Writer to Writer Celebration Event ▬ International Literacy Day ▬ September 8 @ 1 PM

Writer to Writer Celebration Event

International Literacy Day

September 8 - 1 PM

National Literacy Month

Writer to Writer Celebration Event

CLA Calendar: 9.8.2020

Join adult literacy learners and State Librarian Greg Lucas in honoring the winners of the annual Writer to Writer Challenge! Writer to Writer is an annual writing contest held in literacy programs in Southern California Library Literacy Network libraries and Monterey County Free Library.

Learners read a book, then write a letter to the author about the impact the book had on their life. 

Hear the learners read their letters and get inspired to create your own Writer to Writer letter.

Redlands Library ◯ 3 Adult Literacy Students In Redlands Honored For Their Writing

3 Adult Literacy Students In Redlands Honored For Their Writing

Redlands Daily Facts: 4.26.2020 by Diane Shimota, Adult Literacy Coord-AK Smiley Library

The cornerstones of literacy are reading comprehension and effective writing. Over the past two years, the Redlands Adult Literacy Program has offered tutor training and learner workshops to help learners develop stronger writing skills. The focus on writing led to 10 adult learners from the Redlands Adult Literacy Program entering into the Writer-to-Writer Challenge, sponsored by the Southern California Library Literacy Network (SCLLN). 

The SCLLN annual Writer-to-Writer Challenge invites adult learners throughout Southern California to write a letter to an author, living or dead, whose book has inspired them. This year, 95 adult learners from the Southern California region submitted letters to the challenge. Literacy coordinators screened the letters and selected the top five in each of four categories. Panels of adult learners then judged the top letters and selected one winner and two runners-up for each level of writing.

The Redlands Adult Literacy Program is happy to announce that three adult learners, Marisela Casillas, Maria Hernandez, and Tanya Jauregui, earned runner-up recognition from SCLLN.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, however, the awards ceremony that would have recognized these learners has been postponed. The Redlands Adult Literacy Program acknowledges the achievement of all adult learners who submitted writing to the challenge and celebrates the three runners-up from Redlands.

Here is what the awardees said they had gained from their experience:

Marisela Casillas

Casillas read the book “Seedfolks” and wrote a letter to author Paul Fleischman. “Seedfolks” was the first book Casillas had read on her own. She chose to write the author because she could relate to the characters in the book.

Maria Hernandez

Hernandez entered the challenge with her letter to Stephanie Sammartino McPherson, reflecting upon the book “Peace and Bread” about the life of Jane Addams. Hernandez was moved by the compassion Jane Addams felt for the poor, especially children and immigrants. Hernandez’s mother shared Jane Addams’ compassion for others and passed this along to her daughter.

Tanya Jauregui

Jauregui read Michelle Obama’s “Becoming” and wrote, “… you gave me courage to find my voice and speak louder for the Adult Literacy Program … I need to keep using my voice to advocate for such an amazing program.”  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Readability Consensus

Based on (7) readability formulas:

Grade Level: 11

Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 15-17 yrs. Old

(Tenth to Eleventh graders)

Santa Monica Library ◯ Mariana Boliarova, Adult Learner in LEAF Program ◯ Won SCLLN "Writer to Writer"

Mariana Boliarova, Adult Learner in LEAF Program, Won Southern California Library Literacy Network's "Writer to Writer"

Santa Monica Public Library: 3.26.2020

Mariana Boliarova, an adult learner in the Library's LEAF (Literacy Education for Adults & Families) program, won the Southern California Library Literacy Network's "Writer to Writer" contest with this letter to Sandra Cisneros. She shared her accomplishment with acclaimed author Cisneros and received this heartfelt response. Congrats to Mariana and her tutor Jialing Wang!

Sandra Cisneros

SCLLN Writer to Writer Awards ◯ 2019

Intermediate Category:

Winner

Mariana D

Santa Monica Public Library

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

Runners-Up

German N

Los Angeles Public Library

Kindred by Octavia Butler

Tanya J

A.K. Smiley Public Library

Becoming by Michelle Obama

READ MORE ➤➤

2020 SCLLN Literacy Conference ◯ March 21

2020 SCLLN Literacy Conference

March 21, 2020. 8:00 am–3:00 pm

Holiday Inn, Buena Park

Hotel and Conference Center

STRAND 1: 9 am -10:15 am

_ Brainstorming

Higher Order Thinking – Gateway To Success in Writing

_ Sticky Situations – What Happens When Lines Are Crossed

_ Dyslexia For A Day – Overview

Learners & Tutors

_ Urban Possibilities – Games & Writing To Find Your Story

STRAND 2: 10:30 am – 11:45 am

_ Tech & Teaching

_ What Every Tutor Should Know About Pronunciation – Color Vowel Chart

_ Remediation & Instruction For Dyslexia – Orton Gillingham Method (Part 1)

Learners & Tutors

_ Naturalization & Citizenship

LUNCH ◯ Writer To Writer Ceremony

12 Noon - 1:30 pm

STRAND 3: 1:45 pm – 3 pm

_ Remediation & Instruction For Dyslexia – Orton Gillingham Method (Part 2)

_ Tutor Ready Writing

_ U S Census – FAQs Updates Materials

Learners & Tutors

_ Writer To Writer Learner Panel

Please Choose a 1^st and 2^nd Choice in Each Strand

Registration

Early Bird - Feb 21

$35.00: Tutors, Volunteers, Staff

$15.00: Learners

After Feb 21

$50.00: Tutors, Volunteers, Staff

$20.00: Learners

LUNCH ONLY: $35.00

Email

SCLLN2014@gmail.com

Mail

Los Angeles Public Library

Adult Literacy / SCLLN

630 W Fifth

LA  CA  90071

 

Carrie Scott

Community Outreach Supervisor
Carlsbad City Library Learning Center

3368 Eureka Place

Carlsbad, CA 92008

760-931-4515

SCLLN Writer to Writer Awards ◯ 2019

SCLLN Writer to Writer Awards ◯  2019

We are excited to announce the winners and runners-up for the 2019 Writer to Writer Challenge!  We had a great response—95 entries—and the quality of the letters was amazing!

We are so proud of all the learners who wrote letters.  Each letter was a beautiful expression of the learner’s thoughts and feelings.  The ones selected as winners and runners-up most closely met the contest criteria, but as one coordinator said, every letter had its own “pizzazz.”

Please join other writers, tutors, coordinators and their guests at our conference lunch presentation on Saturday, March 21, at the Holiday Inn Buena Park

The winners and runners-up will each receive a cash prize and a certificate, and all letter writers will receive a certificate of participation.

We encourage all coordinators to invite and sponsor all your writers and their tutors for this special event.

The registration fees are only $15 for learners and $35 for tutors/staff (early bird, SCLLN member) and are an appropriate use of CLLS grant funding.

Inviting your Writer to Writer participants would be an excellent way to recognize our writers and their tutors.  Congratulations to all our letter writers! 

Emerging Category ◯ Winner

Alvin J

San Diego Public Library, READ/San Diego

March by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin

Runners-Up

Marisela C

A.K. Smiley Public Library

Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman

Lora M

San Diego Public Library, READ/San Diego

My Spirit Soars by Chief Dan George

Beginning Category ◯ Winner

Wendy G

Oceanside Public Library

Hana’s Suitcase by Karen Levine

Runners-Up

Maria H

A.K. Smiley Public Library

Peace and Bread: The Story of Jane Addams by Stephanie McPherson

Feri R

Newport Beach Public Library

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

Intermediate Category ◯ Winner

Mariana D

Santa Monica Public Library

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

Runners-Up

German N

Los Angeles Public Library

Kindred by Octavia Butler

Tanya J

A.K. Smiley Public Library

Becoming by Michelle Obama

Advanced Category ◯ Winner

Sarah K

Newport Beach Public Library

What to Do When I’m Gone by Suzy Hopkins and Hallie Bateman

Runners-Up

J.J. B

Santa Monica Public Library

Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis

Petranila H

Chula Vista Public Library

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Carrie Scott

Community Outreach Supervisor
Carlsbad City Library Learning Center

3368 Eureka Place

Carlsbad, CA 92008

760-931-4515

SCLLN

Adult Literacy Tutor and Learner Conference

Writer To Writer Awards

March 21, 2020

Holiday Inn Buena Park

Huntington Beach Library ◯ Writer to Writer Is Coming Soon!

Writer to Writer Is Coming Soon!

Literacy Volunteers-HBPL: 8.28.2019

Writer to Writer is a unique writing challenge through the Southern California Library Literacy Network (SCLLN). Writer to Writer invites adult literacy learners to write a letter to an author whose writing has changed the way they think about life. A group of learners from Literacy Volunteers-HBPL participated in the challenge this year. We hope you enjoy some of their letters!

Women of the Silk

Dear Gail Tsukiyama,

I read your book Women of the Silk with my tutor when I was working on my English grammar. I came from China when I was fourteen. Sometimes when I read your book I felt so familiar with Pei’s culture, this made me feel close to Pei. I really love her because she is a happy person no matter what happens to her. She always has a positive attitude that teenagers today don’t always keep.

Sincerely with respect,

Michelle W

Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World

Dear Mr. Montgomery,

I was so impressed about Temple’s story.  She was one of those kids who did not fit in with the rest of the crowd.  But she used her unique abilities and passions in the right way to become successful in life.  Temple is a different person because she was born with autism.  Her thinking was in pictures, not in words.  Autism helped her understand the feelings of animals, so she could make their lives better. Her love of making things and creating saved her life. She had tough times but she fought back.  As she grew up, she discovered that when one door closed, another door opened; that made her happy. Temple learned to use her autism to help her reach her goals.  Temple’s success gave autistic kids hope that success is possible for them.

Sincerely,

Hoang L.

Dear Juana Medina,

I have to thank you because I enjoyed reading your book, Juana and Lucas very much.  When I started to read the book, I loved the way you spell the name Juana who-ah-nah.  The way that you describe Bogota makes me feel like I have been there before.  Like Juana, I enjoy reading in the night.  She had Lucas with her and I enjoyed reading along.

Thank you Juana Medina for your wonderful book.

Sincerely,

Silvia

READ MORE >>

SCLLN 

Adult Literacy Tutor and Learner Conference

Writer To Writer Awards

March 21, 2020

Holiday Inn Buena Park

Automatic Readability Checker

Readability Consensus

Based on (7) readability formulas:

Grade Level: 6

Reading Level: fairly easy to read.

Reader's Age: 10-11 yrs. olds (Fifth and Sixth graders)

Huntington Beach Library :: SCLLN Writer To Writer Challenge

Writer to Writer

Literacy Volunteers-HBPL Blog: 5.23.2019

Writer to Writer is a unique writing challenge through the Southern California Library Literacy Network (SCLLN). Writer to Writer invites adult literacy learners to write a letter to an author whose writing has changed the way they think about life. A group of learners from Literacy Volunteers-HBPL participated in the challenge this year. We hope you enjoy some of their letters!

Dear Mr. Gary Chapman,

I read your book The Five Love Languages of Teenagers and I want to say that this is a wonderful book.  This book is having a good impact on me.  It’s taught me many things, like how parents focus more on the errors of their teenagers and the parents forget to give affirmation words.  Parents are hurting who they most love.  Parents and teenagers both battle with each other and both end up hurt.  Another thing that as parents we forget to do is the right thing when the teenager makes mistakes.  Love your teenager when they fail.  This book helped me understand my teenager.  My relationship with my daughter now is better.  I’m trying to be a better mother following the advice from this book.

The next book that I’m reading is The five Love Languages of Children.  Then I hope I can read The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts.  I think both books are great.  Overall, thank you for writing this kind of book Mr. Gary Chapman.  I learned a lot.  This book was very helpful.  My daughter and I became friends but sometimes I have to remind her I’m her mother.

Sincerely,

J. A.

READ MORE >>

Redlands Library :: Celebrate Adult Learners’ Successes!

Celebrate Adult Learners’ Successes!

Redlands Reads: May 2019

Throughout the year learners use their new reading and writing skills to reach new goals. The following highlights recent achievements:

Thirty-nine learners submitted works for publication in the adult literacy anthology, Our Stories, A Collection of Writing, Volume 2. This anthology, which will be published in the spring, includes personal memories, reflections on readings, poems, and inspired writings.

A Year by the Sea

Nine learners participated in the Southern California Library Literacy Network’s 18th Annual Writer to Writer Challenge. This writing challenge invites adult learners throughout southern California to write a letter to an author whose book inspired them. Tanya Jauregui, was awarded runner-up in the intermediate writer category. She wrote a letter to Joan Anderson, author of A Year by the Sea. Tanya wrote, “After reading your book, it made me realize that women have their own keys to their happiness.”

One learner completed the Adult Literacy Leadership Institute Bootcamp and several learners have made public presentations to community groups. Another learner assists the adult literacy computer instructor. Learners began reading words, sentences, and books on their own. More than a dozen learners reported that they had advanced in their employment. Some learners are pursuing certifications, citizenship, or have graduated from the Adult Literacy program having met their literacy goals.

All learners are to be congratulated for their commitment to improve their literacy.  READ MORE >>