Severna Park Voice Editor Zach Sparks with Mary Anne and Bob Stoner
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…Bob and Mary Anne Stoner 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,” Mary Anne said. “Our program is a one-on-one program, so you really are building a bond and trusting relationship with your student and you can see them grow.”
“You can see from the first day with some students, that they’re not confident – head down, little eye contact. And now they come in happy and ‘Hey how’s it going?’” said Mary Anne.
Helping members of the community become more fluent and literate can help with seemingly minor interactions that most people take for granted. “They’ll tell us ‘I went in and I talked to my son’s teacher today’, for example,” said Mary Anne.
“I’ve been lucky to have a student for three and a half years, and she just bought her first house,” Bob said. “Buying a car, signing a lease, buying a home – it’s life skills.”
The program provides all the materials and plans but also allows volunteers a lot of flexibility, which enables them to cater to each student. “For some, it’s related to work,” Mary Anne said, “but other people want to be able to follow recipes, help kids with homework, or read notes from teachers”.
“It shouldn’t be a stigma that you don’t know how to read – it’s just another skill you need to learn,” said Mary Anne.
Read the rest of the Severna Park Voice article.
