summer Slide
All About Learning Press: 6.10.2021 by Marie Rippel

Have you heard of the “summer slide”? Unfortunately, it’s not the fun kind of slide you’ll find at a water park or playground. This slide is different. It’s a slide that no mom wants her child to ride.

The summer slide is a decline in reading ability and other academic skills that can occur over the summer months when school isn’t in session.

🔽

How to Prevent the Summer Slide

Here’s the secret to preventing the summer slide: Keep learning all summer long. (Now, don’t panic, I’m not talking about year-round schooling, although for some homeschool families, year-round schooling may be a good solution.)

🔽
Beat the Summer Slide with These Helpful Resources!  READ MORE ➤➤
 
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 8
Reading Level: standard / average.
Reader's Age: 12-14 yrs. old
(Seventh and Eighth graders)

 

Thursday, June 10, 2021

There’s Something Wrong with the Library’s Image: It’s not all books and shelves at the Library! ▬ EveryLibrary

There’s Something Wrong with the Library’s Image: A Pictorial Guide
It’s not all books and shelves at the Library!



Literacy @ The Library
CLLS
Medium.co: 8.02.2018 by Oleg Kagan

Is this the only way we can see libraries?

Reading articles about libraries on a near-daily basis, I can’t help but notice that the images most often chosen to represent libraries are a shelf of books.

Occasionally there’s even a person, but unless the article is about the new town librarian, they’re anonymous:

Don’t misunderstand, there’s nothing wrong with books, or libraries having books — I love books. What I don’t love is that these images of books and bookshelves represent the limited way in which the media thinks about libraries even when they specifically say otherwise. For example, check out this 2014 article from Smithsonian Magazine, entitled “Libraries Are Great at Lending All Sorts of Things — Not Just Books” and this 2017 In the Bay piece called “Public Libraries: More Than Just a Book Lending Service.” Both of these delightful articles about how libraries are more than books lead with images of, yes, you guessed it, bookshelves! It makes no sense, but it happens all the time!

So what type of photos should media outlets use to represent libraries? Well, to start how about some more active images — pictures of people doing something. Nobody comes to the library and turns into a bookshelf, library patrons do things — sometimes important things — at their local library! Here are some examples:

🔽

➧ Toddlers improving their spatial reasoning while they play during storytime at the Franklin Park Library.

 School-age kids learning computer programming at Manchester Central Library’s after-school Code Club

 Harpist Amber Burdick performing at the Topanga Library.

 Meeting of the Japanese Book Club at the University of British Columbia Library.

 “Yoga for Every Body” a class incorporating basic meditation and yoga at the Edenvale Branch Library.

READ MORE ➤➤


Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 11
Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 15-17 yrs. old
(Tenth to Eleventh graders)


Wednesday, June 9, 2021

Literacy ▬ Spanning the US :: Manitowoc WI :: Glen Ellyn IL :: Altadena CA

Literacy In The News :: Spanning the US

Manitowoc Library

Manitowoc Public Library Battles Adult Illiteracy with One-to-One Program
Seehafer News: 5.19.2021 by Margo Meyer, Adult Services Associate - Manitowoc Public Library

   “Reading is a portal—into the past, the future. It’s a parent reading ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ to the child on his lap. It’s someone filling out a job application to better her life or following a recipe from a cookbook to feed their family. It’s a quiet hour on a rainy afternoon, a note from a friend, the instructions on a bottle of medication. It’s elemental, and it’s magic, and it’s vital.”

These eloquent words from author Nora Roberts get to the core of what Manitowoc Public Library’s One-to-One Adult Literacy Program is all about. Our volunteer tutors work with adults ages 18 and older in our community who would like goal-oriented, individualized literacy tutoring. After experiencing our free training, tutors are equipped to develop and enhance their learners’ skills in reading, writing, comprehending, and speaking English. These literacy and reading skills truly lead to wonderful things.

In a given month, I feel fortunate to hear about the many goals our tutors and learners are working towards. It could be the gains in pronunciation an ELL learner is making through conversation practice or the sharing of recipes and how to cook something from someone’s home country to practice the imperative form in English. Throughout the pandemic, our learning pairs were very creative and adept at taking advantage of online learning. Reading aloud to each other through Google Duo, Zoom, or Face Time allowed instruction to continue, often including pets who would curl up and listen to the shared stories.  READ MORE ➤➤


Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 11
Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 15-17 yrs. old
(Tenth to Eleventh graders)

 

@LiteracyDuPage

Literacy DuPage Receives Donation of New Computers
Patch.com: 5.20.2021

Naperville Bank & Trust recently presented a generous gift of new Lenovo computers to Literacy DuPage, one of Illinois' largest volunteer tutor literacy organizations. The donation includes seven laptops and six desktop computers with monitors. These devices will be provided to lower-income adult learners in DuPage County, who are currently limited to receiving virtual one-to-one tutoring via cell phones.

According to U.S. Census figures, approximately 1.1 million Illinois households do not have computer access, creating a challenge for remote learning.

These donated computers will support instruction for adults who have reached out to Literacy DuPage to improve their English language reading, speaking, comprehension, and writing skills. Communicating effectively and increasing fluency leads to safer, more productive, and richer lives.  READ MORE ➤➤

 
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 12
Reading Level: difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 17-18 yrs. old
(Twelfth graders)


@AltadenaLibrary

Altadena Library Official Honored by California Library Association
Pasadena Now: 5.13.2021 by Brian Day

An Altadena Library District trustee has been awarded the California Library Association’s President’s Award for her contributions to libraries and literacy, the library announced Thursday.

Katie Clark, who serves as president of the Board of Trustees, has been named the recipient of the honor, the Altadena Library District said in a written statement.

“[She] is a central leader in the community of Altadena whose vision and tireless commitment to libraries have created a legacy of long-term, positive impact that will provide critical library services for Altadena for decades to come,” the statement said.

The CLA President’s Award recognizes “outstanding contributions, leadership, and achievement in support of California libraries by a Trustee, Friend, Elected Official, or other layperson who has given his or her time and talents to further the advancements of California libraries,” the statement added.  READ MORE ➤➤

 
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 17
Reading Level: very difficult to read.
Reader's Age: College graduate


Tuesday, June 8, 2021

10 Ways to Use Your Blogs and Podcasts Together ▬ Databox

10 Ways to Use Your Blogs and Podcasts Together
With audiences preferring to consume content in different formats, it’s essential to invest in both blogs and podcasts. The best part? Making them work together. Learn how.

Podcasts
Databox: 2.09.2021 by Masooma Memon


Consider this: about 409 million people view 20 billion pages every month. And, 51% of the US population – over half of the population that is – has listened to a podcast at least once.

If you were to put these numbers under the microscope, you’d come to one conclusion: both blog and podcast are important content formats that people consume widely.

It’s as Daniel Foley puts it, “blogs are the newspaper of the internet. This is what you do when you want to read an article, find out some information or catch up on news.” “Podcasts” on the other hand “are the radio of the internet. You may have read the newspaper in the morning but you want to listen to the radio on the way to work.”

But, of course, you already know that.

It’s why you have both a blog and podcast and want to make sure you can get the best of both. Or, you have one and plan to start the other, and therefore, are looking for ways to make both work in tandem.

Either way, let’s make things easy for you by giving you the lowdown of how you can use blog and podcast together in 10 simple ways including:

➤ Create show notes

➤ Blog and podcast together for a strong SEO game

➤ Podcast and blog under a common theme

➤ Expand the information

➤ Create new pieces of content from podcast interviews

➤ Write a podcast preview on your blog

➤ Use quotes from the podcast in your blog

➤ Repurpose and put everything into a blog post

➤ Repurpose blog posts into podcast episodes and more

➤ Cross-promote your blog and podcast

READ MORE ➤➤

 
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 10
Reading Level: standard / average.
Reader's Age: 14-15 yrs. old
(Ninth to Tenth graders)


Monday, June 7, 2021

How Libraries Keep Serving As A Hub Of The Community ▬ Matter Of Fact

How Libraries Keep Serving As A Hub Of The Community

#BuildLibraries

Matter Of Fact: 4.04.2021 by Soledad O’Brien

While the coronavirus forced some libraries to physically shut their doors, many have found new ways to help people during the pandemic. Some are offering wi-fi hotspots and book deliveries or even becoming hubs for health care. Before the pandemic we took you inside America’s library with Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden who says no matter what happens, they’ll continue to serve their communities.  WATCH 04:43