This is a lovely note of thanks from AACLC student Deborah to her tutor, Jill Mischo.
Dear Jill,
Thank you for teaching me to read and write. I know a lot of words and that makes me proud and happy.
Merry Christmas and God Bless You.
Love,
Deborah
This kind of gesture from our students is what makes it all worthwhile. We ARE making a difference in the lives of our students!
Volunteer tutor Jill Mischo and student Deborah
ProLiteracy Education Network has an incredible selection of free online courses for tutors in Reading and Writing, ESL, and Math and Numeracy. http://proliteracyednet.org/
Here is a great website to help students improve their writing skills. https://owl.english.purdue.
http://www.worksheetworks.com/
Brain Science Gives Us Evidence That Effort — Not IQ or ZIP Code — Paves the Path to Success http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
Free news resource for low-level adult readers. Http://www.
Many of you who have expressed interest in becoming a part of the newly-formed Event Committee. Some of you have already contributed your time and talents at various events.
I would like to know if any of you might want to assist with one or more of the following:
Please contact me by January to let me know if you are willing to take any part in any of these outreach efforts – Please? It need not be a major time commitment in your busy lives.
Thank you so much for your involvement with the Literacy Council.
Please grab your calendars. Our next tutor training will be held on February 22nd from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm and March 8th from 9:00 am – 12:00 noon at Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church in Severna Park. If you are interested in attending this training, please contact me to register.
We also have our Tutor/Student Appreciation Dinner scheduled April 8th, 2014 from 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm at Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church. More details will follow in the coming months, however now is a good time to talk with your student about this event so that they can make plans to attend. We would like to acknowledge and give a certificate for every student who attends this dinner. 100 % participation this year would be wonderful!
Warmest regards,
Lisa Vernon
Director, Anne Arundel County Literacy Council
410-269-4419 (office)
410-798-0408 (home)
I was “matched” with Charles last May and he’s been a bright spot in my life ever since. I’m a former Anne Arundel County English teacher who retired in 2007, and I’d been looking for ways to become more involved in the community. Tutoring through the Anne Arundel County Literacy Council seemed like a perfect way to accomplish that goal.
Charles attends the Arundel Lodge, which offers support services for people with mental health and behavioral challenges, on Monday through Thursday. He enjoys taking English classes at the Lodge and decided to inquire about working with a tutor to sharpen his reading and writing skills. That’s when he was put in touch with the AACLC.
Charles is very eager to learn. He shows up on time for our sessions and always has his homework completed. He is an extremely motivated student and is a delight to work with. When he recently earned his certificate after completing a reading level, he was thrilled. Charles wants to keep improving his reading and writing skills and then see where that takes him. I’m fortunate to be a part of his journey.
Susan
I walked into the Head Start Building in Shady Side one day last August and met my new student for the first time. Angelica, a young wife and mother of two preschool children, has set herself an ambitious goal: She wants to become a medical assistant. Improving her reading and writing skills and eventually obtaining her GED are steps she has to master along the way and she’s eager to work with me. We’ve just completed Laubach 3, and Angelica was really excited to receive her certificate. She is such a pleasure to teach, and is not afraid of asking questions, which makes my job easy.
I wanted to volunteer for the Anne Arundel County Literacy Council to make a positive difference in another person’s life. This experience has made it clear that there is no limit to what a motivated person can accomplish. I am very fortunate to be able to help Angelica, and am inspired by her enthusiasm for learning.
Cindy
We’ve just added a page under “Volunteers” in the main website menu called “Help with student reading assessment.” It’s an open letter to tutors written by Dixie Catlett, Tutor Trainer, to help our tutors understand their student’s reading assessment. Besides a guide to understanding each section of the student assessment, Dixie has included lots of suggestions for exercises and strategies that will help your students learn more quickly and apply what they learn in their daily lives.
Pictured from left to right: Michael Morse, Rick Powell, Lisa Vernon, Joanna Conti, Rev. Alan Traher.
The AACLC participated in the AACares community fundraiser again this year, winning a $2,500 grant for most donations received for nonprofits under $150,000. We received 42 individual donations, more than any of the 61 nonprofits who participated in AACares, and received a total $3,715 in donations (plus an additional $600 in checks).
Thanks to all of our supporters for making this event so successful! Words are inadequate to tell you how much it means to the AACLC staff and volunteers to know there is such a broad-based community support. It is the hallmark of a vital organization doing important work to make a difference.
Although she regularly attended school as a youngster, Deborah never really learned to read. Now in her 50s, Deborah wants to be able to read and understand any piece of paper that’s handed to her–including such things as written instructions from her doctor. She’s simply tired of depending on others.
Deborah takes the bus to meet me twice a week, faithfully arriving early. Her positive attitude is infectious! She proudly shows me her completed homework, and how well she can read the last session’s story after working on it at home, using her flash cards.
Deborah’s hard work has paid off; we’ve moved through her first Laubach book quickly, completing a lesson each session and finishing Level I in just two months. Her growing confidence, pride in her accomplishments, and gratitude for this opportunity make each session a joyous event. When Deborah earned her certificate, she was as thrilled as if she had won the lottery. I’m sure it’s just the first of many great successes for her.
