Burbank Library - Not a trivial matter: The 10th Annual Trivia Challenge

Not a trivial matter: The 10th Annual Trivia Challenge
Burbank Leader: April 1, 2006 by Lauren Hilgers

The annual Trivia Challenge hosted by the Burbank Public Library does not discriminate. It aims to stump actors, artists, businessmen and librarians alike.

"I thought it was a trivial contest," joked Gary Lamb of Burbank's Shakespeare at Play. "I know lots of trivial things."

Soon Lamb would sweat it out with the rest of the contestants onstage, his team losing their first point by mispronouncing the Garfield character 'Odie' as 'Obie'.

The contest pitted groups of three against each other -- each team is asked one question each round and two wrong answers are enough to eliminate you from the competition.

"It's nerve-racking," admitted Shauna Vaughn, a member of the team representing the Boys and Girls Club. "I still remember the question I got out on last year."

Questions throughout the night included, "What kind of animal is the Cheetos mascot?" and "What kind of meat is used in Moussaka?"

"I watched quiz shows to prepare myself," said Jim Schendel, also of Shakespeare at Play.

The event, which drew 24 teams from organizations across Burbank, is in it's 10th year. Each year the library funnels the money from ticket purchases, team registration fees and a concurrent silent auction into their literacy program.

. . .
Photo: Trivia Challenge 2006 was held at the Castaway Restaurant, Thursday, an annual event to benefit Burbank Public Library Literacy Services. (L-R) Jack O'Neill, Tony Potter, Gary Lamb, and Jim Schendel.

Burbank Library - Words of Wisdom in Burbank

Words of Wisdom in Burbank
Daily News of Los Angeles: March 8, 2006 by Rick Coca

Anna Nelson, a volunteer tutor with the Burbank Adult Literacy program, had been warned at orientation that many of the people she and her fellow volunteers would teach would view reading as a chore - not a pleasurable pastime.

Typically, students signed up for the program because they didn't want to lose a job that required reading, got sick of taking an oral driver's license test or wanted to help their children do homework.

They weren't there because they wanted to cozy up in front of the fireplace with a good book.

So after months of working with a student who had very little reading skills coming into the program, Nelson, a retired school nurse and Burbank resident, was ecstatic to learn that the woman had stated in a curriculum report that she enjoyed reading.

``It was Christmas all over again,'' Nelson said. ``(I) wanted my learner to learn how to read and enjoy it, and she is.''

William S. Byrne has been literacy coordinator for the program since 1998. The program is largely state-funded and open to English-speaking adults 18 and over with an eighth-grade or lower reading level. The program is ongoing and pairs about 30 students and volunteer teachers.

. . .
On March 30, Burbank Literacy Services will will hold its 10th anniversary fundraising Trivia Challenge at Castaway restaurant, with proceeds going toward its various literacy programs. To purchase tickets to the event, which will also include a silent auction and door prizes, or to inquire about the literacy program, call (818) 238-5577.  READ MORE

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.

Riverside County Library - Hooked on helping others learn to read Library tutoring program also assists those not fluent in English

Hooked on helping others learn to read Library tutoring program also assists those not fluent in English
Desert Sun: Feb 18, 2006 byK Kaufmann

Joan Robinson never wanted to be a teacher.

But, the Cathedral City resident said, five years ago, a friend suggested she become a volunteer tutor for the Riverside County Library Adult Literacy Program, and she was hooked.

Her first student was a dyslexic adult who "wanted to read stories to his children," she recalled. "We took it slowly, and he was able to do that."
"I feel like in some tiny way I'm helping people," Robinson said. "Our program here is not only teaching people to read but trying to assist them in speaking English correctly."

California has one of the highest illiteracy rates in the country, more than 10 percent, according to 2004 figures from the U.S. Census Bureau. And in the Coachella Valley, Violeta Torres, area supervisor for the Riverside County program, said her classes for non-English speakers are packed.

"In Desert Hot Springs, we're going to start a waiting list," she said.
Torres estimated her English classes and one-on-one tutoring program are serving about 140 students - 75 percent non-English speakers and 25 percent adults who can't read or write.

"It's a lot of work, but it is definitely satisfying," said Torres, who was a teacher in Texas before moving to the valley. "A lot of people come in with literacy problems, and we end up helping them with different things. It seems like literacy and social services," Torres said.

Opening new doors

About 16 students turned out for a recent Wednesday night class at the Cathedral City Public Library, where they spent two hours mastering basic English vocabulary and conversation skills.

Among them was Guillermina Macias of Cathedral City, a hotel housekeeper originally from Mexico who is learning English so she can eventually become a U.S. citizen. "I need to learn to converse," she said, with Torres interpreting, "for my job and for my kids."

Repeating words and phrases over and over, Macias and the rest of the group learned the difference between words like "moon" and "moan" and used hand mirrors to watch their own teeth and tongues while forming unfamiliar sounds, such as the "th" combination in words like "three" and "thumb"

"Stick out your tongue," Torres said, providing a tip on how to make the sound. "It'll happen so fast, no one will notice."

Like Macias, most of the students around the table are highly motivated, Torres said. "Many of our volunteers are (encouraging) our students so they're pursuing something much higher," she said.

Minerva Juarez, another Mexican immigrant who works as a housekeeper, would like a better job. "More than anything I need it (English) for work," she said, again with Torres interpreting. "When they ask if I know English, I say, a little."
She said she communicates with supervisors on the job through small phrases and gestures.

Anxious to learn

Having students who are eager to learn is a big draw for Nita Eklund of La Quinta, another volunteer tutor. But, she said, "you need patience, especially with people who are really trying. You have to get to know the students and the pace they can learn."

Eklund began as a volunteer tutor in Los Angeles about 12 years ago, she said, and signed up with Riverside when she moved to the valley four years ago.

The rewards come in good feelings, she said, "especially when I have a student who I think is really eager and advancing in their employment.
"(Learning English) enables them to cope with society today," she said. "They have to and they need to, to advance."

GET INVOLVED

The Coachella Valley office of the Riverside County Library Adult Literacy Program is always looking for volunteer tutors and teachers for its English classes. No prior teaching experience is required, said Violeta Torres, the area supervisor. Volunteer tutors have to commit to meeting with a student for at least one one-hour session a week, though many do two, she said. Seasonal tutors, available for three or six months, are welcome.

For more information, call 342-2580.Volunteers are also needed for adult literacy programs at the Palm Springs Public Library. For information, call 322-8369.

Escondido Library - Word wizard to help out literacy program

Word wizard to help out literacy program
San Diego Union-Tribune: November 9, 2005 by Pat Sherman

Vocabulary virtuoso and grammar grandmaster Richard Lederer has a term for the condition in which a person transfixed by a radio program is unable to remove himself from his carincarceration.

People who are reluctant to exit their vehicles and enter the supermarket or office during Lederer's weekly show, "A Way With Words," will get a chance to see the Presley of parlance in person. The KPBS host and self-described "verbivore," or one who "devours words," will give a presentation to benefit Escondido Public Library Literacy Services at 7 p.m. tomorrow. The literacy program offers adult language tutoring, bilingual computer classes, a mobile library and other services.

The evening with Lederer is free. Proceeds from the sale of Lederer's books, "Comma Sense: A Fun-damental Guide to Punctuation," "Anguished English" and "The Cunning Linguist" will benefit adult literacy services at the library. Lederer will sign books starting at 6:30 p.m. and again after the one-hour presentation.

Lederer co-hosts "A Way With Words" with etymologist Martha Barnette at noon Saturdays. It is rebroadcast Sundays at 10 a.m.

National Spelling Bee champ Anurag Kashyap of Poway has been a guest on the show. Other young listeners with language conundrums often phone in.

"I think our youngest caller has been about 5, and we get a lot of 8-, 9- and 10-year-olds," Lederer said.

He knows the value of a population who can read and write. According to READ/San Diego, a service of the San Diego Public Library system, 422,000 adults in San Diego County cannot read and write well enough to pursue their professional goals or meet daily needs. There are 2 million native English speakers statewide who are functionally illiterate, according to the National Adult Literacy Survey.

"Literacy is a gateway to reaping the full fruits of our civilization, because books allow us to enter other people's minds and lives and emotions," Lederer said. "If somebody is shut out from that, that's just a terrific shameand it's contagious ...

"An adult becoming literate almost guarantees and assures the next generation in that family or circle being literate, so it's really a multiplier."

During his presentation, the Scripps Ranch resident will have fun with language, while taking a moment to talk about breaking the cycle of illiteracy.

"We fight the good fight for standard English, not that it's superior, but it is more useful when you're trying to communicate with other standard speakers," Lederer said. "We would prefer that people pronounce n-u-c-l-e-a-r correctly. Some people in high places say nuk-u-lar, and we're not in love with it," Lederer said.

Literary Services Coordinator Josephine Jones said the number of people seeking the library's literacy services is on the rise.

"As the high schools are now going through exit exams, what happens to all these kids who can't pass the test?" she asked. "Is it tied to literacy issues? Will we be seeing more of them coming through our door?"

Jones said the program has helped many people learn to read and write.

"Some of the greatest success stories are parents who are now able to read to their children and help them with their homework," she said. "We've had learners who've won awards through the various literacy coalitions throughout the state."

The program currently needs volunteers to help adults on a waiting list, Jones said. For more information, call the literacy hotline at (760) 747-2233 or visit www.ci.escondido.ca.us/library and click on "literacy."


What: Literacy benefit with KPBS host Richard Lederer
When: 7 p.m. tomorrow
Where: Escondido Public Library, 239 S. Kalmia St., Escondido
Cost: Free
Information: (760) 747-2233

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.

Corona Library :: Report claims literacy skills not improved

Report claims literacy skills not improved
Press Enterprise: Dec 15, 2005 by Linda Lou

By looking at the way John Zickefoose reads to children during story time at the Corona Public Library, you would think that he's at home with books -- as natural as a "One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish" in water.

But Mr. Z, as he's known to children, didn't read well until he was 35. His 7-year-old son started correcting Zickefoose when he read, which prompted him to enroll in an adult literacy program at the Corona library. Zickefoose is now the library's community liaison.

Today, many adults are still not functionally literate. About 11 million people 16 and older are nonliterate in English; about 30 million people have below-basic literacy skills; and about 63 million people have basic skills, according to a U.S. Department of Education report released Thursday.

The report showed that on average, adult literacy rates have not improved much since 1992. The National Assessment of Adult Literacy report, which was conducted in 2003, found that blacks and Asians are more able to read documents and complete forms than in 1992. Hispanics, however, decreased in being able to do these tasks.

On average, the study also found that women are more literate than men.
And the report showed that people with college and graduate degrees in 2003 had lower literacy skills than their same groups in 1992.

These discoveries on literacy and race, gender and education levels are eye-opening, said Mark Schneider, commissioner of education statistics at the National Center for Education Statistics. NCES is part of the U.S. Department of Education.

These three areas are wakeup calls on what needs to be further examined, he said.

Implications

Schneider and other experts say the decline in literacy for Hispanics isn't revealing. They attribute it to demographic changes since 1992. Most Hispanic or Latino immigrants arrive in the United States in their teenage or adult years and don't speak English, Schneider said. The NAAL report shows increases in the numbers of Hispanics and Asians in the nation since 1992.

Census data show that recent generations of immigrants are less educated than previous ones, said Robert Wedgeworth, president and CEO of ProLiteracy Worldwide, based in Syracuse, N.Y. Wedgeworth said the relatively static overall results are alarming. "The suggestion that literacy levels are remaining the same in a world that is changing so rapidly means we are becoming less and less competitive," he said.

But Alayne Sullivan, an associate professor of literacy education at Cal State San Bernardino said that research shows the claims of a national literacy crisis are greatly exaggerated. "We are doing a better and better job, and literacy levels are slowly and steadily going up," Sullivan said.

Sullivan said increases that the report revealed in abilities to read forms and documents among blacks and Asians are positive. "We haven't typically seen those kinds of changes to positive extents for many decades prior to that," she said. "There are reasons to feel uplifted."

The emphasis on literacy has come to the forefront in education in this era of No Child Left Behind and standards-based education, said Diana Blackledge, a Riverside Unified School District assistant superintendent.

The best way to achieve widespread adult literacy is to ensure that every child leaves the K-12 system literate, she said.

Next Steps

Now that a snapshot of adult literacy is available, it shows what needs to be done, said Sharon Darling, founder and president of the National Center for Family Literacy, a worldwide literacy advocate group based in Kentucky.
Literacy efforts should be more focused in the Hispanic community on both parents and children, Darling said. Parents need to be literate to find better jobs and need to be literate to help their children with education, she said.
Sherry Yeh, a Corona parent who emigrated from Taiwan, said she decided to improve her English-language literacy skills about two years ago. She is getting instruction at the Corona Public Library.

Yeh's daughters, who are in elementary school, are getting older and Yeh wants to communicate with their teachers and be on top of their education.
Yeh also said she would like to find an accounting job in the future and needs to be literate. She has seen improvements in her day-to-day life.

"Right now, I can pick up the phone and make a (doctor's) appointment," Yeh said. "Before, I need to ask my husband ... The other day, I took my kids to the dentist. I can fill out the form, but I still need to use dictionary."

Literacy, a Priority

It's more important now than ever to be literate in the 21st century, some say.
Zickefoose, who sits on ProLiteracy Worldwide's board of directors, said 100 years ago, no one would bat an eye if you couldn't read. Just be able to scrawl a signature, he said.

Today, illiteracy is not only a social stigma but affects the quality of life, Zickefoose said. Even with the advance of technology and computers, people need to know how to read to see what's online, he said.

Between 1992 and 2003, many manufacturing jobs have been lost in the United States, while high-tech jobs have risen, Darling said. "It sounds kind of trite, but (literacy) does open the doors for everyone," Blackledge said. "When you're literate, you have access to whichever profession you're interested in."