Literacy: Spanning the US
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Manitowoc Adult Literacy Tutors Make Vital
Daily Tasks Possible: Why To Volunteer
HTR
News: 1.15.2020 by Margo Meyer
The start of the New Year is an ideal
occasion to reflect on goals and plans for 2020. So often, the resolutions we
make involve self-improvement of some kind, but another spin might be to look
outward to increase our inner happiness.
Volunteering can have benefits, not just
to the people receiving help, but also to those who give their time and energy.
In my work as the literacy coordinator here at Manitowoc Public Library, I
have observed this firsthand in the marvelous partnerships among our tutors and
learners. Here is a quote from one of our tutors that illustrates this
perfectly:
“I feel so lucky to be a tutor with
One-to-One Adult Literacy Partners. Over the last four years, I have been
privileged to work with four wonderful women whose origins were Mexico, India,
Thailand and China. Together, we spent many fantastic hours getting to know
each other, learning about each other's cultures and life experiences, and
working toward achieving goals that were so important to each of them.” 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)
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Literacy Council Volunteers Make Impact,
Help Community
Severna
Park Voice: 1.15.2020 by Chris Fincham
During her sophomore year at George
Washington University, Courtney Stoner participated in an internship with the Anne Arundel County Literacy Council.
Years later, her parents have become
mainstays within the organization, helping students and volunteers alike throughout
the county, while discovering a passion for teaching and helping others.
Bob and Mary Anne Stoner had no idea
their daughter’s internship would lead to this. With no teaching experience,
the Severna Park residents casually expressed an interest in their daughter’s
endeavor, which quickly led to much more.
“We said to her, ‘That’s great, we’d
always like to teach somebody how to read,’” explained Mary Anne. “And she
said, ‘Ok great, I’ve emailed the director and he’s expecting to hear from you
guys!’”
Now, the Stoners are active tutors,
trainers and advisors within the AACLC. They teach English language learners -
English as a Second Language or ESL - as well as basic literacy for area
residents.
“The literacy council lets you help each
person with whatever their goal is, which is really neat,” Mary Anne said. “Our
program is a one-on-one program, so you really are building a bond and trusting
relationship with this person and you can just see them grow.”
Bob said, “It’s almost like you become a
little part of their families, and then you get to see somebody on kind of a
weekly basis, go from barely speaking English at all, to confident and
capable.”
“You can see from the first day with
some students, that they’re really not confident - head down, little eye
contact. And now they come in happy and they’re just like, ‘Hey how’s it
going?’” said May Anne. READ
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Based on (7) readability formulas:
Grade Level: 10
Reading Level: standard / average.
Reader's Age: 14-15 yrs. Old
(Ninth to Tenth graders)
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How Volunteer Tutors Are Changing Lives Through
Literacy
Sopris
Sun: 1.15.2020 by Kate Phillips
Nearly four years ago, Orlando Alfaro
moved to the Roaring Fork Valley with the hope of beginning a career as an
educator. There was just one major challenge: he could not read, write, or
speak any English.
Not one to be deterred easily, Alfaro
heeded the advice of his El Salvadoran father to find a way to learn English.
With the support of his mother’s friend, Alfaro discovered the key to his
future success: Literacy Outreach.
Literacy
Outreach is a Glenwood Springs nonprofit that serves Garfield County adults
who are illiterate. Through hands-on, small group or private sessions, students
are given the opportunity to learn basic reading and writing skills to propel
them into new and exciting opportunities.
Within a few weeks of contacting
Literacy Outreach, Alfaro was paired with a tutor and began taking weekly
classes when he was not working as a paraprofessional in the Roaring Fork School
District.
“At the beginning I was very nervous,”
Alfaro said. “I didn’t know any English. My tutor — Patrick — helped me get comfortable
by first speaking in Spanish with me, but after that it was only English. It
was very important for me to see progress in myself and to get my career
going.”
Based on (7) readability formulas:
Grade Level: 8
Reading Level: standard / average.
Reader's Age: 12-14 yrs. Old
(Seventh and Eighth graders)
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Florence Area Literacy Council Helps Adults
Fulfill Their Reading Dreams
SC
Now: 1.16.2020 by Christina Lawson
What is your dream?
This simple question provokes a long
list of all the things we desire. A simple question that usually is answered
with what we believe would make us happy in life. If we individually listed our
answers, we would discover that we all have different “dreams.” Some complicated,
some simple.
Several months ago I was sitting at my
desk stressing over a fundraiser, stressing over raising money, and in general
just having one of those crazy days. As I was taking a deep breath and feeling
frustrated, I heard a tutor ask his student, “What is your dream?” She
responded with, “My dream is to learn to read.”
In the midst of my frustration, that was
my aha moment. I was reminded that the work we do at the Florence Area Literacy Council is
changing lives and fulfilling dreams for people in our community. Not the dream
of a new car or winning the lottery. Learning to read. Can you imagine being an
adult and your biggest dream is to be able to read?
In Florence County, 33% of the adults in
our community are functionally illiterate. The generational cycle of illiteracy
has detrimental outcomes, not only for the adult learners but for their
children, families and our community. In Florence County, 1 out of every 3
adults struggles to read above a fifth-grade level. READ
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Based on (7) readability formulas:
Grade Level: 8
Reading Level: standard / average.
Reader's Age: 12-14 yrs. Old
(Seventh and Eighth graders)
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