Riverside County Library - Lake Elsinore club members learn about English, each other.

Lake Elsinore club members learn about English, each other.
Press-Enterprise: Jan 31, 2008 by Aaron Burgin

Nearly four years ago, Elsa Sanchez formed a club she hoped would help immigrants of all nationalities find the key to success in the United States -- learning English.

Today, the Lake Elsinore International Club continues to promote that goal, as people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds meet to learn English and immerse themselves in each other's cultures and talents. The Lake Elsinore City Council honored the club at a City Council meeting this month.

Sanchez now has her sights set on the club's expansion to other cities in the Inland area and the rest of the state.

"I think this is something that everyone should be doing," Sanchez said. "It is hard for immigrants to come to the country and succeed without knowing English; They feel isolated. When they learn English they are able to be productive and be good citizens and community members."

Sanchez knew how it felt to be locked out of the American dream because of the language barrier. After immigrating to the U.S. from Peru in 1989 and moving to Lake Elsinore in 2000, Sanchez, a certified nurse assistant, took her state tests to become a licensed vocational nurse. Her English failed her, Sanchez said. . . . .

. . . . . Sanchez began taking literacy classes with Melodie Earickson, a Riverside County Library literacy coordinator, at the Lake Elsinore Library in 2002. By 2004, she wanted to continue her lessons after library hours.

The International Club was born.

The group meets twice a week in homes throughout the city. The focus of the meetings is the teaching and use of English in social and conversational situations. The meetings normally follow literacy lessons with Earickson at the library. . . . .

. . . . . Guests, including city and school officials, and professionals such as doctors, teachers and government workers, will sometimes speak at the meetings. Sanchez said their presence provides the members with role models. . . . . READ ON

For more information, call the International Club at 951-490-7385.

2008 SCLLN Tutor Workshop Calendar

Southern California Library Literacy Network
Event Calendar: February 2008
- visit SCLLN for State & National events -

Feb 23: SCLLN Annual Tutor - Learner Literacy Conference
Registration Form, Workshop Grid @ Web Link

The Best 1-Day Literacy Conference in California !

DoubleTree Hotel 100 The City Drive Orange CA 92868

Feb 2: Scrabble-Thon - Escondido Public Library
Support Literacy Services ! Ticket Phone: 760.747.2233. Saturday, February 2, 2008. Escondido Public Library Escondido CA.

Feb 2: Tutor Training - San Luis Obispo City-County Library
A two-session workshop designed for certification as a volunteer tutor. Previous teaching experience is not necessary. All that is needed is the desire to help others. You will learn strategies to teach basic speaking, reading and writing skills in Learning Centers located throughout the county. Also Feb 9. Phone: 800.549.4219. Saturday, February 2, 2008, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM. 1264 Higuera S:102, San Luis Obispo CA 93401.

Feb 5: Tutor Training - San Diego County Library
Also: Feb 6 Volunteer ! Help adults improve reading & writing skills. 888.466.0668 LEARN - San Diego County Library. Tuesday, February 5, 2008, 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM. Vista Library Vista CA.

Feb 9: Youth Literacy - Oceanside READS
Orientation Training: Feb 9: 9am - 1:30 pm. Phone: 760.435.5680. Wednesday, February 6, 2008, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM. Learning Center 321 N Nevada Oceanside CA 92504.

Feb 9: ESL Tutor Training - San Diego County Library
Also: Feb 16 - 10am to 4 pm. LEARN – San Diego County Library. Phone: 619.442.1481. Saturday, February 9, 2008, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Kroc Salvation Army Community Ct. Bldg A 6605 University San Diego CA. 

Feb 9: Tutor Training - Los Angeles Public Library
All volunteers must be interviewed First ! Phone: 213.228.7037. Saturday, February 9, 2008, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Cahuenga Library Los Angeles CA. 

Feb 13: Tutor Orientation - Newport Beach Public Library
Also: Feb 27; Mar 5, 12, and 19. Phone: 949.717.3875. Wednesday, February 13, 2008, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM. Central Library 1000 Avocado Ave. Newport Beach, CA 92660.

Feb 16: Tutor Training - San Diego County Library
Volunteer ! Help adults improve reading & writing skills. LEARN - San Diego County Library. Phone: 888.466.0668. Saturday, February 16, 2008, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. El Cajon Library El Cajon CA. 

Feb 23: SCLLN Annual Tutor - Learner Literacy Conference
The Best 1-Day Literacy Conference in California !
Saturday, February 23, 2008, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
DoubleTree Hotel 100 The City Drive Orange CA 92868.

John Corcoran - Teacher Who Couldn't Read

An Open Book
High school teacher who couldn't read shares his story as an advocate of education
San Diego Union Tribune: January 26, 2008 by Stephanie K. Parry

OCEANSIDE - John Corcoran taught in the Oceanside Unified School District for 17 years and didn't know how to read.

(By the time) I was 48 years old, I had already graduated from college, taught school for 17 years in California, and I couldn't read or write or spell my native language of English," Corcoran said. This spring, Corcoran, 70, will publish his second book, "Bridge to Literacy: No Child or Adult Left Behind."

"This book really is a call for action. It's a call for gathering all the tribes on both sides of the bridge," Corcoran said. "We, as a society, cannot leave all of this to the teachers."

Corcoran's first book, "The Teacher Who Couldn't Read," told his story of struggling through elementary and high school and then college, and his subsequent experiences as an illiterate educator.

He said he wanted the world to know he didn't beat the system by faking his way through life.

"The system beats people who can't read every single day," Corcoran said.

He explained how he cheated his way through school by stealing copies of tests to memorize and having friends complete his assignments.

"I knew how to read the system, and I knew how to read people," Corcoran said.

He hid his secret from everyone except his wife, Kathleen.

"My wife was the person who did my reading and writing for me. She was my translator in a sense," Corcoran said.

Then he heard about a program at Carlsbad City Library that taught adults to read. He said he decided to try it in 1986, even though he doubted his ability to learn.

"As an adult who doesn't know how to read, we usually think something is wrong with our brain and we can't learn," Corcoran said. "So we give up on the system early, and we give up on ourselves and we carry this with us, this insecurity and fear of the written word."

He recalled lying in bed every night and thinking he wouldn't go back to his tutoring sessions because he didn't think they would do any good.

"I was going because I almost felt sorry for this 65-year-old woman (Eleanor Condit) who thought she could teach me how to read," Corcoran said.

Some days the pair would hold their classes in a room at the fire station next door to the library. The firefighter who opened the door for them was one of Corcoran's former students, so Corcoran asked his tutor to pretend he was teaching her how to read so his secret wouldn't be revealed.

Corcoran said he participated in the program for 13 months and was able to improve his reading comprehension.

"When I went from the second-grade level to the sixth-grade level, I thought I'd died and went to heaven. It whetted my appetite (to learn more)," Corcoran said.

"What we do is help people participate in their life by helping them improve their literacy skills," said Carrie Scott, literacy coordinator at the Carlsbad City Library.
. . . . .
His experiences led Cocoran to become an advocate for education, and he served under former presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton on the board for the National Institute for Literacy. He also served on the San Diego Council on Literacy and the executive board of the Literacy Network of Greater Los Angeles.

He has spread his message on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," "Larry King Live" and "20/20."

"I just went to the library to learn how to read," Cocoran said.

"I didn't think I would learn how to read ... and here I am writing a second book." READ ON

Literacy facts:
~ More than 20 percent of adults read at or below a fifth-grade level.
~ Forty-three percent of people with the lowest literacy skills live in poverty.
~ Workers who lack a high school diploma earn an average of $452 a month. Source: National Institute for Literacy

Learn more:
For more information on learning to read, contact the San Diego Council on Literacy at (888) 850-READ (7323) or visit literacysandiego.org.

Local adult reading programs
Palomar College (760) 744-1150
Oceanside Public Library (760) 435-5680
MiraCosta College (760) 795-8710
Escondido Public Library (760) 747-2233
Carlsbad City Library (760) 434-2998

2008 SCLLN Tutor-Learner Conference - Guest Speaker: Jonathan Mooney

Southern California Library Literacy Network

Tutor - Learner Literacy Conference

February 23, 2008

9:00 am - 5:00 pm

DoubleTree Hotel, Anaheim

Guest Speaker: Jonathan Mooney

author: The Short Bus

Labeled "dyslexic and profoundly learning disable with attention & behavior problems," Jonathan Mooney was a short bus rider. He graduated with honors from Brown University. Unable to escape his past, he bought his own short bus and criss-crossed the country looking for kids who had dreamed up magical, beautiful ways to overcome the obstacles that separated them from the so-called normal world.

Some of the Sessions:
~ Research Based Fluency & Comprehension
~ Creating Writers
~ Fluent Oral Reading
~ Storytelling as a Literacy Tool
~ Mechanics of Sound
~ Intro to Blogs & Wikis
~ What is Dyslexia
~ Using Picture Books w/ Adult Learners
~ Pronunciation Workshop

$50.00: Members
$75.00: Non-members
$10.00: Adult Learners

For More Information: 714 . 566 . 3070

Escondido Library - Scrabble - Thon: February 2

Scrabble - Thon: February 2

Escondido Public Library's Literacy Services will host its fourth annual Scrabble-thon competition from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 2 at Emmanuel Faith Community Church, 639 E. Felicita Ave.

Scrabble-thon is open to the public -- high school-age students and adults. The entry fee for teams of four is $100; individual entries cost $30. Entry registration will close Jan. 28.

Proceeds will go toward providing literacy services in the community, benefiting adult learning communities, family literacy programming, mobile library services and early-learning labs. There also will be a multi-item raffle and a silent auction, featuring autographed items from Baseball Hall of Famer Dave Winfield. Trophies will be given to first- and second-place winning teams, and first- and second-place individuals.

Scrabble-thon is sponsored by the Altrusa of Escondido Foundation, the Bank of Escondido, North County Times and the San Diego Council on Literacy. Registration and information: 760 . 747 .2233.

San Luis Obispo Library - Speaking A Language of Caring

SPEAKING A LANGUAGE OF CARING

Unsung Heroes a Tribune Special SeriesMarita Gifford Teaches English to Her Fellow Employees in the Paso Robles Inn Laundry Room
Tribune (San Luis Obispo, CA): December 23, 2007

You won't find any of the usual schoolroom items -- computers, desks, bookshelves -- in Marita Gifford's classroom.

But make no mistake, she's transformed the laundry room at the Paso Robles Inn into a center for learning.

Gifford, 72, is executive housekeeper at the Paso Robles Inn, but her second title is teacher.

Just six months after starting her job at the inn a few years ago, she organized a program to teach English language skills to Spanish-speaking staff members.

. . . . . . .

Eager to help her students even more, Gifford went through a tutoring program for volunteers offered by the San Luis Obispo Literacy Council. The literacy council provided training and materials that helped her broaden the classes. READ ON

SCLLN Tutor Workshop Calendar - January 2008

Southern California Library Literacy Network
Event Calendar: January 2008
- visit SCLLN for more events -

Jan 7: Tutor Orientation - READ / OC
You must attend a Tutor Training Orientation and complete all sessions of the workshop. 714 . 566 . 3070. Ticket Phone: 714.566.3070. Monday, January 7, 2008, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM. Brea Community Center 695 Madison Way, Brea, CA 92821.

Jan 9: Advance To Literacy: Open House - Colton Public LibraryPresenter: Colton Public Library. Ticket Phone: 909.370.5182. Wednesday, January 9, 2008, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM. Colton Public Library, Main Library 656 N. Ninth St. Colton, CA 92403.

Jan 9: Tutor Orientation - READ / OC
You must attend a Tutor Training Orientation and complete all sessions of the workshop. 714 . 566 . 3070. Ticket Phone: 714.566.3070. Wednesday, January 9, 2008, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM. Heritage Park Regional Library 14361 Yale Ave, Irvine, CA 92604.

Jan 10: Tutor Training - Burbank Public Library
Register for the first session of a 15-hour workshop: also Jan 12 & 26. Adult Literay & Youth Literacy programs: improve reading, spelling and writing skills. Learn how to use Discover Intensive Phonics. 818 . 238 . 5577. Presenter: Burbank Public Library. Ticket Phone: (818)238-5577. Contact: Literacy Office. Thursday, January 10, 2008, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM. Burbank Public Library Auditorium 110 N Glenoaks Burbank CA 91502.

Jan 12: Tutor Training - Los Angeles Public LibraryAll volunteers must be interviewed First ! Contact: 213 . 228 . 7037. Presenter: Los Angeles Public Library. Ticket Phone: 213.228.7037. Saturday, January 12, 2008, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Pacoima Library Pacoima CA.
Jan 12: Tutor Training - San Luis Obispo City-County Library
A two-session workshop designed for certification as a volunteer tutor. Previous teaching experience is not necessary. All that is needed is the desire to help others. You will learn strategies to teach basic speaking, reading and writing skills in Learning Centers located throughout the county. Also Jan 26. Presenter: San Luis Obispo Literacy Council. Ticket Phone: 800.549.4219. Saturday, January 12, 2008, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM. 1264 Higuera S: 102 San Luis Obispo CA 93401.

Jan 17: SCLLN General MeetingThursday, January 17, 2008, 9:30 AM – 3:00 PM. Heritage Park Regional Branch, OCPL 14361 Yale Irvine CA 92604. For more info visit

Jan 26: Tutor Training - San Diego County LibraryVolunteer ! Help adults improve reading & writing skills. 888 . 466 . 0668. Presenter: LEARN - San Diego County Library. Ticket Phone: 888.466.0668. Saturday, January 26, 2008, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. El Cajon Library El Cajon CA.
http://www.sdcl.org/

Feb 2: Scrabble-Thon - Escondido Public LibrarySupport Literacy Services ! 760 . 747 . 2233. Ticket Phone: 760.747.2233. Saturday, February 2, 2008. Escondido Public Library

Feb 2: Tutor Training - San Luis Obispo City-County LibraryA two-session workshop designed for certification as a volunteer tutor. Previous teaching experience is not necessary. All that is needed is the desire to help others. You will learn strategies to teach basic speaking, reading and writing skills in Learning Centers located throughout the county. Also Jan 26. Presenter: San Luis Obispo Literacy Council. Ticket Phone: 800.549.4219. Saturday, January 12, 2008, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM. 1264 Higuera S: 102 San Luis Obispo CA 93401.