Palmdale Library - Literacy tutors sought: Library helps more Valley adults read

Literacy tutors sought: Library helps more Valley adults read
Antelope Valley Press: 9.06.2007 by Lindsay Hymas

An estimated 17,500 adults in the Antelope Valley are illiterate, according to the Palmdale Library Adult Literacy Program.

The Palmdale Library is looking for volunteers to help reduce those numbers through its free program available to any English-speaking adult.

Since its inception in February 2002, the Palmdale Library Adult Literacy Program has trained approximately 150 volunteers who have worked with more than 300 adults, teaching them basic reading and writing.

The National Literacy Act of 1991, defines literacy as an individual's ability to read, write and speak in English; compute and solve problems at levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job and in society; to achieve one's goals and to develop one's knowledge and potential.

Being illiterate does not mean a person is stupid, said Rod Williams, literacy coordinator for the Palmdale Library Literacy Program.

"It is important to look past the problem and see the person. Illiteracy is correctable.

"Illiterate adults should know they are not alone and that the program exists to help," Williams said. "There's a lot people can get out of a literacy program."

A five-year grant from the California Library Literacy Service provided funding for the volunteer-based program where tutors meet with students for one to 1½ hours once or twice a week for six months, Williams said.

Once a month, Williams conducts a six-hour training session for volunteer tutors, he said. During the training Williams screens volunteers, gives them an orientation to the program and introduces them to different teaching techniques, he said.

Each volunteer receives a teaching manual along with a copy of "The Voyage," a series of nine books representing varying levels of comprehension.

"My main objective in training is to get people to feel comfortable working one-on-one with other people. What I'm really looking for is people with patience and a sense of humor," Williams said.

Tutors should understand that literacy doesn't happen overnight; it takes time, William said. "I tell them, 'You're getting to impact someone's life.' That's a time commitment."

Each student receives a copy of "The Voyage" for his or her literacy level, and a copy of Litstart, a one-stop shop for the literacy program that includes techniques, phonics, word lists and more, Williams said.

Students also can bring their own material to tutoring sessions each week. "Anything is fair game," Williams said. "If they want to bring in comics or the newspaper, that's fine. Anything that helps them to read.

"Our long-term goal is that every student, by the time they leave, can function better in society," Williams said.

Palmdale City Librarian Nancy Quelland said the library's literacy program is a great service for the community. It "provides an opportunity for people to improve their reading and writing," she said, which "affects every aspect of their lives."

According to Quelland, the Adult Literacy Program is "very specialized because it's geared toward their needs, and they are able to set their own personal goals."

Not all students become truly engaged in the program, Williams said. While some students only meet their once-a-week minimum, others are yearning to learn more, he said.

So 1½ years ago, the literacy program introduced small classroom workshops for those who are really motivated, Williams said.

"We've found that having small classroom workshops in addition to the one-on-one tutoring provides supplemental instruction and extra social support for learning," he said.

The workshops help students hone basic math skills, reading and spelling skills, phonics and word family recognition skills.

California has about 100 literacy programs, but the Palmdale Library's literacy program is the only library program of its kind in the Valley, Williams said.

Other literacy resources in the community include remedial courses at Antelope Valley College, the AV Adult School, various church-run programs and private tutors.

Workshops for the Palmdale Library Literacy Program are conducted in the Palmdale Cultural Hall, but session meeting places are organized by the tutor and learner and can be conducted in any quiet public place, including the City Library and Palmdale Youth Library, Williams said.

Williams estimates one out of every five adults cannot read well enough "to fill out a simple application, read a food label or read a child a bedtime story."

According to the American Library Association, the impact of low literacy skills on society is enormous, correlating to income levels, unemployment rates, health care issues, crime statistics, remedial training and voter participation.

For details about the program, call Rod Williams at (661) 267-5682.