Robert Smith and his tutor, Barb Farrell
Having reading difficulties is hard enough; dealing with the unfair, accompanying sense of shame is an even more devastating blow. Like so many other adults who come to the Literacy Council, Robert always struggled in school. One teacher even screamed at him “How can you be so stupid?” And he felt uncomfortable at home, too, believing that he was a disappointment to his father – a very talented and involved parent who stressed excellence in school and sports.
Once Robert left school, he worked in maintenance where his work ethic and skills led him to rise in the ranks. But to his coworkers’ amazement, Robert declined promotions. What they didn’t understand, of course, was that he was afraid he would fail when it came to handling the reading and writing tasks required by management positions. Instead, Robert would quit and take an entry-level position at a different company to avoid the possibility of being exposed as a non-reader.
What finally broke this pattern? Turns out it was something as simple as having his beloved grandchildren repeatedly ask him to read stories to them. Robert agreed to have his wife call the Literacy Council on his behalf, and soon was assessed and matched with tutor Barb Farrell, a retired teacher. Robert fully credits Barbara with helping him to regain his confidence and believe in himself again: “I want to tell the world how much of a blessing it was to be in the Literacy Council program and to have a teacher and counselor like Ms. Barbara.”
And Robert’s progress continues: He enrolled in an Anne Arundel Community College Adult Basic Skills course this past fall and received a 91/100 on his final test!
Mark Your Calendar
Saturday, February 4, 2017 at 9 a.m.
Occasionally, tutors will tell us something like this:
- My student can learn a word on one page, then forgets it by the time we get to the next page.
- I don’t feel like we are making progress.
- The phonics-based Laubach materials don’t seem to be working with my student.
If these sentiments sound familiar to you, then you may be interested in attending our Tutor Roundtable on February 4, 2017 at 9 a.m.
Barbara Colacicco, a Literacy Council tutor and new member of our Board of Directors, is an educator with a lifetime of experience and specialized training in helping challenging students. She will be there to discuss individual issues and brainstorm on teaching techniques and materials that might be helpful for your student.
If you are interested in attending, please respond to Anita Ewing at ewing400@gmail.com or leave a message at the office 410-269-4419 and we will notify you of more details after the holidays.
Student Carlton Ricketts and tutor Merlene Clarke
When a tutor’s passion to teach is matched by a student’s hunger for learning, amazing progress can be made. Literacy Council tutor Merlene Clarke has a day job that keeps her plenty busy. She is the dynamic principal of Annapolis’s Phoenix Academy, a county school offering K-12 students a unique mix of alternative programs. While academics aren’t slighted at the Phoenix Academy, high school students there have an opportunity to actually learn by doing–raising agricultural crops, rearing animals, nurturing endangered terrapins, and mastering culinary skills.
Merlene is passionate about helping all of her students graduate from high school as good readers. Recently, she provided 25 of her teachers and staff with training to provide one-on-one tutoring for Phoenix students who struggle with reading, patterned after the Literacy Council’s tutor training curriculum. And she also continues to pass on the gift of literacy after hours. Merlene meets with Carlton Ricketts for 4 hours each week, because he, too, is eager to learn.
Jamaica-born and raised, Carlton has been living in this area for three years, working in the construction trades as a mason. He wants to improve his reading skills before he and his wife Shavonnie start a family, and is a truly motivated student. On his student intake form, Carlton indicated that he was available to meet with his tutor any night of the week!
Carlton is also hoping to succeed in the Anne Arundel Community College Adult Basic Skills (ABS) classes. Tutor Merlene Clarke shares that “Carlton is super energetic and eager to improve his reading skills. We meet for 4 hours a week for lessons and he is making amazing progress! He comprehends what he reads and infers quite well. It is my pleasure to work with Carlton.”
Clark and Ricketts
Jolene and Bob Caspar
Bob Caspar, our passionate and enthusiastic Literacy Council Board President for the past 5 years, passed away on November 14, 2016.
Bob is greatly missed! He was such a dear friend to the Literacy Council and to everyone who knew him. He was also a hero and champion for our students and tutors. Always the first to volunteer, donate and promote the Literacy Council, he and Jolene also provided a matching gift for every fundraiser.
Robert Caspar eulogy.
Great opportunity! Our next 2-day tutor training is scheduled for February 25th & March 4th from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church in Severna Park, and will include both Basic Literacy and English Language Learner instruction.
We have a class size limit of 35. If you, or someone you know, would be interested in attending this training, please email Lisa Vernon or call 410-269-4419 as soon as possible to reserve a seat.
A Syracuse icon who taught the world to read turns 100
Ruth Colvin, who turned 100 on Dec. 16, is the mother of the adult literacy movement in the U.S. She began Literacy Volunteers of America in 1962. In 2002, that organization merged with Laubach Literacy International to become
ProLiteracy, which is still based in Syracuse.
Colvin has taught hundreds of people to read. And her efforts, including training programs she has designed and published, have helped thousands learn to read. You might think that, at nearly 100, she is done. And that would still be extraordinary.
But Ruth Colvin is not just that amazing list of accomplishments. She golfs three times a week with women who are her daughter and granddaughter’s age: “No one my age plays,” she says.
It’s not uncommon to get an email from Colvin with the signature “Sent from my iPhone.” Her text messages ding away as she talks.
Colvin’s life lesson that she returns to is this: “Out of everything bad, something good comes.”
#GivingTuesday national results are in! Out of 976 small nonprofits competing for #GivingTuesday donations, our Literacy Council came in #25 for funds raised on Tuesday. #GivingTuesday Razoo Rankings.
Special thanks go to JoAnn and David Cook for submitting a $1,000 matching donation. We also received close to $1,000 of additional #GivingTuesday donations on Tuesday through PayPal and checks, bringing our #GivingTuesday total to over $4,500.
More good news! Anne Arundel County Literacy Council is #1 for top reviews in Anne Arundel County at greatnonprofits.org.
Gratefully,
Lisa Vernon, Executive Director
Lisa Vernon, Executive Director
Anne Arundel County Literacy Council
301-523-6750 (cell)
“In teaching others we teach ourselves.” – Proverbs
South County Tutors and Volunteers:
Our Sunday, December 4, 2016 Get-Together will be rescheduled for January, since December is such a busy time of year. Date to be announced.
Tutor Lois Crawley and Latrice
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Latrice, a mother of two school-aged children and deli employee at Geresbeck’s Food Market, manages to juggle her busy schedule to meet regularly with tutor Lois Crawley at the Glen Burnie library.
Because Latrice had enjoyed working in childcare for many years, her aspirations involve enrolling at Anne Arundel Community College one day to take childcare classes–and eventually opening her own in-home daycare center. She has an impressive list of shorter-term goals, too: registering to vote, getting a driver’s license, reading a newspaper, and more actively helping her children with their homework.
Please make a year-end gift on #GivingTuesday (11/29/16) so more adults like Latrice can achieve their dreams.
