Newport Beach Library - Mother learns to read to teach kids

Mother learns to read to teach kids
Newport Beach program helps adults beat self-doubt and learn to read
OC Register: 9.16.2013 by Nicole Shine

For so long, Marna Lee Lopez called herself dumb.

She couldn't read, although, ironically enough, for 13 years she worked at the Orange County Department of Education. Her employer never caught on because her co-workers helped her get by, she said. She became a good mimic.

“I could sound sophisticated and bright without knowing anything,” said Lopez, 44, of Costa Mesa. She didn't expect more from herself.

.       .       .       .       .

For some, like Lopez, their kids inspire them to learn. Others, like Anna Kwon, an Irvine resident, have a goal in mind. The Korean-born immigrant said she wanted to become a U.S. citizen.

Both women learned to read thanks to Newport/Mesa ProLiteracy, a program at the Newport Beach library that enlists the help of more than 100 volunteers, mainly retirees, who spend a few hours a week tutoring these students. The program's annual budget of roughly $100,000 is cobbled together from city funds, donations and grants. Their tools include a room at the Central Library filled with books perfect for beginning readers.

Last year, the program helped more than 200 adults, from about age 25 to upwards of 70, to read and reach their goals.

Kwon recently passed the U.S. citizenship test. Lopez is so proficient that she now home-schools her triplets.  READ MORE !

CA & National Literacy / Library Calendar: October 2013

CA & National Literacy & Library Calendar: October 2013

SCLLN

Literacy & Library Events & Conferences

- Local, California and National -

visit the

Southern California Library Literacy Network

for more information

Southern California and California Literacy Events: October 2013

Follow Health Literacy Month on Twitter

National Book Month (National Book Found no longer sponsors event)

Oct 2  Focus Raising A Reader Ages 0-5 - Camarillo Library @6:30p
Oct 3 Read For TheRecord: OTIS by Loren Long

Oct 4+ Los Angeles Storytelling Festival - iO West Theater, Hollywood
Oct 5  Educación: FeriaEs El Momento - CSU Dominguez Hills @10a
Oct 5  Fall Literacy Conference - South Bay Literacy Council
Oct 5  Star Wars Reads Day
Oct 5  Sensory Friendly Film - CLOUDY...MEATBALLS 2 AMC Theaters @10a
Oct 6  The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia, Riverside @2p
Oct 9  Focus Raising A Reader Elem Age, Camarillo Library @6:30p
Oct 11+  Big Orange Book Festival, Chapman Univ
Oct 11+  LitQuake San Francisco
Oct 12  Literacy 5000 (Dyslexia Dash), Riverside CA
Oct 13+ Teen Read Week Libraries
Oct 16  Focus Raising A Reader Children & Families ESL, Camarillo Library @6:30p

Oct 19+  Daily 5: Fostering Literacy Independence, Los Angeles

Oct 19  Writing Project - CSU Northridge
Oct 20 National Dayof Writing
Oct 20+ National Friends of Libraries Week
Oct 21  F.A.T. City: How Difficult Can This Be? - Video, Rancho Cucamonga @5:45p
Oct 23  LitCrawl Los Angeles - NoHo
Oct 24  The BigPicture: Rethinking Dyslexia, AMC Fashion Valley 18 San Diego @7p
Oct 24+  CATESOL State Conference, San Diego
Oct 25+  CUE Fall Conference, Napa Valley
Oct 25    Literacy Summit - CSU Monterey Bay
Oct 28+ Internet Librarian Monterey Conference Center, Monterey

National & International Literacy Events: October 2013

Oct 3  LitCrawl - Portland

Oct 3  Read For TheRecord: OTIS by Loren Long
Oct 4+ Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards, Simmons College
Oct 4  Health Literacy Conference, San Antonio TX
Oct 4+ National Storytelling Festival, Jonesborough TN
Oct 5  Star Wars ReadsDay
Oct 5  Sensory Friendly Films - CLOUDY...MEATBALLS 2 @10a
Oct 9+ Closing the Gap Conference, Minneapolis MN
Oct 10+ Comic Con - New York
Oct 10+ Plain Language Conference, Vancouver BC

Oct 10  Benefit for Literacy Gala - Walt Whitman Birthplace Association, Huntington NY

Oct 11+  Power of Picture Books: Links to Literacy and Learning, Honesdale PA

Oct 11  Joy of Children's Literature and Literacy Conference,  William & Mary VA
Oct 13  Plain LanguageDay
Oct 13+  Teen Read Week Libraries
Oct 16  Dictionary Day
Oct 16+ Alliance for Children and Families Conference, Minneapolis MN
Oct 16+ Natl Coun for Workforce Education Conf, Milwaukee WI
Oct 18+ Library 2.013 Virtual Conference, CyberSpace
Oct 20  National Dayof Writing
Oct 20+ National Friends of Libraries Week
Oct 24+ Conference on Learning Disabilities, Austin TX
Oct 24  Lit Crawl Seattle
Oct 24+ National Black Book Festival, Houston TX
Oct 26  Lit Crawl - Austin
Oct 26  Make A Difference Day
Oct 28+ Internet Librarian, Monterey CA
Oct 28+ Health Literacy Research Conference, Washington DC
Oct 31+ US Conference on AdultLiteracy USCAL, Washington DC

Info about local Tutor Training Workshops is always Scrolling in the Right Frame.

California Book Festivals: October

California Book Festivals

October: books, comics, poetry, storytelling, writing and more !

Big Orange Book Festival, Chapman Univ   Oct 11-13
Days & Nights Poetry Festival, Carmel   Oct 2-6
Humboldt County Children's Author Festival   Oct 17-19
LA Storytelling Festival   Oct 4+
Lit Crawl - LA (NoHo)   Oct 23
Litquake, SF   Oct 19+
Long Beach Poetry Festival   Oct 12
San Diego City College Intl Book Fair   Sep 30 - Oct 3

SCLLN Literacy Workshop Calendar: October 2013

SCLLN  Literacy Tutor Workshop Calendar: October 2013

For Local, California and National

Literacy or Library Conferences and Events

visit the

Southern California Library Literacy Network

Calendar

Follow Health Literacy Month on Twitter

National Book Month (National Book Found no longer sponsors event)

Oct 2  Literacy Tutor Orientation = Huntington Beach Library @6:30p

Oct 3  Literacy Tutor Orientation - South Bay Literacy Co, Torrance @7p
Oct 5  Literacy Tutor Training - San Diego Co Library @10a
Oct 6  Literacy Fair = Ventura Library @ Prueter Library @10a
Oct 7  Literacy Tutor Training = Huntington Beach Library @ 6p
Oct 8  Literacy Learner Orientation = Newport Beach Library @10a
Oct 8  Literacy Tutor Orientation - Carlsbad Library @Noon
Oct 8  Literacy Tutor Workshop - Santa Fe Springs Library @6:30p
Oct 12 Walk for Literacy - Monterey Park Library @8a
Oct 16 Literacy Tutor Orientation = READ/OC @1p
Oct 16 Literacy Tutor Orientation = READ/OC @6p
Oct 17 Literacy Tutor Orientation = Newport Beach Library @10a
Oct 17 Literacy Tutor Orientation = Carlsbad Library @6p
Oct 25 Scrabble Tournament - Whittier Area Literacy Council @6p

Info about local Tutor Training Workshops is always Scrolling in the Right Frame.

National Education and Family Literacy Week - Part 2

National Education and Family Literacy Week
September 23 - 29

Raises public awareness of adult education and family literacy, assists adult learners in need of literacy services, leverages local resources, and supports increased access to adult education and family literacy programs. Use opportunity to elevate adult education and family literacy nationwide with policymakers, the media, and the community.

#AEFLWeek Twitter Fact Fest

Follow @NCLAdvocacy and #AEFLWeek
Tweet facts about adult education and family literacy. Raise awareness of adult education and family literacy. Share what you are doing to raise awareness and:

ReTweet !

Some SCLLN Facts - watch for more !

Azusa City Library Literacy
Violence, Crime and Literacy: What’s the Connection?  Did you know that —

60% of America’s inmates read below a fourth-grade reading level
   (U.S. Department of Education)
70% is the recidivism rate for inmates who do not receive literacy help in prison — but if inmates do receive literacy help while incarcerated, their rate of returning to prison drops to 16%
   (Penal Institution Records)
85% of all juvenile offenders have reading problems
   (U.S. Department of Education)
2/3 of students who cannot read proficiently by the end of 4th grade will end up in jail or on welfare
    (One World Literacy Foundation)

Centro Latino for Literacy

congratulates 129 newly literate adults at their 7th Annual Manos Amigas/Helping Hands Celebration.

Corona Library

  Zickefoose was functionally illiterate, unable to read a prescription label, his children's report cards or a menu. He was diagnosed as a young boy with dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and didn't learn to read and write until he was 35.
  That's when everything changed. He became a poster boy for the Corona library's adult reading program, began to speak publicly about his own struggles and was named the library's literacy director. He founded a nonprofit youth organization.
  And on Dec. 7, Zickefoose, 52, was sworn in as a member of the Corona-Norco Unified School District Board of Education.

National Education and Family Literacy Week: Sep 23- 29

National Education and Family Literacy Week
September 23 - 29

Raises public awareness of adult education and family literacy, assists adult learners in need of literacy services, leverages local resources, and supports increased access to adult education and family literacy programs. Use opportunity to elevate adult education and family literacy nationwide with policymakers, the media, and the community.

#AEFLWeek Twitter Fact Fest

Follow @NCLAdvocacy and #AEFLWeek

Tweet facts about adult education and family literacy. Raise awareness of adult education and family literacy. Share what you are doing to raise awareness and:

ReTweet !

Some SCLLN Facts - watch for more !
Let’s Read, Altadena! was chosen to participate in a pilot project called Fam-Track which developed into the wonderful literacy program Families For Literacy (FFL). The FFL program worked with the entire family to enhance reading, writing and comprehension skills.

Azusa City Library Literacy

Health Literacy Learning is a program of the Azusa City Library, in collaboration with the Azusa Neighborhood Wellness Center and the Azusa Pacific University Department of TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages). Based on the belief that literacy is not an end in itself, but rather a catalyst to transform lives.
• In one California study, 65% of participants with low reading skills reported they avoid going to the doctor because of difficulties with paperwork; 75% of medical professionals said they were aware of medical errors that were the product of low literacy.

Centro Latino for Literacy: Manos Amigas/Helping Hands - congratulating 129 newly literate

Centro Latino for Literacy congratulating 129 newly literate
BlogTalkRadio: 9.20.2013 @ 6pm
by Latino Role Models - Success in Business

Centro Latino for Literacy is congratulating 129 newly literate adults at their 7th Annual Manos Amigas/Helping Hands Celebration.

Event is being co-chaired by Paul Garza, Jr., Centro Latino for Literacy Board Chair and Gil Vazquez, Principal at Vazquez & Company, LLP. For twenty-two years now, Centro Latino has been transforming lives by teaching literacy skills to non-literate Spanish speakers.

These 129 adults will graduate from the Leamos and Listos courses, where they learned reading and writing, math, grammar, and financial literacy.

Thanks to our major sponsors First Credit Bank Community Bank, Barker Management, Inc., CHAPA (CA Housing Assistance Program), Wells Fargo Bank, Telemundo, Union Bank, Southern California Gas Company/Sempra Energy, California Bank and Trust, The California Endowment, and Jeff Tsuji Design & Photography. Their support not only impacts our students’ lives, but it also impacts their families, workplace, health and the entire well being of the community.

Tweet Spots: Manos Amigas/Helping Hands

LBC‏@CalGoBears1h
@centrolatino graduation! @NCLR Affiliate that teaches adults #reading #writing #education #America #newlife pic.twitter.com/WuuFJYvelE

Centro Latino ‏@centrolatino2h
Inspirational and moving words delivered to our graduates by our keynote speaker @octaviopescador #MA2013 pic.twitter.com/NGfyzXZ8GL

Centro Latino ‏@centrolatino3h
Enjoying the wonderful company of CLL contributors with catering by @LaGuelaguetza #MA2013 pic.twitter.com/YdxBBByMqx