Library event brings parents, kids together to enjoy booksDesert Sun: August 26, 2003 Xochitl Pena
INDIO - With 24 percent of adults in California functioning at the lowest literacy level, reading advocates say it is important to have programs that help instill a love of reading.
At the Indio Library, that is what Victoria Jimenez is trying to do through Family Storytime.
The program runs every other Monday and is intended to instill an enjoyment of reading in parents and their children.
Parents learn techniques on how to read to their children, and children have fun being read to and making crafts.
"It's really important that the families get involved so they can take the experience back home with them," Jimenez said. "The way I engage (children) in the book is what we want parents to experience, so when they sit down and read with their child they can engage their child as well."
Family Storytime will run through December.
Monday's event revolved around a back-to-school theme.
Every child received a free book.
The group talked about going back to school to get the kids excited about staring the new school year.
The next story time will be Sept. 8.
During each event, Jimenez reads about 2 to 3 books, uses finger puppets and ends the evening with crafts.
"I make it really fun, we joke a lot ... but nonetheless it's a learning experience," she said.
Donna McCune, the Indio Library branch manager, said she loves what Jimenez is doing with the program.
"She's been doing a wonderful job. It's been terrific, there has been an increase in the youth coming and using the facility," she said.
The Family Storytime program was made possible through a Families for Literacy grant through the California State Library.
Jimenez runs similar programs in Desert Hot Springs, Thousand Palms and Mecca.
Her Indio program attracts between 40 to 50 parents and children each night.
Children attending range from toddlers to teenagers, she said.
Jimenez encourages parents participating in the Adult Literacy Program to participate in the Family Storytime nights as well.
"The whole family is the focus because we want to break the cycle of illiteracy," she said
Monday, September 1, 2003
Thursday, August 1, 2002
Hemet Library - Tutors teach adults ABCs
Tutors teach adults ABCs:
Anyone, including children, can get free assistance in reading and math at the library.
Press-Enterprise: July 2, 2002 by Marilee Reyes
When Ernie Acosta was laid off from her job more than three months ago, she discovered that job hunting held an almost insurmountable challenge for her.
She had a problem filling out job applications because she had difficulty reading.
"I don't spell very well, and I mix up my letters. They get reversed," Acosta said, describing a symptom of dyslexia.
She experienced the reading problem all the way through school but it was never addressed, so she was advanced every year along with her classmates. Being a nonreader wasn't a problem with the job she'd held for many years, but when she realized that her inability to read was inhibiting her search for a new job, she decided she'd better get some help.
Acosta's daughters suggested she check with the library for information about tutoring. She called the Hemet Public Library and was told about the library's free adult tutoring program.
That was three months ago.
When Acosta started the program she was matched with volunteer tutor Elaine Twamley. She's been working with Twamley and has reached the level where she's checking adult books out of the library for recreational reading.
"She has brought up her reading three grade levels in three months," Twamley said. "It's phenomenal."
Acosta smiled at Twamley's words. "Now I read for fun, too."
Twamley, too, has been rewarded.
"Like any good volunteer program, the volunteers achieve as much as those they help. We get to see life-transforming events. Once a person can read at an adult level, they can participate more fully in life," she said.
Robert Kriesten, who started volunteering 11 years ago after he retired, echoed Twamley's thoughts.
He'd had no experience teaching, but says he has discovered a knack for it and teaches math to small groups.
"I sometimes get tired and ask myself why I'm doing it. Then when I get there and see how they are learning, there's my answer. I know why I'm doing it."
Doris Anderson has been a volunteer tutor for 15 years. "I saw the need and thought this was something I could do to help. I'm kind of proud. One of my first students was able to get their GED and is now a driver for the RTA."
Twamley, Kriesten, Anderson and Dorothy McCann were present at a tutor/learner awards ceremony at the James Simpson Senior Center in Hemet last week.
Lori Eastman, literacy supervisor at the Hemet Public Library, coordinated the ceremony. She praised the tutors and learners for their hard work. Thirty learners and 27 tutors received certificates.
Receiving special recognition for tutoring were Kriesten with 11 years of volunteering, Anderson with 15 years and McCann, 17 years. Kriesten and Terry Oxenham were also honored as math tutors and Gloria Prieto was recognized for her support of the Families for Literacy program, which involves children and adults.
For information about the Hemet Library literacy programs, call the library at (909) 765-3856. All tutoring programs are free.
Anyone, including children, can get free assistance in reading and math at the library.
Press-Enterprise: July 2, 2002 by Marilee Reyes
When Ernie Acosta was laid off from her job more than three months ago, she discovered that job hunting held an almost insurmountable challenge for her.
She had a problem filling out job applications because she had difficulty reading.
"I don't spell very well, and I mix up my letters. They get reversed," Acosta said, describing a symptom of dyslexia.
She experienced the reading problem all the way through school but it was never addressed, so she was advanced every year along with her classmates. Being a nonreader wasn't a problem with the job she'd held for many years, but when she realized that her inability to read was inhibiting her search for a new job, she decided she'd better get some help.
Acosta's daughters suggested she check with the library for information about tutoring. She called the Hemet Public Library and was told about the library's free adult tutoring program.
That was three months ago.
When Acosta started the program she was matched with volunteer tutor Elaine Twamley. She's been working with Twamley and has reached the level where she's checking adult books out of the library for recreational reading.
"She has brought up her reading three grade levels in three months," Twamley said. "It's phenomenal."
Acosta smiled at Twamley's words. "Now I read for fun, too."
Twamley, too, has been rewarded.
"Like any good volunteer program, the volunteers achieve as much as those they help. We get to see life-transforming events. Once a person can read at an adult level, they can participate more fully in life," she said.
Robert Kriesten, who started volunteering 11 years ago after he retired, echoed Twamley's thoughts.
He'd had no experience teaching, but says he has discovered a knack for it and teaches math to small groups.
"I sometimes get tired and ask myself why I'm doing it. Then when I get there and see how they are learning, there's my answer. I know why I'm doing it."
Doris Anderson has been a volunteer tutor for 15 years. "I saw the need and thought this was something I could do to help. I'm kind of proud. One of my first students was able to get their GED and is now a driver for the RTA."
Twamley, Kriesten, Anderson and Dorothy McCann were present at a tutor/learner awards ceremony at the James Simpson Senior Center in Hemet last week.
Lori Eastman, literacy supervisor at the Hemet Public Library, coordinated the ceremony. She praised the tutors and learners for their hard work. Thirty learners and 27 tutors received certificates.
Receiving special recognition for tutoring were Kriesten with 11 years of volunteering, Anderson with 15 years and McCann, 17 years. Kriesten and Terry Oxenham were also honored as math tutors and Gloria Prieto was recognized for her support of the Families for Literacy program, which involves children and adults.
For information about the Hemet Library literacy programs, call the library at (909) 765-3856. All tutoring programs are free.
Friday, February 1, 2002
Colton Library - Literacy tutors wanted: A program graduates say changed their lives has a waiting list of adult students.
Literacy tutors wanted:A program graduates say changed their lives has a waiting list of adult students.
Press-Enterprise: January 10, 2002 by Maria T. Garcia
Seven years ago, Antonia Diaz found the courage to admit that she was illiterate.
The Colton homemaker and mother of four school-age children was fortunate, however. She turned to the city's Adult and Families for Literacy Program and found a reading tutor who was eager to work with her.
The literacy program that Diaz, 40, credits with changing her outlook on life has helped hundreds of other adults since its start in 1988.
Now the program itself needs help.
More than 30 people are waiting for a tutor, said Ruth Martinez, who coordinates the literacy program through the city-run Colton Public Library. But there are not enough volunteers.
The shortage of tutors means that people who want to learn to read and write have to wait until a volunteer becomes available, which can take months.
In Riverside County, finding reading volunteers is also an ongoing challenge, said Tracie Janis, coordinator of the county Library Adult Literacy Program.
"We always have a shortage of tutors," Janis said. "But we never have a shortage of students. That's never the problem."
Old-fashioned recruiting and the Internet, however, are alleviating the need for tutors in Riverside County.
The library system, with more than 20 branches and nearly 200 volunteers, has been successful in recruiting tutors at senior centers and on the Internet, Janis said. The Internet allows potential volunteers to sign up online and find out about training workshops. Computer-savvy reading volunteers can even submit their monthly reports online.
Janis said every effort must be made to find students a tutor. Otherwise, they may be discouraged from returning to the literacy program by the time a tutor becomes available.
"We may lose the student altogether," she said.
That's too bad, Diaz said, because people who ask for help have already taken the most difficult step: acknowledging that they can't read or that they need help to improve their skills. As Diaz knows, admitting that one is an illiterate adult is not easy.
"I thought I didn't need help," said Diaz, an immigrant from Mexico whose parents pulled her out of school so she could work to supplement the family's income. "But I couldn't help my children with their homework."
Diaz sought help from the Colton Public Library's adult literacy program, where she met volunteer tutor Lillian Alves, a retired elementary school teacher.
They have worked together for two years, sometimes meeting as often as three times a week. Alves has seen Diaz change from a shy person who struggled to read a newspaper into an inquisitive, college-bound woman.
Besides giving her the gift of reading and helping her earn her GED, Alves inspired Diaz to become a teacher.
Diaz plans to enroll at a community college this year before transferring to a university.
"Once you know how to read, you can open doors," Diaz said. "Reading is powerful."
For Alves, a Rialto resident who volunteers at the Colton library three days a week, helping someone -- young or old -- to read is a rewarding experience.
"It's the most amazing feeling because you feel like you've accomplished something," Alves said.
Press-Enterprise: January 10, 2002 by Maria T. Garcia
Seven years ago, Antonia Diaz found the courage to admit that she was illiterate.
The Colton homemaker and mother of four school-age children was fortunate, however. She turned to the city's Adult and Families for Literacy Program and found a reading tutor who was eager to work with her.
The literacy program that Diaz, 40, credits with changing her outlook on life has helped hundreds of other adults since its start in 1988.
Now the program itself needs help.
More than 30 people are waiting for a tutor, said Ruth Martinez, who coordinates the literacy program through the city-run Colton Public Library. But there are not enough volunteers.
The shortage of tutors means that people who want to learn to read and write have to wait until a volunteer becomes available, which can take months.
In Riverside County, finding reading volunteers is also an ongoing challenge, said Tracie Janis, coordinator of the county Library Adult Literacy Program.
"We always have a shortage of tutors," Janis said. "But we never have a shortage of students. That's never the problem."
Old-fashioned recruiting and the Internet, however, are alleviating the need for tutors in Riverside County.
The library system, with more than 20 branches and nearly 200 volunteers, has been successful in recruiting tutors at senior centers and on the Internet, Janis said. The Internet allows potential volunteers to sign up online and find out about training workshops. Computer-savvy reading volunteers can even submit their monthly reports online.
Janis said every effort must be made to find students a tutor. Otherwise, they may be discouraged from returning to the literacy program by the time a tutor becomes available.
"We may lose the student altogether," she said.
That's too bad, Diaz said, because people who ask for help have already taken the most difficult step: acknowledging that they can't read or that they need help to improve their skills. As Diaz knows, admitting that one is an illiterate adult is not easy.
"I thought I didn't need help," said Diaz, an immigrant from Mexico whose parents pulled her out of school so she could work to supplement the family's income. "But I couldn't help my children with their homework."
Diaz sought help from the Colton Public Library's adult literacy program, where she met volunteer tutor Lillian Alves, a retired elementary school teacher.
They have worked together for two years, sometimes meeting as often as three times a week. Alves has seen Diaz change from a shy person who struggled to read a newspaper into an inquisitive, college-bound woman.
Besides giving her the gift of reading and helping her earn her GED, Alves inspired Diaz to become a teacher.
Diaz plans to enroll at a community college this year before transferring to a university.
"Once you know how to read, you can open doors," Diaz said. "Reading is powerful."
For Alves, a Rialto resident who volunteers at the Colton library three days a week, helping someone -- young or old -- to read is a rewarding experience.
"It's the most amazing feeling because you feel like you've accomplished something," Alves said.
Saturday, December 1, 2001
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/.
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/.
San Bernardino Public Library - Literacy coordinator brings new worlds to adult learners
Literacy coordinator brings new worlds to adult learnersThe Sun: November 26, 2001 by Jocelyn Cahir
A simple menu, a road map, a street sign. Reading these things is fundamental in everyday life.
Paula Miller, literacy program coordinator for the San Bernardino Public Library, is just the woman to make that possible for everyone.
Miller is being recognized by The Sun for her outstanding work in adult literacy.
"I'm absolutely overwhelmed!" Miller said. "This is truly an honor."
Nominated by principal librarian Millicent Price, Miller is responsible for management, development, training and empowerment of literacy staff.
"Everybody related to the literacy field is so wonderful," Price said. "They are the best people in the whole world. (Paula is) a wonderful human being. She believes in literacy from the bottom of her heart."
Programs such as adult basic education and English as a second language are scheduled at varied times for the convenience of the learner.
"(If) people can't read, they can't function in society," Price said. "(Paula's) so helpful, giving them these skills to function in the world."
The Literacy Center depends on grants for its existence, and Miller happens to be an expert on writing grant applications. The funding sources includes grants from the California Literacy Campaign, Families for Literacy, the U.S. Department of Education and Verizon.
"To offer literacy services, I'm the person that oversees everything and writes the grants for funding," Miller said.
In addition to her normal duties, Miller initiated a free eight-week health education class for new readers, a pilot project she hopes will be expanded statewide. Classes were conducted at the Dorothy Inghram Branch Library and the Paul Villasenor Branch Library. The classes were taught at a third-grade reading level, with the goal of teaching better reading skills to help students better understand health care information.
Officials from the San Bernardino County Health Department and the San Bernardino Fire Department were instructors for some of the classes.
Office manager Glenda Monroe spoke well of Miller.
"She moves furniture with us, teaches class when a tutor is absent, encourages after-school homework and (encourages) students in their studies and leads by example," Monroe said. "(Paula) finds time to learn about everybody in the literacy center and makes it personal, too."
Miller said her work is fulfilling but admits to getting stressed out.
"I do have to say that you wonder why you are here at times, with stress in large, but when you have an adult student that, for the first time, was able to read a menu or a street sign and hug you and thank you, it's all worth it," she said. "An adult can tell you they've done these things that's what makes it worthwhile. That's ultimately why I'm here
A simple menu, a road map, a street sign. Reading these things is fundamental in everyday life.
Paula Miller, literacy program coordinator for the San Bernardino Public Library, is just the woman to make that possible for everyone.
Miller is being recognized by The Sun for her outstanding work in adult literacy.
"I'm absolutely overwhelmed!" Miller said. "This is truly an honor."
Nominated by principal librarian Millicent Price, Miller is responsible for management, development, training and empowerment of literacy staff.
"Everybody related to the literacy field is so wonderful," Price said. "They are the best people in the whole world. (Paula is) a wonderful human being. She believes in literacy from the bottom of her heart."
Programs such as adult basic education and English as a second language are scheduled at varied times for the convenience of the learner.
"(If) people can't read, they can't function in society," Price said. "(Paula's) so helpful, giving them these skills to function in the world."
The Literacy Center depends on grants for its existence, and Miller happens to be an expert on writing grant applications. The funding sources includes grants from the California Literacy Campaign, Families for Literacy, the U.S. Department of Education and Verizon.
"To offer literacy services, I'm the person that oversees everything and writes the grants for funding," Miller said.
In addition to her normal duties, Miller initiated a free eight-week health education class for new readers, a pilot project she hopes will be expanded statewide. Classes were conducted at the Dorothy Inghram Branch Library and the Paul Villasenor Branch Library. The classes were taught at a third-grade reading level, with the goal of teaching better reading skills to help students better understand health care information.
Officials from the San Bernardino County Health Department and the San Bernardino Fire Department were instructors for some of the classes.
Office manager Glenda Monroe spoke well of Miller.
"She moves furniture with us, teaches class when a tutor is absent, encourages after-school homework and (encourages) students in their studies and leads by example," Monroe said. "(Paula) finds time to learn about everybody in the literacy center and makes it personal, too."
Miller said her work is fulfilling but admits to getting stressed out.
"I do have to say that you wonder why you are here at times, with stress in large, but when you have an adult student that, for the first time, was able to read a menu or a street sign and hug you and thank you, it's all worth it," she said. "An adult can tell you they've done these things that's what makes it worthwhile. That's ultimately why I'm here
Monday, October 15, 2001
Orange Co Library - READ/Orange County - National Association of Counties 2001 Acts of Caring Award Winner
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.
Monday, October 1, 2001
Riverside County Library - Libraries stress literacy's importance:
Libraries stress literacy's importance:They offer an array of programs for children and adults.
Press-EnterpriseL September 25, 2001 by Marilee Reyes
Without the ability to read adequately, daily living is full of obstacles.
For children, schoolwork is next to impossible. For adults, applying for a job, taking a test for a driver's license or reading the instructions on a bottle of cough medicine can be a nerve-wracking challenge.
According to Paula Owen, former branch manager at the Valle Vista Library, there are many reasons people can't read or have difficulty doing so. Sometimes the problem is physical, such as optical or neurological conditions that hamper learning. In these cases, special steps need to be taken by the person affected to try to correct the problem, Owen said.
Libraries offer numerous programs to help children and adults learn to read, she said.
Usually with adults, their inability to read or to read adequately was never addressed when they were in school, Owen said. An adult who can't read also has to deal with the embarrassment of not reading and often is too uncomfortable to ask for help to learn.
Help is confidential
One of the reasons the library tutoring programs are confidentiality-based is to encourage more adults to take advantage of the free tutoring programs, according to area literacy workers.
The Riverside County Library System branches in Valle Vista and San Jacinto and the city-run Hemet Public Library offer programs such as Families For Literacy and Adult Literacy.
At the Valle Vista branch, a phonics-based program for school-age children, Read at Last, began earlier this month. Offered Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 3 to 5 p.m., it includes tutors.
Dawn Wasley, acting branch manager, said that after an initial interview to determine a child's needs, the student meets with the tutor three times a week for at least 20 minutes for four to eight weeks. There is no charge, but an appointment schedule is required. In addition, homework help is also available.
Sharon Aguagenti, branch manager at the San Jacinto Library, said the branch is putting together a program called Project Dream in conjunction with the San Jacinto Unified School District. It is expected to begin in November.
Aguagenti said students will be referred to the library after an evaluation using school district testing. The library will train the volunteer tutors and coordinate the program.
Nancy Johnson supervises the Families for Literacy and the Please Read To Me programs at the Hemet library. Please Read To Me is designed to encourage new parents to read to their babies.
"We want parents to know how important it is to read to their children from this very early age," Johnson said.
Please Read To Me is open to parents and infants born since May. The parent enrolls at the library and receives a tote bag, book and information on how to read to a child. Every six months they get an incentive gift. When the child turns 3, he or she receives a special invitation to attend the preschool story hour.
"Of course, preschool story time is a long-standing tradition," Johnson said. The program, which begins Oct. 4 at 10:30 a.m., will be conducted in eight-week segments.
Breaking non-reading cycles
Laurie Eastman, Riverside County coordinator of Families for Literacy for the county, said that ordinarily the parent is a child's first teacher.
"If they can't read, they're not modeling to their children," Eastman said. That continues the cycle of generations of non-readers, she said.
Families for Literacy is available at each library to families with preschool-age children. The parents are helped with their reading and they are given books to take home and read with their child.
"The whole point is to have the child to sit on your lap while you read," Eastman said. "And if you start with this from birth, holding your child on your lap when you read, you create a special bond, a closeness. You're teaching them a love of reading."
Press-EnterpriseL September 25, 2001 by Marilee Reyes
Without the ability to read adequately, daily living is full of obstacles.
For children, schoolwork is next to impossible. For adults, applying for a job, taking a test for a driver's license or reading the instructions on a bottle of cough medicine can be a nerve-wracking challenge.
According to Paula Owen, former branch manager at the Valle Vista Library, there are many reasons people can't read or have difficulty doing so. Sometimes the problem is physical, such as optical or neurological conditions that hamper learning. In these cases, special steps need to be taken by the person affected to try to correct the problem, Owen said.
Libraries offer numerous programs to help children and adults learn to read, she said.
Usually with adults, their inability to read or to read adequately was never addressed when they were in school, Owen said. An adult who can't read also has to deal with the embarrassment of not reading and often is too uncomfortable to ask for help to learn.
Help is confidential
One of the reasons the library tutoring programs are confidentiality-based is to encourage more adults to take advantage of the free tutoring programs, according to area literacy workers.
The Riverside County Library System branches in Valle Vista and San Jacinto and the city-run Hemet Public Library offer programs such as Families For Literacy and Adult Literacy.
At the Valle Vista branch, a phonics-based program for school-age children, Read at Last, began earlier this month. Offered Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 3 to 5 p.m., it includes tutors.
Dawn Wasley, acting branch manager, said that after an initial interview to determine a child's needs, the student meets with the tutor three times a week for at least 20 minutes for four to eight weeks. There is no charge, but an appointment schedule is required. In addition, homework help is also available.
Sharon Aguagenti, branch manager at the San Jacinto Library, said the branch is putting together a program called Project Dream in conjunction with the San Jacinto Unified School District. It is expected to begin in November.
Aguagenti said students will be referred to the library after an evaluation using school district testing. The library will train the volunteer tutors and coordinate the program.
Nancy Johnson supervises the Families for Literacy and the Please Read To Me programs at the Hemet library. Please Read To Me is designed to encourage new parents to read to their babies.
"We want parents to know how important it is to read to their children from this very early age," Johnson said.
Please Read To Me is open to parents and infants born since May. The parent enrolls at the library and receives a tote bag, book and information on how to read to a child. Every six months they get an incentive gift. When the child turns 3, he or she receives a special invitation to attend the preschool story hour.
"Of course, preschool story time is a long-standing tradition," Johnson said. The program, which begins Oct. 4 at 10:30 a.m., will be conducted in eight-week segments.
Breaking non-reading cycles
Laurie Eastman, Riverside County coordinator of Families for Literacy for the county, said that ordinarily the parent is a child's first teacher.
"If they can't read, they're not modeling to their children," Eastman said. That continues the cycle of generations of non-readers, she said.
Families for Literacy is available at each library to families with preschool-age children. The parents are helped with their reading and they are given books to take home and read with their child.
"The whole point is to have the child to sit on your lap while you read," Eastman said. "And if you start with this from birth, holding your child on your lap when you read, you create a special bond, a closeness. You're teaching them a love of reading."
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