Literacy – Spanning the US :: Cleveland OH :: Provo UT :: Westminster MD

Literacy In The News :: Spanning the US

@seedsofliteracy

Virtual Tutor Wins Most Treasured Volunteer Award from Community Solutions
Seeds f Literacy: 11.01.2020

Julie Rea was excited to become a tutor and a simple Google search brought her to Seeds.

“I think working with a student one-to-one, where you can really understand what they need to know — and how they learn— is incredibly effective,” she said.

But Seeds closed shortly after she completed Tutor Training. She never had a chance to tutor onsite.

Still, Julie Rea has become a household name for students and staff alike. Determined to make a difference, she was one of the first volunteers willing to tutor virtually and was a pioneer in the Virtual Classroom, eager and available to help.

Technology has proven to be a difficult adjustment for many students and tutors. But Julie was a champion of virtual learning and her enthusiasm encouraged others tutors to participate. Her comfort with technology puts students at ease and she is able to troubleshoot any tech difficulties that arise during lessons.

She developed and presented more than 20 lessons which are now available in the Seeds archives for students to review at any time. The majority of them cover math concepts.

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Julie’s efforts at Seeds during the pandemic, and her deep respect and empathy for the students, earned her a Most Treasured Volunteer award from The Center for Community Solutions.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 10

Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 14-15 yrs. old

(Ninth to Tenth graders)

@ProjectReadUtah

Project Read Shares Success Stories
Daily Herald: 11.06.2020 by Genelle Pugmire

The ability to read and write are everyday skills that most people take for granted. For some residents and neighbors those skills are nonexistent.

Those who lack reading and writing skills are typically ones who also miss out on good employment opportunities or just communicating with friends.

Project Read, a nonprofit organization that helps with adult literacy education, can help those who can’t read and write. Through volunteer tutors, they build a bridge to help them to better function in life.

With all of the extra issues that have been a part of 2020, Project Read continues to have successful students.

One student identified as Kenia has taken advantage of what Project Read can do and is reaping the rewards.

“Kenia’s positivity and desire to improve are contagious. She studies diligently and is even excited to take tests because she likes seeing her results and knowing how she’s improved,” said a Project Read report released Friday.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 10

Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 14-15 yrs. old

(Ninth to Tenth graders)

 

Literacy Council 

Carroll County

COVID-19 Drives Implementation Of Virtual Learning For Literacy Council
Baltimore Sun: 11.09.2020 by Rebecca Arenson-Rachlinski

Since 1979, the Literacy Council of Carroll County has helped adult learners reach their personal educational, career, and life goals. Personalized programs and tutoring are tailored to the needs of each learner, with topics ranging from English, math, citizenship, writing a resume, and financial literacy, to preparation for licensing exams (such as the written portion of the Commercial Drivers License).

All materials and tutoring are free. Our clients are referred to us by our community partners and also self-refer, and have a wide range of education and skill levels. Some students are working on boosting their academic skills in math and reading. Some English language learners are starting with basic spoken English, while others have more advanced skills.

The hallmark of our program is the confidential, in-person, one-on-one tutoring provided by our volunteer tutors. As with other education programs, the pandemic threw a wrench into our learning model. The health concerns and restrictions meant that our tutor-learner teams could not meet in person. Clearly it was time to implement a virtual learning model. Our challenges included: 1. A focus on printed/paper based academic materials, 2. The tutors' and learners' technological skills and comfort levels, 3. Learners and tutors without internet and/or computer access, and 4. A lack of resources to purchase the needed equipment.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 10

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 14-15 yrs. old

(Ninth to Tenth graders)

Literacy – Spanning the US :: San Diego CA :: Logan UT :: Fairfield CA

Literacy In The News :: Spanning the US

@DyslexiaTrainer

The Dyslexia Training Institute with Dr. Kelli Sandman-Hurley

Literacy for All: 8.27.2020 with Jose Cruz, San Diego Council On Literacy

Dr. Kelli Sandman-Hurley is the co-founder of the Dyslexia Training Institute in San Diego. She is the past -president of the San Diego Branch of the International Dyslexia Association and comes with a long history in the field of adult literacy. She is the author of two books on dyslexia: Dyslexia Advocate! and Dyslexia & Spelling. Kelli has presented at numerous conferences as well as provided professional development for K–12 teachers. She received her doctorate in literacy with a specialization in reading and dyslexia from San Diego State University and the University of San Diego. She has emerged as an authority on the topic of dyslexia…that is supported with diverse direct experience in serving learners of all ages.  LISTEN P1 29:23 P2 27:59

Bridgerland Literacy

Bridgerland Literacy Wants To Add Some Classes To Boost Learning

Cache Valley Daily: 9.02.2020 by Rod Boam

Alice Sheppard, the director of the Bridgerland Literacy program, tells the story of a beautiful Simolean lady trying to pass her GED. She walks into the office struggling with a basic English language principle. Sheppard said they taught her a basic thing she needed to know to be successful, and she was.

The Bridgerland Literacy program uses children’s short stories to help adults learn to read.

“A young man from Guatemala came to the office because he couldn’t grasp the concept of a three-point turn,” Shepard said. “We sat down and diagrammed it on a piece of paper, and he left knowing the concept.”

Shepard enjoys working with students one on one, but she wants to move the learning towards a classroom environment.

“I thought we should be doing classes,” she said. “I think people can sometimes learn better as a group.”

When someone asks a question maybe another student will have the same question but be afraid to ask.

“Some people can’t get stuff out of books, they need someone to teach them,” Sheppard said. “I think when we have several people trying to learn the same thing like the GED it would work better.”

When fully staffed, volunteers are matched with a student for one-on-one tutoring in an open, safe, and confidential environment.

“We use researched and evidence-based materials to teach students,” she said. “I looked through a lot of teaching and learning programs before she found this one.”

Bridgerland Literacy uses researched and evidence-based materials to teach students.

“COVID is killing me. I want to meet with my students,” Sheppard said. “I want to teach more adults in a classroom setting.”  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

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)

@SolanoLibrary

Supervisors Give Shout-out To Literacy Awareness Efforts

Daily Republic: 9.02.2020 by Todd R. Hansen

Solano County supervisors on Tuesday recognized September as Adult Literacy Awareness Month, then handed out annual awards recognizing the work by some of the volunteers.

“Literacy skills are required to be successful in the workforce, to support good health, help our children succeed and be active and contributing community members,” the resolution adopted by the board states.

Cherelyn Ellington Hunt, the literacy program manager, said 2020 has forced the program to adjust to the Covid-19 pandemic by offering Zoom classes rather than the traditional one-on-one tutoring.

She noted Solano County was one of the first to make the switch and is one of the few counties that have continued the virtual effort after six months of the pandemic shutdown.

Hunt noted the program is now looking to assist parents who are struggling with their own literacy to develop strategies to help their children during stay-at-home, online education.

“At some point, we will bring all our students and tutors back into the libraries and continue,” she said.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 15

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: College graduate

Literacy – Spanning the US :: Cleveland OH :: Green Bay WI :: Provo UT :: Lansing MI

Literacy: Spanning the US

@seedsofliteracy

Meet EA’s Lynne Brenner Who’s Watering Seeds and Growing Literacy

Executive Arrangements: 7.13.2020 by Peg Furnas

Could you share a bit about yourself Lynne, where you’ve lived in and outside of NE Ohio? Growing up I moved every few years and landed in Cleveland during high school. I’ve lived in multiple communities; east, downtown, and west. My husband and partner of 30+ years, Tom, and I are empty nesters with four adult children, and recently welcomed two wonderful daughters-in-law. Post college I worked in the banking industry, and then decided to stay at home with my children to be more involved with their lives and with the community, and to support philanthropic organizations.

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In your eight years with EA we have seen your heart and passion for volunteering. What other organizations have you shared your time with prior to Seeds of Literacy? I’ve held board positions for PTA and Avon Junior Women’s Club, and volunteered at animal shelters. I currently work with disabled children using horses as therapy and support families who foster children and environmental organizations. I enjoy a seasonal staff position with the Cleveland International Film Festival and volunteered for eight years prior to this role.

Speaking of Seeds of Literacy, WOW, they are doing amazing work! Yes, they are! The difference they make in adults’ lives drew me to Seeds two years ago. I began tutoring, meeting with students in one of their two locations. I have also worked on the fundraising committee and attended community events to bring awareness to the program. Since 1997, Seeds has provided free, one-to-one tutoring in basic education and high school equivalency (HSE) preparation to adults in Cuyahoga County. One-to-one tutoring offers maximum learning by building relationships of trust between the student and the tutor. It is a strong program that has student retention and graduation rates that are twice the national average. Our goal is simple: to help our students increase literacy levels, strengthen educational foundations, and grow to love learning, in order to help our students, break the cycle of poverty and find success in life.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 10

Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 14-15 yrs. old

(Ninth to Tenth graders)

@LiteracyGB

Small Group Award Winner – Student Evaluators, Literacy Green Bay

We Are Green Bay: 8.17.2020 by Addy Bink

The annual Wisconsin Public Service Volunteer Awards Breakfast will be held virtually this year on Thursday, August 20.

The Volunteer Center of Brown County is proud to honor the volunteers who selflessly give their time and talents to help improve the community.

Meet Student Evaluators, Literacy Green Bay:

Our small group award recipients help more individuals in our community gain self-sufficiency. Low literacy, limited English proficiency and lack of education credentials affect employment opportunities and earnings for families and individuals and this in turn affects the economic outlook on our local economy. The population who strives to learn English or want to earn their high school diploma equivalency turn to Literacy Green Bay for help.

Literacy Green Bay helps to stop the cycle of societal issues with volunteers like Student Evaluators. The Student Evaluators at Literacy Green Bay are the first step to lifelong learning and an improved outlook on life and becomes a ripple effect that benefits the entire community. Improved literacy skills foster a parent’s self-confidence to participate more fully in their children’s education and within their community.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 15

Reading Level: very difficult to read.

Reader's Age: College graduate

@ProjectReadUtah

Shauna Brown Fights For The ABCs Of Adult Literacy While Fostering A Happy Home

Utah Valley 360: 8.17.2020 by Greg Bennett

Shortly after she graduated from BYU in 2000, Shauna Brown of Eagle Mountain volunteered as an adult reading tutor with Project Read in Provo. It was an enriching part of her life and something that fed a passion for adult literacy. In fact, she even considered applying to be the organization’s executive director, but decided against it because she and her husband were planning to move to Taiwan to teach English and enjoy international adventures before settling into careers and family.

However, just as the plane tickets were nearly purchased, she and her husband had a feeling they should stay in Provo.

“I called a member of the board and asked if they’d already found someone to fill that role,” Shauna says. “Luckily, they hadn’t.”

Despite her lack of experience, the board hired her as the executive director, a role she has now cherished for 19 years.

“Adult literacy issues can be very isolating,” Shauna says. “These are not dumb people. They have amazing skills — they just can’t read.”

Many of the organization’s participants have dyslexia or other learning disability and haven’t had access to successful techniques and treatments. They have also developed coping mechanisms and habits that limit communal knowledge of their illiteracy, making it harder to receive help.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

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)

@ReadingPeople

Local Spotlight: Capital Area Literacy Coalition

Feldman Chevrolet Lansing: 8.20.2020

Did you know that approximately 20% of adults in the Greater Lansing area are functionally illiterate? That means, according to the 2010 U.S. Census, roughly 93,000 adults in the state of Michigan cannot read at a basic reading level.

The Capital Area Literacy Coalition, also known as the Reading People, was established to help close the gaps in our education system in order to reduce, and ultimately illuminate, functional illiteracy. Read more about how they’re doing it in the local spotlight below!

What is Functional Illiteracy?

Functional illiteracy is defined as the inability to read above a third grade reading level, which is the reality for many embers of the Greater Lansing community. While your first thought may be leisure reading, it’s actually much more than that.

Functional illiteracy means not being able to accomplish necessary everyday activities in adulthood like reading the instructions of a microwave dinner or completing a Social Security application.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

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)

Literacy – Spanning the US :: Kerrville TX :: Calexico CA :: Provo UT

Literacy: Spanning the US

Family & Literacy

Misty Kothe Excited About Opportunity To Be Executive Director Of Families and Literacy

Daily Times: 8.04.2020 by Jonathan Toye

Misty Kothe vividly remembers her first interaction with Mindy Wendele. Twenty-two years later, she still enjoys telling the story.

Kothe was a senior representative on Tivy’s student council and was helping plan the school’s 1998 homecoming parade. The student council wanted to redirect the parade route through downtown. For that to happen, Kothe had to call to obtain permission from Wendele, who was the Main Street manager for the city at the time. Kothe had to summon the courage to dial the numbers.

“I remember being terrified of talking to her,” Kothe said.

That fear transformed into admiration. That phone conversation during the fall of 1998 birthed a professional relationship that has continued to benefit the Kerrville community. Wendele became a mentor to Kothe. A few years after their phone conversation, Kothe and Wendele worked together for the City of Kerrville. Now, Kothe is succeeding Wendele as the executive director for Families and Literacy, a non-profit organization that offers a variety of adult education classes including English as a Second Language, Civics & U.S. Government and Computer Skills. It is also the only provider in Kerrville of the preparatory courses for the General Education Development tests.

Wendele insists she isn’t retiring. She’s still going to be available to help Kothe continue the organization’s legacy. She loved her six years at Families and Literacy, witnessing countless success stories. Last year, a person approached Wendele during the organization’s annual fundraiser, Spellabration, and told her that Families and Literacy helped her obtain her GED. She’s seen plenty of immigrants thrive after taking the English as a Second Language class. Many of the immigrants were professionals in their native nations; they were accountants, Families and Literacy helped them obtain the credentials to practice their respective careers in the United States.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 10

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 14-15 yrs. old

(Ninth to Tenth graders)

Camarena Library

Workforce Literacy Workshops in Development

The Literacy Place: August 2020

Our first virtual tutor meeting will be on August 17 via Zoom. It has been some months since we've held our regular tutor meetings, as they were previously held in the library. Now, we will hold our meetings online in order to check in and collaborate with each other. Since tutors are the backbone of our Adult Literacy Services, these meetings will focus on tutors' needs and concerns. During this month's meeting, we will discuss adapting to virtual tutor sessions, goal-setting for learners, and the many workbooks and resources the ALS program offers.

Workforce Literacy Workshops in Development

The COVID-19 public health crisis has worsened an already high unemployment rate in Imperial County--27.3% as of June 2020, according to the Employment Development Department of California. Because of this urgent need, the Adult Literacy Services program is responding by developing several workshops for adult learners. These workshops, which begin in September, will aim to help learners build confidence, explore career options, prepare for interviews, build their communication skills, market their skills, and conduct effective job searches.

Our literacy program is also working with existing community organizations to help learners receive the support they need during these times. The main purpose of these workshops is to assist learners with employment goals and direct them to the social services they need.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Readability Consensus

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 12

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 17-18 yrs. old

(Twelfth graders)

Project Read

Project Read Needs Volunteer Tutors

Daily Herald: 8.06.2020 by Genelle Pugmire

Reading and writing are skills most people take for granted as they use them daily. But for some, those skills are nonexistent and keep them from good jobs and communicating effectively with family and friends.

Project Read, a nonprofit organization that helps with adult literacy education, can help those who can’t read and write. Through volunteer tutors, they build a bridge to help them to better function in life.

“These people aren’t wearing a scarlet ‘A’ on their chest,” said Shauna Brown, executive director. “You can’t recognize them. There were three adults in my neighborhood that couldn’t read and two of them had their own (successful) businesses.”

Brown said there is a need right now for volunteer tutors to help in the morning at Project Read. You don’t have to be a scholar or school teacher to tutor.

“If you have passion, we can give you the tools,” Brown said. “Volunteers are the lifeblood of our organization.”

Brown said that many of Project Read’s clients have high school diplomas and just got passed through the system. Some may have dyslexia or other issues that one-on-one tutoring can help.

“They are not dumb. They have so many other skills that get them through,” Brown said.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 8

Reading Level: fairly easy to read.

Reader's Age: 12-14 yrs. old

(Seventh and Eighth graders)