Orange Co Library - READ/OC 14th Annual Family Picnic and Appreciation Celebration

READ/OC 14th Annual Family Picnic and Appreciation Celebration: Sep 6

Get ready for the Round Up!

We're rounding everybody up for the READ/OC 14th Annual Family Picnic and Appreciation Celebration (AFPAC) on Saturday, September 6, 2008. It's sure to be a "Hoot and a Holler" for everyone.

We are going to be rustling up some good ole Barbeque in addition to lots of fun and games.

So mark your calendar and come on out for some fun, Western style! We'd love to have you join us!

Orange Co Library - READ volunteers leave a lasting legacy of literacy

READ volunteers leave a lasting legacy of literacy
At Your Service, Orange County Employees Retirement System: July 2008

For the thousands of area adults who can’t read the menu at a local restaurant, decipher the directions printed on a medicine bottle or complete a job application, illiteracy is a terrible reality.

But a group of dedicated volunteers and Orange County Public Library employees are helping to make a difference in the effort to provide literacy skills in their community.

Anyone reading this article already has the skills that eluded Brea resident Richard Carrizosa for most of his adult life. But thanks to READ/Orange County, he is writing a much happier chapter now.

Carrizosa and his wife Clara were at the Orange County Fair in the mid-1990s when they walked by an information booth related to recruiting both students (also known as “adult learners”) and tutors for READ/Orange County.

“I have a good eye to see things, but I couldn’t read,” Carrizosa admitted. “When my wife called me to ‘Come back here,’ she told me about the program. That’s how I got involved.”

Fast forward to 2008 and Carrizosa talks fondly of working with several tutors over the past 11 years. “We’re pretty lucky to have a program like this. The opportunity is there if you want it,” Carrizosa said. “I think it’s the greatest.”

Irvine resident Alveris Corson represents the other side of READ’s winning formula. She is a tutor who has helped dozens of adult learners since becoming a volunteer for the program in May 2003. “After I retired, I needed to do something to make life interesting,” Corson explained.

In addition to representing READ at public forums such as the Orange County Fair, golf tournaments and company expos, Corson leads a group of ESL (English as a Second Language) in Costa Mesa and a conversation-focused class at Heritage Park in Irvine.

“It’s amazing what I’ve learned,” Corson said. “The first year I worked with a gentleman one-on-one who had not finished high school. Then I spent the next year with a young woman from China. Her problem was conversation and understanding (American) slang.”

Corson said being a volunteer for READ requires relatively little time, but she encourages other Retirees to volunteer. They will be matched with an adult learner who can meet them at an Orange County Public Library located near their home.

Marcia Tungate, Literacy Programs Administrator for READ/Orange County, said while the Orange County Public Library is truly one of the best library systems in the nation, 350,000 adults are unable to take advantage of the books, periodicals and other research tools available at the library because of low-level literacy or English skills.

“That is the equivalent of the entire population of Irvine, Lake Forest, Laguna Beach, Laguna 7 Hills, Laguna Niguel, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente,” Tungate said of the 350,000 number.

Since early 2004, volunteer tutor Sandy Hague has been serving READ/Orange County on two fronts, tutoring an adult learner in a conference room at Fountain Valley Library and spending four hours a week helping out at READ/Orange County’s headquarters in Santa Ana.

“It’s rewarding because you’re helping people accomplish what they want to accomplish,” said Hague, noting there are a variety of reasons that adult learners come to READ for assistance.

“My current student just got a promotion at work and I like to think what she learned at our sessions played a part in that,” Hague said. “Helping them (students) is terrific.”

READ/Orange County, the adult literacy service of the Orange County Public Library, delivers its services by training community members to become volunteer tutors who work one-on-one with adults and families who have low level reading, writing and English skills.

“Our catch phrase is ‘Leave a Legacy.’ Richard, by learning to read, can now read to his grandchildren,” Tungate noted.

“Alveris has helped expand the program and she has 24 students. The impact of teaching a person to read is amazing,” Tungate explained.

When asked about Hague, who has provided services as a tutor and with professional services at READ/Orange County’s offi ce, Tungate replied: “I could not have survived without her.”

If you are interested in becoming a tutor, or if you or someone you know needs reading assistance, please call 714-566-3070. You can also visit READ/Orange County’s official Web site by pointing your browser to www.readoc.org or visit your local OCPL branch for more information.

“People who have worked hard all their lives can still help make the world a better place in retirement. People who volunteer with READ are giving from their heart,” Tungate said.

Added Carrizosa: “Today when my wife gives me a grocery list, I can read it."

Orange Co Library - Reading, writing and bonding

Reading, writing and bonding
Two Aliso Viejo residents volunteer as literacy tutors for READ Orange County.
Orange Co. Register: Dec 20, 07 by Amanda Pazornik

Jennifer Wood knows the difficulties of learning a second language.

Five years ago, she flew more than 5,000 miles to attend University of Aix-en-Provence in France to immerse herself in French culture and master a language she had been studying since her days at Aliso Niguel High School.

Now the 24-year-old has the opportunity to teach others how to read, write and understand English as a volunteer literacy tutor with READ of Orange County.

Wood and fellow Aliso Viejo resident Sandra Leone recently completed a 23-hour training course as part of their tutor certification and are working with ESL (English as a Second Language) "learners." Their commitment is 50 hours of tutoring over a one-year period.

Learners must be at least 16 years old and be able to speak with and understand English-speaking staff and tutors.

Leone, 51, meets once a week with her learner, a mother of two from Korea, at the Aliso Viejo Library. The match is ideal for Leone who has a 13-year-old daughter and tutors while she is in school.

Leone is helping her learner, who speaks Korean with her husband, to better understand her English-speaking children.

"As her kids get older, it's harder for her to communicate with them," Leone said. "She writes well, reads OK but her confidence when speaking was low. After three meetings, her confidence is building. It's truly amazing."

Nationwide one in five adults is "functionally illiterate," a term used to define adults who have not mastered basic reading, writing and speaking skills, according to Bob West, outreach coordinator for READ Orange County.

That equates to roughly 400,000 adults in Orange County alone, he added.

Wood, now finishing up her French degree at UC Irvine, was matched with another student. The two can be found at the Laguna Niguel Library working on word patterns, phonics and spelling.

"Tutoring is such a positive experience for me," Wood said. "I've only been tutoring for three or four weeks, and I would totally recommend it to anyone."

Watch READ/OC's Video @

Orange Co Library - READ/Orange County's volunteer literacy tutors are "Making a Difference."

READ/Orange County's volunteer literacy tutors are "Making a Difference."

Senator Correa's October Newsletter

Bob West writes: "Senator Correa: In response to your request, here is information about some very special individuals in your District who are Making a Difference in their communities by becoming certified as volunteer literacy tutors for READ/Orange County, the adult literacy services of Orange County Public Library"

The mission of READ/Orange County is to create a more literate community by providing diversified services of the highest quality to all who seek them.

Volunteer literary tutors complete a required 23-hour training course. This training prepares them to teach reading and writing to the one out of four adults that have low or no literacy skills. They join a dedicated corps of more than 300 active volunteer tutors in Orange County who are changing the lives of adults through literacy.

Marcia Tungate, READ/OC Literacy Programs Administrator, says, "It is the commitment of our wonderful tutors that makes our literacy program great. When we teach someone to read, we start a ripple that affects the lives of the individual, the family, and the community. Everything we do is impacted by the ability to read."

READ/Orange County offers a comprehensive training program for adults who want to become a tutor. No prior teaching experience is necessary. Many learners who have made the life changing decision to improve their reading skills are now patiently waiting to be matched with a tutor. Leave a legacy... teach an adult to read!

Get more information at the READ/Orange County: 714-566-3070.

Information on current legislation regarding libraries and literacy can be found at www.leginfo.ca.gov

Click on Bill Information. Search by Keyword(s). Enter literacy or libraries. A list of related (2007-2008) current bills will be provided, as well as additional information regarding the legislation.

Orange Co Library - READ/OC - Read for the Record

Read for the Record was an incredible “record-breaking” event throughout Orange County. The impact within the community, OCPL branches as well as our tutors and learners was amazing! This effort was coordinated by Carol Marshall, Americorps Member of the READ/Orange County Team.

Below are some highlights - More Highlites @ Flickr

At Buena Clinton Family Resource Center, one of our volunteers was speaking with a mother in Spanish about the importance of reading to her children. Her 5-year-old child popped up and asked in English “can I grow up and be a doctor?” Our volunteer then went on to excitedly encourage the mother to continue reading to her child so that he can realize his dream of becoming a doctor.

A little boy, he couldn’t have been more than 3 years old proudly showed me his brand new library card at Irvine University Park. Comments from the librarian “The patrons were very happy with the whole thing. …Everyone brought home something to read of their very own.”

At Stanton Family Resource Center, it was one activity at their semi-annual “Family Fun Friday Night,” which included games, food, entertainment as well as community resources. It was exciting to see families come in listen to The Story of Ferdinand and create a small craft; 38 families came with 81 children. This event lasted for about 3 hours during which time, we read the story continuously.

At Mesa Verde Library, we held the event in the Children’s section. We sang songs, read the story and had a follow-up craft activity. Following the story many parents stopped me to say how much they enjoyed the story. Comments from the librarian “one of the parents said to another parent, who had not been to the library before, that a program like this is why they love to come to the library.”

We distributed books and craft materials for staff at OCPL headquarters to share with their children at home. Nineteen employees stopped by during their lunch time, not only for the book, but also the play with the craft items.

At a family reading time at Irvine Heritage Park Library, 8 families with 10 children were in attendance. One of the families included grandma, dad, mom and daughter. They all enjoyed the story as well as the follow-up crafts; each family member got involved in creating with the craft materials! They were new to this and were excited to learn we hold a monthly family literacy class at that branch. The Grandma told me that she had not heard this story since she was a small girl.

The Final Numbers:
14 Branches including OCPL Headquarters
3 Community Family Resource Centers hosted 4 events
2 Elementary School Class rooms
1 Boys & Girls Club joined with Stanton Branch

279 families
563 Children
54 Volunteers
5 READ/OC staff

Includes 23 READ volunteers, 10 teens volunteers and 3 staff from Buena Clinton Neighborhood Center in Garden Grove, 7 Children’s Librarians, 2 staff from Stanton Family Resource Center, 2 classroom teachers, and 7 volunteers from Boys & Girls Club, Children’s Hospital of Orange County and Garden Grove Police Department, and Housing With Heart/Jamboree Housing Corp.

Orange Co Library - READ/Orange County - National Literacy Month

National Literacy Month

katydiddys is offering Literary Cupcake Notecards!

5% of profits (and FREE shipping) will be donated to the Friends of READ Orange County, an organization that supports the adult literacy program of the Orange County Public Library.

Click here to order.

Orange Co Library - Literacy and the Pursuit of Happiness

Literacy and the Pursuit of Happiness
OC Register: Jan 24, 2007 by Jenny Sokol

Antonio (Tone) Correa will be 98 next month and the man shows no sign of slowing down. Why should he? "I'm busy," the Orange resident explains. "It's what keeps me young."

Busy indeed. Correa drives himself to the senior center where he loves to dance. He's writing three books. In his spare time, Correa volunteers with READ Orange County, the adult literacy program of the Orange County Public Library.

Bob West, outreach volunteer coordinator for READ/OC, estimates that Correa has spent well over 2,000 hours teaching 40 adults to read and write in the past decade.

An estimated 350,000 to 450,000 people in Orange County, and one in every five adults nationwide, are considered functionally illiterate. READ/OC works to reduce those numbers with its confidential, no-cost tutoring program.

Programs offered include Families for Literacy, where parents learn alongside their preschool-age children; Working for Inmate Literacy Now, where prisoners in O.C. jails hone their literacy skills; and English Language and Civics Education, where nonnative English speakers cover subjects ranging from nutrition to employment skills.

As for Correa's students, a few are learning English as a second language. "I tutor a Korean student who wants help with pronunciation," Correa says. At one time, Correa worked with a 72-year-old man who couldn't read or write but was finally ready to learn.

Currently, Correa tutors four learners twice a week, for a total of 16 weekly volunteer hours. "I'm just interested in helping," says Correa.

"See, I'm retired," he explains. "I take it easy. I don't worry about a thing. But as long as there are people who need help, I'll help." READ MORE

Orange Co Library - Literacy and the pursuit of happiness - Antonio (Tone) Correa will be 98

Literacy and the pursuit of happiness.
Orange County Register: Jan 24, 2007 by Jenny Sokol

Antonio (Tone) Correa will be 98 next month and the man shows no sign of slowing down. Why should he? "I'm busy," the Orange resident explains. "It's what keeps me young."

Busy indeed. Correa drives himself to the senior center where he loves to dance. He's writing three books. In his spare time, Correa volunteers with READ Orange County, the adult literacy program of the Orange County Public Library.

Bob West, outreach volunteer coordinator for READ/OC, estimates that Correa has spent well over 2,000 hours teaching 40 adults to read and write in the past decade. An estimated 350,000 to 450,000 people in Orange County, and one in every five adults nationwide, are considered functionally illiterate. READ/OC works to reduce those numbers with its confidential, no-cost tutoring program.

Orange Co Library - Literacy groups teach with dignity

Literacy groups teach with dignityOrange County Register: April 26, 2006

Dear Abby: I have been dating a nice guy for two years. We started out as good friends and the relationship progressed from there. He's truly all that you could ask for. My dilemma is, he doesn't know how to read and write.

This is a very sensitive subject for him. He is 33 years old and works as a custodian for the school district. He earns a fraction over minimum wage and is making child-support payments.

I have been very patient with him, but any time I raise the subject of his going back to school, we end up arguing. Now he has decided to take a part-time job in the evenings - so there will definitely be no time for school. What am I to do? He thinks my pushing him to learn to read and write is about the money. It's not! He keeps saying he's leaving his reading and writing "in God's hands." How can I help him? - Wits' End in Miami

Dear Wits' End: Your boyfriend's unwillingness to reach out for help may stem from embarrassment. Please explain to him that there are programs especially for people like him, and that they are easy to access. All you have to do is call your county library and tell the librarian you are looking for a referral to a literacy coalition so your friend can learn to read. Your friend will be treated with dignity, I promise.

Orange Co Library - READ/Orange County Anaheim volunteer gets presidential honor

Anaheim volunteer gets presidential honor
Orange County Register: April 20, 2006 by Sarah Tully

Anaheim resident Linda Kricfalusi won the President's Volunteer Service Award for volunteering 520 hours as a literacy tutor, her organization announced today.

Last year, about 20,000 people nationwide were given the award, sponsored by the Points of Light Foundation and a top honor tied to the White House.
Kricfalusi, who volunteers and serves as a board member for READ/Orange County, is being recognized as part of National Volunteer Week, which starts Sunday.

Winners receive a signed letter from the president, a certificate and a lapel pin.

Orange Co Library - Aliso library hosts adult literacy campaign READ/Orange County assists overcoming illiteracy

Aliso library hosts adult literacy campaign READ/Orange County assists overcoming illiteracy.
Orange County Register: March 1, 2006 by Salvador Hernandez

Volunteers only need to bring a pencil and paper. Students find the necessary reading material everywhere they look.

They find it on medicine bottles, DMV manuals, resumes, voter guides, notes from their child's teacher or in the newspaper - the every day items they just can't read.

It all depends on what it is that the student is trying to accomplish, said Shari Selnick, training coordinator for READ/Orange County, a program within the Orange County Public Library that teaches adults how to read.

"We are working toward their goals," Selnick said. "It's not through workbooks and not through grade levels. That's irrelevant."

READ/Orange County has been teaching adults how to read since 1991, Selnick said. "It was great that the library realized that this is a need," Selnick said. "How could patrons use the library sources if they can't read?"

On March 7, READ/Orange County will be holding an orientation at the Aliso Viejo Library, 1 Journey, for those interested in becoming tutors. The orientation is from 6 to 8 p.m. The orientation is free, but organizers are asking participants for a donation.

Selnick, who also teaches human communication at Cal State Fullerton and Cal Poly Pomona, first became involved with READ/Orange County in 1997. She has been the training coordinator for the organization for about two and a half years.

"It's addictive," Selnick said. "Especially when you see you have made such a difference in people's lives."

For example, Selnick remembers a 55-year-old student who decided to learn how to read because he couldn't read street signs. He would get lost in the freeways and decided it was time to learn, Selnick said.

The organization currently has almost 500 students, plus a waiting list waiting to be paired with a tutor. "And we always have learners on the waiting list," Selnick said.

About one in four people have difficulty reading in Orange County, Selnick said.
Of course, that means that three out of four people can help, she said.

Those looking for helping in learning how to read are as diverse as the entire population of Orange County, said Bob West, outreach coordinator for READ/Orange County.

"The main thing I try to do is make the community aware what illiteracy is, and the number of people that are affected by this," West said. West also tries to correct some of the assumption people may have about illiteracy, like the assumption that most are born in other countries.

In fact, more than half of those who can't read were born here or are adults who have gone through a U.S. school system, West said. Some of them are successful business owners.

He credits that what he calls, the three D's: disabilities, differences and difficulties.

"The facts of life are that we are not wired the same," West said. "If you wanted me to fix the refrigerator, I could read the manual, and I could do it. Another person needs to be shown how to do it. Another person says, 'Tell me how to do it, but I have to do it.'"

That's why students go through a detailed analysis to measure their reading level. Tutors are also taught to be flexible in their teaching styles in order to be more effective, Selnick said.

"It's not a cookie cutter," she said. "That's why we have been very successful."
Tutors are required to go through 23 hours of training and are asked to make a commitment of 50 hours a year. Tutors need to be at least 18 years old and have a willingness to teach and be taught, she said.

Orange Co Library - Sharing the need to read: Bakersfield transplant is booked as a literacy tutor for READ/Orange County

Sharing the need to read: Bakersfield transplant is booked as a literacy tutor for READ/Orange County
Orange County Register: Dec. 16. 2005 by Laura Rico

Local resident Laura Bryan was recently certified as a volunteer literacy tutor for READ/Orange County after completing a 23-hour training course. She currently tutors adult non-native English speakers to become, in the words of the organization "better parents, workers, and community members by gaining English language and literacy skills."

Bryan is currently working towards a master's degree in teaching English as a second language and teaches English to non-native speakers at two local community colleges. A recent arrival to south Orange County, the former Bakersfield resident is enjoying the cultural and employment opportunities that the region has to offer.

Q: Why did you get involved with READ/Orange County?
A. I heard about it through one of my professors at Alliant International in Irvine. I was looking for a way to get involved with the community, I just recently moved her from Bakersfield. I went onto their web site, found out more about them and then went to an information meeting.

Q. What are you studying at Alliant?
A. I am working on my master's degree to teach English as a second language. I have about a year left until I earn my degree.

Q. What did your training at READ/Orange County consist of?
A. I attended training for three Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. We worked on group activities and strategies on how to help people learn how to read.

Q. Why was it important for you to get involved as a literacy tutor?
A. I feel that in my life I have been so blessed with education. I have had a lot of opportunities and I have also had a lot of experiences that have shown me that other people have not had those same opportunities. I want to help people work towards their own goals.

Q. Who are you tutoring right now?
A. I have been working with a woman for about a month. English is her second language. She is originally from China. We practice speaking English and reading English. She is really excited and is really a nice woman. It is fun to work with her, she is so appreciative and eager to learn.

Q. Have you learned anything from her?
A. We were talking about Thanksgiving traditions and I asked her about her cultural things in China. She was telling me about the Chinese New Year and the different foods they make, like dumplings. It was difficult for her to describe, but she was trying hard.

Q. Coming from Bakersfield, what are some of the main differences you notice between life in the Central Valley and Orange County?
A. There are a lot more job opportunities down here, it was a lot easier for me to find a job. There are more cultural opportunities down here, I can go to plays or to museums.

Q. What do you do for a living?
A. I teach English as a second language at two different schools, Newton International College and Kaplan at Irvine Valley College. At Newton, most of the students are from Korea or Japan. They are mostly older adults just trying to learn English and help their kids at school. Kaplan students want to go into the university or go back to their countries and do something with English there. A lot of them are from Asia, but I have a student from Turkey, one from Germany and another from the United Arab Emirates.

Q. How has it been to meet people from all over the world?
A. So far it has been really interesting. Some of the students just attend classes for a few months, so I am always meeting new people and getting new perspectives on their lives and their culture.

Q. What do you think your students gain from learning English?
A. It gives them self-confidence. Sometimes they don't need English, they have friends who speak their language and they can get around fine. But they feel more confident when they can do things themselves. It gives them more independence and the confidence of knowing they can learn a new language.

Q. Do you speak any foreign languages?
A. I speak Spanish, and my students teach me a few phrases in Japanese of Korean.

Q. Have you always wanted to teach English? A. I have always wanted to teach, but it took me a little while to figure out what I wanted to teach. I lived in Venezuela and Mexico and taught English there. That's how I got interested in teaching English. When I got back I started taking classes.

Orange Co Library - READ/Orange County - National Association of Counties 2003 Acts of Caring Award Winner

National Association of Counties

2003 Acts of Caring Award Winners: Libraries

Orange Co.,CA: Families for Literacy/Smart Start

READ/Orange County Public Library

The Families for Literacy/Smart Start Program is a component of READ/Orange County, the adult literacy services of the Orange County Public Library. READ/OC, begun in 1991, provides no-cost, direct one-to-one and small group tutoring in basic reading, writing, and English skills to non-reading residents in the county.

The Families for Literacy component was instituted in January 1997 to address the intergenerational cycle of illiteracy and provide services to adults who have at least one child under the age of five. One benefit of the program is that adults, by increasing their literacy skills, become more informed community members and more capable to assist their children to gain literacy skills. In June 2001, the family literacy program expanded to include Smart Start, a component that provides direct service to children ages 0 – 5 and the skills necessary to ensure success in school.

Twenty-seven volunteers are involved with the program, working with nearly 500 adults and 350 children. The dollar value of the volunteer time is nearly $75,000.

Literacy skills are so tightly woven into every facet of a person’s life—civic, professional and personal. The program’s emphasis on literacy as a family issue, providing both parent and child with an enhanced awareness of the value of reading, assures a long-term, positive impact on the community.

Contact: Marcia Tungate, Literacy Services Coordinator
Phone: 714/566-3070

Orange Co Library - Locals donate time as literacy tutors

Locals donate time as literacy tutorsThe Orange County Register: August 14, 2003 by Jeffrey Chang

Brean Glenn Rolbiecki spends a few hours every Monday at the James A. Musick Correctional Facility in Irvine, helping inmates learn how to read.

Rolbiecki, 71, is a volunteer tutor for READ/Orange County, an adult literacy service operated through the Orange County Public Library.

Shereen Shoulders, READ/OC volunteer coordinator, said one in four adults -- about 400,000 people in Orange County -- either can't read or reads at a low skill level.

The goal of the program is to educate willing learners and improve their reading, writing and speaking skills, allowing them to prepare for the competitive job market, Shoulders said.

``The focus of our program is to prepare adults for the future,'' she added.

Rolbiecki, a retired truck driver, wanted to give back to the community in his spare time. He learned about READ/OC through his local library. Most tutoring sessions are held at library branches throughout the county.

Volunteer coordinator Bob West said many tutors are motivated by their love of reading.

``Generally, we find that these people enjoy reading, and when they find out how many people can't read they're blown away,'' he said.

La Habra resident and volunteer Viktoria Henry, 58, said, ``I love to read and I really wanted to teach someone so they can love to read.''

Volunteers must go through three hours of orientation with READ/OC staff to determine whether they are suitable to become tutors. Teaching expe rience isn't required but volunteers must understand basic grammar and spelling concepts and be willing to invest the time to teach someone to read. After orientation, volunteers must complete 17 hours of classroom training to learn effective teaching methods, such as using visual aids.

They are then assigned a learner, and after four of five weeks of tutoring, tutors are assessed by READ/OC staff and must complete one last three-hour course before they are certified.

``The training is intense,'' Henry said, but it ``helps you tailor the way you structure the lesson to fit the student's need.''

The core curriculum consists of tutoring sessions, either one-on-one or in small groups, structured around what the learner wants.

Sessions utilize ``all authentic materials used in real life,'' said Shoulders, such as newspapers, books and magazines.

Rolbiecki, who has been a tutor since March, chose to participate in the Working for Inmate Literacy Now program, or WIN. He said this particular component of READ/OC allows him to work one-on-one with inmates, helping them to become more productive members of society. He recently started working with his third learner.

``I'm really enjoying it,'' he said, ``and the inmates really appreciate it.''

WIN provides basic literacy service to pre-screened inmates in the Orange County jail system. WIN tutors don't have additional training but must receive clearance to work in the jails.

Henry works in the Families for Literacy, or FFL, component of READ/OC. FFL involves parents and children in an effort to break the cycle of illiteracy in families. While the tutors do work with the children, the focus is always on adults, said Shoulders.

Henry has been a volunteer literacy tutor for two years and has helped 15 learners.

Another part of the program, English Level Civics, provides English assistance for adult non-native speakers. Tutors provide not only reading skills but teach learners how to gain access to family health care, nutrition and employment skills. ``The program is very focused on literacy because literacy is so essential to be able to move on in society and improve yourself,'' Henry said.

READ/Orange County is a free service offered to adults ages 16 and older who are not in a high-school environment. Residents throughout Orange County are served.

Volunteer literacy tutors must commit to an additional 50 hours of service after being certified. They must also attend two in-service programs throughout the year to maintain their training.

Since the program's inception, more than 1,000 volunteer literacy tutors have been certified and more than 1,500 learners have received help reading. For information, call (714) 566-3070 or visit www.readoc.org .

Orange Co Library - Literacy program reaches many

Literacy program reaches manyThe Orange County Register: November 22, 2001 by Catrine Johansson

Simple things, such as reading a fortune cookie or writing checks are impossible feats for a large group of Orange County residents.

The same group of people often don't vote, don't get higher education and don't get well-paying jobs.

This group is the some 400,000 people who are functionally illiterate, a disguised problem that holds back some 20 percent of the population nationwide from the American dream.''

Since READ was founded in 1991, some 800 volunteer tutors have helped 1,500 students, or "learners,'' as they are called.

Tutors are available through all 28 county library branches. Eleven branches have designated literacy centers with teaching materials and study rooms. The Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo and Laguna Beach branches all have literacy centers. There are 15 tutors and seven learners at the Laguna Niguel Branch; six tutors and five learners at the Aliso Viejo branch; six tutors and four learners at the Laguna Beach branch.

Two Families for Literacy programs that teach literay to whole families are available in Laguna Beach. One meets at St. mary's Episcopal Church in the La Playa Center on Park Avenue, and the other meets at the Boys and Girls Clubs at 1085 Laguna Canyon Road.

All literacy training is confidential in the READ program, West said. Sometimes, not even family members know that a relative is in the program.

Funded through tax money and grants, the tutoring is free of charge to the learners. The tutors do not get paid.

``In fact, we ask the tutors for a $20 donation to cover training materials,'' West said.

Each tutor and learner is asked to commit a minimum of 50 hours over six months to the program. During that time, tutor and learner will work with material that is pertinent to that individual learner.

If a grandmother wants to read so she can read to her grand children, the tutoring will focus on the children's book she wants to read. If someone wants to read to follow cooking instructions, a Betty Crocker cookbook may be used.

``Learners won't learn if they aren't interested in the material,'' West said. ``Once the interest is there we can expand into different reading later.''

In instances when READ tutors work with parents to children in the Head Start program, they will donate the book they've used in the sessions to the families. Some $6,000 worth of books are donated in this way every year.

``It's often the first book in the household or the first book in English,'' West said.

Some 60 percent of the learners were born in another country, West estimated. The remaining 40 percent are illiterate due to slow development, substandard schooling or social promotion through the school system.

``Thank God we're finally getting away from social promotion,'' West said.

For more information, call (714) 566-3070, or visit http://www.readoc.org/.

Orange Co Library - READ/Orange County - National Association of Counties 2001 Acts of Caring Award Winner

National Association of Counties

2001 Acts of Caring Award Winners: Libraries

Orange County, California: READ/Orange County (Orange County Public Library)

In 1991, READ/Orange County (READ/OC) was created to provide an array of literacy services to individuals with low-level English skills and non-reading residents of the county. Trained volunteer tutors provide one-on-one and small group tutoring in basic reading, writing and English skills, so that individuals are more employable, more informed, and able to achieve goals such as getting a driver’s license or completing their GED.

In 1997, READ/OC started the Families for Literacy component to deal with the issue of intergenerational cycle of illiteracy. Children whose parents are functionally illiterate are twice as likely to be illiterate and also more likely to drop out of the school system. Volunteer tutors, therefore, work with parents and children so that parents learn how to communicate with and be involved in their children’s education, and children learn school readiness skills prior to beginning school.

READ/OC tutors also work with inmates in the five Orange County jail facilities to improve literacy skills and encourage detainees to continue their education after their release or transfer from prison. The benefits of READ/OC extend to all residents of Orange County because literacy levels have a direct impact on every aspect of society.

Literacy skills enable learners to become more effective citizens who can vote, better participate in their children’s education and adapt to the changing demands of the workplace. Since the inception of the program, volunteers have contributed 80,000+ hours of tutoring and an additional 82,000+ hours in talent and support services. Two READ/OC volunteers and the Literacy Services Coordinator have received Congressional Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Services.