Showing posts with label San Diego Co. Show all posts
Showing posts with label San Diego Co. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Dia de los Niños/Dia de los Libros : : SCLLN Libraries

Dia de los Niños/Dia de los Libros

April 30

@ SCLLN Libraries






April 27, 2015 3:00 PM Valle Vista
April 29, 2015 4:00 PM Glen Avon
Family Storytime April 30, 2015 10:30 AM Calimesa

San Diego County Library


Ventura County Library

El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day), commonly known as Día, is a celebration every day of children, families, and reading that culminates yearly on April 30. The celebration emphasizes the importance of literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
2:30-3:30 - Decorate your own Día book bag and craft
3:30-4:00 - Día Storytime with Jackie Pearce
4:00-4:30 - Live mariachi from De Anza Middle School

Thursday, March 26, 2015

San Diego Co Library :: Now You Know - How To Volunteer With LEARN

Now You Know - How To Volunteer With LEARN 
County News Center: 3.20.2015 by Jose Eli Villanueva



Is reading your thing? Take some time to help an adult learn how to read at your local County Library. Meet twice a week - and commit to 6 months - and help better someone's life. Volunteer with LEARN.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

San Diego Co Library - Tutors Make a Difference! LEARN Literacy

LEARN Adult Literacy - San Diego County Library

Change a life. Change a community.
Libraries Empower All to Read Now!

Our mission is to help adults improve reading and writing skills to achieve their full potential as community members, family members, workers, and life-long learners; to teach non-English speakers ESL (English as a Second Language) skills; to tailor services to individual needs, with confidentiality; to foster understanding and use of public libraries; to educate communities on the importance of literacy.  See Pictures Here !

San Diego County Library
201 E. Douglas Ave
El Cajon, CA 92020
619.588.3740

Sunday, November 10, 2013

SCLLN Literacy Videos @ Pinterest

Southern California Library Literacy Network
Literacy Videos
of Adult Learners and Tutors
have been pinned on


Azusa City Library
Carlsbad City Library
Centro Latino for Literacy
Chula Vista Library
Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library
Newport Beach Library
Rancho Cucamonga Library
A K Smiley Redlands Library
San Diego County Library

Videos of Learner Stories and Tutor Stories can also be seen at

Saturday, May 25, 2013

San Diego Co Library - English learners celebrate literacy at Writing Event Awards Ceremony

English learners celebrate literacy at Writing Event Awards Ceremony
Ramona Sentinel: 5.22.2013

Participants in the Laubach English Literacy Program at the Ramona Library took center stage at the 2013 Writing Event Awards Ceremony.

The writing event is conducted every year in April to give English learners the opportunity to use the writing skills acquired during the year. This year 26 learners from beginner to intermediate levels participated. The essay topic was “Food.” All of the writing was completed in the classroom using minimal notes and a dictionary.

Each participant received a certificate and a book donated by the Laubach Literacy Council of San Diego County during the May 7 ceremony in the library. The council in partnership with the San Diego County Library system offers English as a Second Language (ESL) classes in libraries, Ramona’s, as well as in non-library centers.
.     .     .     .     .
About 250 tutors serve approximately 800 adult learners throughout the county, making this Laubach council the largest totally volunteer ESL organization in the county.
.     .     .     .     .
A tutor training will be held on June 22 and 29 in the Poway Branch Library. Anyone interested in becoming a tutor or learning English may visit the website at www.laubachsandiego.org. READ MORE !

Thursday, August 9, 2012

SCLLN Summer Literacy Newsletters

SCLLN Summer Literacy Newsletters

Check out the summer newsletters of SCLLNs member libraries.  News, updates, creative writing, events – READ MORE !

Carlsbad – Learning Connection
A Gallery of Celebration: photos are from annual Celebration held June 3, 2012.

Los Angeles Public – READ
Creative Corner: Learners Write Essays.

Newport Beach – Literally Speaking
Two Adult Learners to Attend ALLI will learn the skills and techniques necessary to become true “learner leaders”.

Orange County – READ WRITES
READ/Orange County 20th Anniversary Celebrated at the Annual Family Picnic and Awards Celebration: Literacy “Super Heroes” Recognized!

San Diego County – LEARN Alive
New Literacy Space in Vista.

Friday, December 3, 2010

San Diego Co Library - Now Read This: Recession Halts Local Libraries' Literacy Programs


Now Read This: Recession Halts Local Libraries' Literacy Programs: Both the Casa de Oro and Spring Valley branches have had key literacy programs cut due to the economic downturn.
Mount Helix Patch: December 2, 2010 by Martin Jones Westlin


In the old days, San Diego County's anchor literacy facility was loopy with community outreach and the people who performed it. Everyone got involved, from churches, to book fairs, to schools, to entire neighborhoods. With a rate of about one in five county residents who lacked basic reading and riding skills, the county library's El Cajon branch personnel sought to help in its literacy campaign. The war was on, and the county had created a local program to help wage it.

Problem is, the old days aren't so old.

Only last year, the San Diego Council on Literacy applied for its annual grant to administer its Literacy*AmeriCorps coalition for 2010-11. But the recession has come to call, in the form of denial of the monies—leaving the county's AmeriCorps connection in disarray, costing the Spring Valley library branch a key class, slashing outreach at the Casa de Oro branch and meeting with the literacy council's dismay. If the grant had been given, the funding would have kicked in last summer, providing, among other things, modest stipends for those who volunteered for service.

6 6 6 6 6 6 6

The county created Libraries Empower All to Read Now (LEARN), its latest literacy effort, in 2005, staffing it with full- and part-time personnel from AmeriCorps and its own system, and housing it at the El Cajon branch. Seven AmeriCorps volunteers assessed and tutored scores of learners in LEARN's five years, assisting with clerical and outreach duties and attending literacy seminars from San Diego to Los Angeles. The members' terms of service typically last a year; members cannot serve more than twice.

6 6 6 6 6 6 6

For Kevin Vigil, a county library associate who helped spearhead AmeriCorps' local literacy work, the funding denial has meant a fight for survival.

"I would say the word would be 'inconvenient,' " Vigil said. "It's been quite an adjustment. Before, we always had someone in the office, regardless of who went where. Now, we don't have anyone answering the phones or e-mail. It's just me, and I do what I can."

Vigil handles tutoring requests and outreach for the southern half of the county. LEARN also maintains a facility at the county library in Vista. The library system has 33 facilities and circulates 10 million books and other items annually.

In Spring Valley, the cut has meant the cancellation of a citizenship class and the cessation of AmeriCorps' in-house tutoring program, leaving five potential learners to wonder what will happen next (the average wait time for tutor service from LEARN is about two months). Currently, no potential learners await tutor service at the Casa de Oro branch—but without AmeriCorps' aid, they're also no longer targets for outreach and may be unaware that LEARN exists. READ MORE !


Friday, July 23, 2010

San Diego Co Library - Amanda Rocks !

Amanda Rocks !
Learn Alive: May-Jun 2010 by Kevin Vigil, Library Associate

When I first stepped into the El Cajon Branch Library nearly fiveyears ago, I couldn’t help but notice the sparseness of the literacy center. There were no computers on the desks, a large wall devoid of color, and only one bookshelf with a handful of materials. The literacy office was a clear reflection of the nearly empty center adjoining it, except for one computer, a few file boxes scattered on the floor, and Amanda Schukle.

Amanda was LEARN’s first literacy coordinator and the sole staff member of the month-old program. As an outreach librarian, Amanda was hand- picked to take the reins of the fledgling LEARN program, which previously had been managed by the San Diego Public Library. Although many tutor/learner pairs had participated in the SDPL-run program, only twelve tutor/learner pairs successfully transitioned to LEARN. Amanda was tasked with getting more adult learners and tutors involved while attempting to develop an effective literacy program.

Initially, she faced a number of challenges. Some of these challenges included how best to provide services throughout the San Diego County Library’s large geographic area, developing effective volunteer recruitment strategies, figuring out a comprehensive training model for tutors, and building a literacy program that was fully integrated with the library. Periodically, communicating the significance of LEARN proved to be difficult , but Amanda consistently informed people of the program’s unique value.

Along with these challenges came successes. “The first being the very existence of LEARN,” stated Amanda. “The program was and continues to be a conduit for people to create their own success.” As adult learners improved their literacy skills, they began to accomplish long established goals, such as obtaining a driver’s license, a promotion at work, or reading a story to their children. These successes reaffirmed Amanda’s belief that “literacy programs go hand-in-hand with libraries… the library is for everybody.”

LEARN had grown leaps and bounds by the time Amanda was promoted to the department of Collection Development at library headquarters. More staff members came on board, and a second literacy center was added at the Vista Branch Library. Adult literacy and ESL services expanded as the number of tutor/learner pairs steadily increased throughout the county.

Nearly five years later, LEARN continues to grow, as does Amanda. Recently, Amanda announced that she accepted a position as one of three library services managers in the San Mateo County Library system in Northern California. Although she will be taking many memories of the San Diego County Library with her, LEARN holds a special place in her heart. “I’m so proud of how far [LEARN has] come” stated Amanda. “It’s nice to see the impact the program has made on people.” With over 500 active adults taking advantage of literacy services in the San Diego County Library, it’s nice to see the impact Amanda has made on LEARN.

Congratulations and the best of luck Amanda! You will be missed!


Saturday, June 19, 2010

Escondido Library & San Diego County Library - Libraries, hospital team up for reading program


ESCONDIDO: Libraries, hospital team up for reading program
Born To Read program aimed at dads this year
NC Times: June 17, 2010 by Rachel Hutman

The Escondido and Ramona libraries teamed up with Palomar Medical Center this week for an annual program aimed at getting more parents excited about reading to their children.

This year's Born to Read program, now in its 10th year, was aimed primarily at dads with newborns at the medical center in the days leading up to Father's Day on Sunday.

6 6 6 6 6 6 6

"The program hopes to impress upon fathers the importance of being literate in an ever-changing society," said Josephine Jones, director of literacy services at Escondido Public Library.

The program was developed by the American Library Association as a way to persuade families to read more and to start their own home libraries.

6 6 6 6 6 6 6

For more information about the Escondido Library's Family Literacy and Early Literacy programs, contact Robin Wright-Parker at 760-839-4272. A PDF copy of the Born to Read brochure is available at ALA. For more information about the Ramona Library, contact Slade at 760-738-2436. READ MORE !


Wednesday, December 30, 2009

San Diego County Library - Making a Difference in My Life

Making a Difference in My Life
LEARN Alive: Dec 2009/Jan 2010

My name is Esteban Ramirez, and I have been taking a Wilson Reading System class for the last 11 months. I am 29 years old, and I have dyslexia.

When I went to school, I didn’t want to read and write because the kids would make fun of me. So instead I became the big bad man at school, but it didn’t help me because all it did was make me feel bad about myself. I was feeling dumb that I was not like all the rest of the kids in my class so I missed a lot of school, and then I just stopped going.

Now I am 29 years old, and I want to make a difference in my life today by improving my reading and writing so I started to take a class with Hector with the Vista Library’s Adult Literacy Program. This is one of the best things that I have done for myself because I did not like to read before. But now because of Hector teaching me how to sound out words and break them up, I can spell and not be afraid to do this and I have more confidence.

I started the reading program in February on level 2 of the Wilson Reading System and now I am on level 7, and the whole time it has made me like to read and understand what I am reading by learning about open syllables and closed syllables, base words and suffixes.

All this I didn’t know how to break down but today I can do it. All this I didn’t learn in school but with Hector’s help I started to learn about long vowels and short vowels, which was all new to me.

And all I can do now is grow from here in my reading and writing. I think joining this program has been one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life.
Current Learner—Esteban Ramirez

Monday, September 21, 2009

Adult Literacy Awareness Month - San Bernardino Public Library - San Diego Co Library

Adult Literacy Awareness Month
September Spotlight
on SCLLN Literacy Programs

San Bernardino Public Library Literacy Center

provides small group tutoring to individuals that desire to improve their basic skills. Tutoring is provided by dedicated volunteers who are trained in literacy instruction by certified trainers through Laubach Literacy.

Classes in Adult Basic Education (ABE), English as a Second Language (ESL), Families for Literacy (FFL), After School Homework Assistance, and Citizenship preparation are a sampling of what is offered.

Online Help for Adult Learners
One-on-one assistance with resume reviewing, test preparation for U.S. citizenship and the GED, job search assistance and various other instruction is offered. It is available through San Bernardino Public Library both in the library and remotely via the library website daily 1 p.m. - 10 p.m. for SBPL library cardholders with Internet access. It is closed on July 4, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.


LearningExpressLibrary.com
(Sample Test Questions - formerly LearnATest)
Provides sample tests with questions to help preparation for the GED, SAT, CBEST, GRE, ASVAB and various employment-related tests. This database will prompt you to set-up a user name and password. You must keep this information to log in to use the tests. This database is accessible from the library or from home for San Bernardino Public Library cardholders.

Scrabble Night Every third Wednesday, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Literacy Center at Feldheym. All participants welcome! Come join the fun.

San Diego County Library

L.E.A.R.N. Mission
To help adults improve reading and writing skills to achieve their full potential as community members, family members, workers, and life-long learners;
To teach non-English speakers ESL (English as a Second Language) skills;
To tailor services to individual needs, with confidentiality;
To foster understanding and use of public libraries;
To educate communities on the importance of literacy.


Adult Literacy in San Diego County
An average 20% of adults locally struggle with reading and writing. It can be a source of embarrassment for adults, who are often unwilling to ask for help.

Many have learning disabilities;
Others received insufficient individual instruction in school or at home;
Others are immigrants seeking to learn English.
Adult Literacy Services at San Diego County Library
L.E.A.R.N. offers free, confidential adult literacy and learning services;
Services include one-on-one and small group tutoring and computer-aided instruction; Centers are in the El Cajon and Vista branch libraries;
Services are available at all San Diego County Library branches.


L.E.A.R.N. Newsletter


Friday, August 28, 2009

San Diego Co Library - The Benefit of One Another

The Benefit of One Another
Learn Alive: Aug/Sep 2009

Mother Theresa was often quoted as saying; “ Life is chiefly about service. “ My belief is such that she would be highly impressed with the ways LEARN subscribes to this ideal. I personally take this opportunity to say thank you to the committed staff at LEARN, to the brave learners and tutors, and to all those whose participation make literacy possible to each of us interested in the gift of continued LEARN-ing.

Name is Jayelle Sargent. My recent introduction to LEARN came at this period of my life which I jokingly remind my husband, who is seven years younger than I, “Lucky you darling…to witness this best chapter of my life’s drama. " Our four sons are grown, I recently retired from my career as an agent in the film industry, survived major health issues, and now I have the opportunity to choose how I will spend this last chapter. My love for libraries calls me to them, so it was a double delight when at the Encinitas Library, I read a LEARN flyer requesting volunteer tutors for literacy. Without hesitation, I called the Adult Literacy Program, signed up to attend a tutor training, and only then did I ask myself, “How in the world am I going to tutor English when I don’t remember many rules of grammar that I use out of habit.” My fears were quickly put to rest. By the close of the tutor training I had received the verbal support I needed, along with hands on materials to start this new adventure.

Several weeks later I received a call from the Literacy Center telling me there was a young woman interested in studying with a tutor. The appointment was set. Alicia and I met at the Encinitas Library on a Saturday, April 11, 2009. After we introduced ourselves to one another, I think the next thing I said was “You smell wonderful…I love your cologne.” How’s that for an icebreaker! READ MORE !

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

SCLLN Newsletters

SCLLN Newsletters
Check Out "Member Newsletters" !

from Escondido . . .
We began our Youth Academic Mentoring Program on October 6, 2008, and every day we get a new influx of students. The Mentor Center, housed over at the East Valley Community Complex, provides a learning environment where 1st – 8th graders can come in and work with one of fourteen CSU San Marcos interns.

Besides tutoring services, the interns act as mentors to our young learners, providing them with companionship, conversation and guidance in career exploration.

from Palmdale . . .
Learning about Wine by Ben Novelli
The Palmdale Literacy Program gave me the tools I needed to read and write. That has allowed me to do research so I am able to write an article on wine. Thank you Palmdale for having a Literacy Program.

I love wine, and I try to learn as much as I can about the stuff. There have been a lot of changes in the wine world. For instance, French wines were the wines to drink for years, but in 1976 California came onto the scene.

from San Diego County . . .

“Read for the Record” was an exciting event that took place on October 2nd at two library branches: El Cajon and Encinitas.

It was a wonderful way for L.E.A.R.N. to help Jumpstart, a national nonprofit organization, promote early childhood literacy. Jumpstart’s campaign has spread the importance of reading and family literacy across the country since 1993! This year they projected that 400,000 children would participate in helping to break the record of reading the same book, Don Freeman’s “Corduroy,” on the same day.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

San Diego Co Library - Adult Literacy Program 2008 Acts of Caring Award Winner


The Adult Literacy Program
of the San Diego County Library
2008 Acts of Caring Award Winner

National Association of Counties
2008 Acts of Caring Award Winners: Libraries


San Diego County:
LEARN/Laubach ESL Program
Cumberland County: Service to Adult Readers (STAR)


April 2008 -- With its high immigrant population, San Diego County officials recognized the high cost of illiteracy, including unemployment, decreased tax revenues and increased social services costs. Seeing a need to teach English as a second language (ESL) to the county’s growing adult immigrant population, representatives of Libraries Empower All to Read Now (L.E.A.R.N.) and the Laubach Literacy Council met to discuss the benefits of creating a literacy collaboration to share the costs of tutor training and working together on publicity for an ESL tutoring program in county library branches.

This partnership brings together volunteer tutors with adult immigrants whose first language is not English. There is no cost to the students. Results of the program show that immigrants who are proficient in English are more able to communicate ideas, find meaningful employment, become more effective parents, contribute to the community and become life-long learners.

In 2006, 25 tutors were trained and paired with 76 students and met an average of 3.5 hours a week over the course of a year for a value of $164,696 in volunteer time. Six library branches participated and two more have agreed to add the program this year. Libraries and L.E.A.R.N. referred 150 new students to Laubach in 2007 for matching with tutors. The program’s budget for 2007 was $5,265.

The partnership has enhanced the services of both organizations, and the program is changing and improving lives daily.

Contact: Nancy Saint John, Adult Services Coordinator, San Diego County Library
Phone: (858) 694-3833



Monday, August 4, 2008

San Diego Co Library - Pure Persistence

Pure Persistence
Learn Alive Newsletter: June/July 2008

When I came to America, I had some goals in my mind. To have a job, buy a home, have my family. And one of the most important goals was to read and write English, to communicate to anybody and not feel embarrassed.


I think I could do much better in my job and have a better opportunity to go a step up. My wife told me that there is a program in the library where they teach one on one.

It’s been almost 35 years that I’ve lived in America. I have gotten some of my goals. I have a great family, a great job. My job is almost my second home. I spend half of my life or more working there.

After these many years, I can read a magazine or newspaper, but I still have a problem with the writing. This is part of my life, some of the things I remember. I remember when I was a child. I liked to play with my bike. When my bike broke, I fixed it or asked my friends to do it for me. One time I built a bike from parts that I borrowed from my friends. When you have a problem in life, there is always a solution. Never stop in life for what you want.

I’m from Guatemala. I lived in Mexico City for almost three years. After that time, I moved to the USA. When I came to the USA, I was 17 years old. I had lots of ideas in my mind. I started working in landscaping and restaurants. I like restaurants because I like to cook and I like the environment. I have been working for The Fish Market almost 27 years. I meet lots of people.

Adolfo Salazar

Saturday, October 29, 2005

San Diego County Library

Librarian wants new programs on the books
Union Tribune: Oct 26, 2005 by Ruth Lepper

Jon Noland is adjusting to his move from the East Coast to a small-town atmosphere. If there is anything he wants to know about Julian, Southern California or the world, he has the information at his fingertips.

Noland is the new librarian at the Julian branch library.
In the past, there has been a branch manager working for the county but not a librarian.

"I'm the first one with a master's degree," said Noland, who holds a degree in library science from the University of Kentucky.

He found the job opening listed on the Internet while working for a library in Florida. His first day at the Julian job was July 1.

"I'm pretty busy adjusting to living 4,000 feet above sea level," he said.
Noland has been meeting a lot of local residents. The library averages 300 visitors a day. Many are from the adjoining schools. The library is on the campus of Julian High School. The junior high and elementary schools are nearby.
Noland wants more people to come to the library.

"We have a very good collection of materials: books, computers, audio books," he said. "But one of the things we need is to have a program to bring people into the library."

That has become his priority: establishing programs that will appeal to children and adults as well as entice families to come together. He especially wants to make the library accessible to youngsters who are home-schooled. At present, a home-schooled group comes once a month.

"There are a lot of home-schoolers in Julian," he said. "There is a need for the library to actively pursue the home-schoolers. They are an important part of the community."

Noland created a program for older people who are uneasy about using a computer. "It's computer instruction mainly for people who have not had access to a computer," he explained.

Twelve computers in the library are available for the public. Noland said there are plans to add six.

A recent project called for teens to record a day in their lives by using disposable cameras provided by the library. They made collages from the photographs taken on a specific day. The works are now on display in the library.

Noland also has added a movie night for teens, at 6 p.m. on Tuesdays.
He said he plans to increase the library's magazine subscriptions from five to 80, with special emphasis on publications that appeal to teens.
"We'll have magazines about skateboarding," he said. "We'll have a lot of magazines about sports, health and beauty; those sort of stylish things. We'll also have some anti-establishment point-of-view (magazines) so you don't look at the media and believe everything you read. It's a balanced collection of views of life and culture in this society."

Noland, 60, has started an adult literacy program here. The Friends of Julian Library provides funding for the one-on-one reading sessions.

The Friends group has a room in the library where it sells new and used books. The room is staffed by volunteers and is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Noland's dedication to his work stems from his teenage years and the time he has spent in libraries. "I've been working in a library for over 30 years," he said. "I worked in a library as a teenager and liked it."

Noland will discuss the new programs and plans at the Julian Merchants Association meeting Nov. 16.

The library is at 1850 state Route 78 in Julian. Hours are noon to 8 p.m. Tuesdays; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursdays; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. For more information, call (760) 765-0370.

Photo: Jon Noland, Julian's new librarian, came here from Florida and is busy becoming familiar with the town.

Monday, September 30, 1991

San Diego County Library - Joe won't have to fool them now

Joe won't have to fool them now
Literacy Services offers adults a new chance at life
San Diego Union: September 24, 1991 by Bob Rowland

When Joe Fernandez showed up for a job interview early one cool summer morning, he brought two key props: a newspaper and an application form that had been filled out for him by a friend.

But when Fernandez sat down to scan the application in front of him, his palms began to sweat. One question...then another, and another...didn't match those on the dog-eared sheet of paper in his pocket.

Frustrated and embarrassed, Fernandez slipped out of the personnel office and tossed the newspaper into the trash, knowing that yet another opportunity had slipped through his fingers.

"When you can't read or spell, you can't get anywhere," said Fernandez, 52. "You can fool people -- like I did whenever I took a newspaper with me -- but you can carry it just so far."

Fernandez sat hunched over a steno notebook one night last week during a two-hour learning session at the El Cajon office of the San Diego County Library's Adult Literacy Services.

The program offers free, confidential tutoring to English-speaking adults over 18. The East County office moved in July 1990 to its present location in a nondescript two-story building at 151 Van Houten St.

"Adults in our culture who can't read do get by, but it takes a tremendous amount of energy," said Pamela Carlisle, director of the East County literacy program.

"There is a stigma associated with illiteracy in this country," Carlisle said. "So much so, that people have a terrible time seeking help."

In the past, distance was another stumbling block for East County residents who wanted to take part in the literacy program. Those who owned cars faced a 40-minute commute to Kearny Mesa, where the unit was previously situated. Public transportation was even more challenging, especially for people working unusual hours.

Since moving to downtown El Cajon, Adult Literacy Services has experienced a surge in activity, Carlisle said. Last year, 178 learners took part in the program, which is carried out by three paid staff members and about 150 volunteer tutors.

It has been nearly a year since Fernandez knocked on the door of Adult Literacy Services. He took that step, he said, after a lifetime of daily frustrations -- and at the urging of one of his children.

"I worked as a laborer in construction for more than 15 years, because I didn't have to spell," said Fernandez, who was born and raised in Holtville, Calif. "But I want more now. I want a better job. And I want to be able to write a note to someone, or read a book or a newspaper."

Fernandez and his tutor, Lynda Martinez, have been working together as a team for months, meeting twice a week at the Adult Literacy center to pore over spelling exercises and vocabulary drills.

"I've always loved reading, and I think it's the most important thing I have to share," said Martinez, who works in the marketing department at United Way."

"Every day we talk about helping people," she said. "I came here because I wanted to put my energy and time where my mouth was."

Peering through silver wire-rimmed glasses, Fernandez struggled with the 26 symbols that have both taunted and eluded him his entire adult life.

Martinez repeated a phrase and waited for Fernandez to begin writing: "The cat is out."

The father of four wrote slowly, a No. 2 pencil gripped tightly in his right hand. For Fernandez, and for the estimated 350,000 county residents who cannot read or write, a simple sentence can pose obstacles, close doors, instill fear.

After several attempts and a few erasures Fernandez smiled down at the sentence he had just written.

Another small victory. But there are more ahead.

"I asked a friend of mine if he had seen the movie 'Misery,' and he said he had but that the book was even better," Fernandez said.

"That book is a long way off for me. But it's going to be there when I'm ready."

Friday, November 30, 1984

Millions bear the burdens of illiteracy

Millions bear the burdens of illiteracy:
Non-readers face a harsh sentence in America today
Evening Tribune: November 27, 1984 by Scott LaFee
read complete article @ NewsBank

TWENTY-SIX million Americans -- a number equal to the combined populations of New York, Los Angeles and Chicago -- could not read this sentence.

The same number -- one of every five American adults -- cannot write a check or read the label on a soup can. And each year, the number grows as nearly a million students drop out of high school.


In San Diego County, the figures don't read any better. As many as 400,000 residents may be reading below the fifth-grade level or may be unable to read and write well enough to function smoothly in society.

The statistics of illiteracy and its costs to the nation are staggering. Experts estimate illiteracy drains the economy of $6 billion a year in unemployment and welfare benefits, and of $237 billion a year in unrealized earnings.

Officials at Project Sure, a consortium of 27 adult-literacy projects throughout California, call the people "functional illiterates."

Functional illiteracy is not a total inability to read or write. The United States boasts an official literacy rate of 99 percent, but millions of Americans are still functionally illiterate.

Functional illiteracy must be judged in a social context. A lettuce farmer in the Imperial Valley, for instance, may be able to read a bill of sale but not a newspaper.

. . . Continued
Removing the stigma and reaching the illiterate is the goal of national organizations like Laubach Literacy Action and Literacy Volunteers of America, and local programs like the Tri-City Literacy Coalition which serves Vista, Oceanside and Carlsbad.

. . . Continued

According to Project Sure statistics, one-third of the county's 96,500 welfare recipients are high school dropouts. Nine percent have less than a ninth-grade education.

Twenty percent of the 1,800 people a day who apply for driver's licenses in the county must retake the written test, primarily due to reading problems. One-third of the 14,500 participants in the Area Agency on Aging nutritional program for senior citizens may be functionally illiterate.

Few dispute that illiteracy has an adverse, if indirect and hard-to-measure, effect on crime, lifestyles and governmental costs.

NewsBank is the leading provider of the complete electronic editions of newspapers globally. With NewsBank resources, libraries can provide patrons with unlimited, 24/7 Web-based access to not only their local newspaper, but also titles across the state or region, the entire U.S. or countries worldwide.