Southern California Library Literacy Network

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Redlands Library :: Adult Literacy Learners Gain Leadership Skills at ‘Boot Camp’ in Redlands

Adult literacy learners gain leadership skills at ‘boot camp’ in Redlands

Redlands Daily Facts: 5.12.2018 by Diane Shimota, Literacy Coord - A.K. Smiley Library

The Adult Learner Leadership Institute (ALLI) is a training program designed for adult learners and sponsored by the California Library Literacy Services, a division of the California State Library. ALLI gives advanced adult literacy learners the opportunity to improve their leadership skills.

This year the Southern California ALLI boot camp was hosted by the Redlands Adult Literacy Program at A.K. Smiley Public Library.

Five adult learners with the Redlands Adult Literacy Program have attended past ALLI boot camps. They have used their leadership skills in the Redlands community by speaking to the City Council, representing the adult literacy program at community events, sharing their experience with new tutors and encouraging new adult learners to improve their reading and writing. ALLI graduates in the Redlands Adult Literacy Program serve as leaders in the community and at the library.

Nineteen adult learners, including five from the Redlands Adult Literacy Program, attended this year’s ALLI boot camp. The program included sessions led by ALLI graduates, including four adult learners from the Redlands Adult Literacy Program.

Session topics included leadership, self-esteem, advocacy, networking, goal setting and public speaking. The attendees had many opportunities to work in teams and to express their thoughts and ideas. Each attendee drafted, edited, practiced and presented a speech about literacy or leadership. For most, it was their first experience speaking in front of a group.

One ALLI facilitator, Ana Alcantar from the Redlands Adult Literacy Program, said she was amazed at how much the attendees had learned over the weekend. She was impressed by their speeches and enthusiasm for helping adult literacy programs in their communities. READ MORE >>

Monday, May 14, 2018

Santa Monica Library :: Congrats to LEAF Program Participants :: Writer to Writer

Congrats to LEAF Program Participants

The Library: May 2018

On April 14, two of the Library’s adult literacy learners were presented awards for their Writer to Writer submissions at the Southern California Library Literacy Network Conference.

Bella Grib and Mohammad Mousavi were honored for the letters they wrote to authors whose books inspired them.

A big congratulations to them and their tutors, Glenna Dumey and Laura Buhl!

Beginning Category

Runner-Up

Mohammad Mousavi, Santa Monica Public Library

Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman!, Richard P. Feyman

Advanced Category

Runner-Up

Anonymous, Santa Monica Public Library

Unlimited Power, Anthony Robbins

Friday, May 11, 2018

Learning Spanish First :: California Libraries Pilot Unique Literacy Program - Cathay Reta : American Libraries

Learning Spanish First

California libraries pilot unique literacy program

American Libraries: 5.01.2018 by Cathay Reta

At age 7, Efren Sanchez got separated from his mother in the crowd at a Mexico City festival and wound up living on the streets. He never went to school or learned to read. In his early 30s he moved to the US. Now, at age 52, Sanchez has learned to read and write in Spanish. He was one of the first adults to enroll in the Leamos course at the Louis Robidoux branch of the Riverside County (Calif.) Library System.

Leamos is a licensed online course geared to adult learners. Typically, learners need assistance logging into the course but, with practice using the mouse, they soon become adept using it alone. A virtual instructor takes them through 46 lessons to learn how to read and write basic Spanish. Some libraries set class times in their computer labs, some provide volunteer tutors to work with learners, and others involve library staff to provide needed support. Learners can also study at home or anywhere that has internet access after becoming comfortable with the course.

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Leamos @ the Library was developed with two goals: to teach basic literacy skills to Spanish speakers, and to explore its effectiveness as a tool to reach nonlibrary users. The results? We reached 117 adult learners, more than half of whom (66 individuals) got their first library card when they enrolled in the program. Many became regular patrons and began to use other library services, as we had hoped. For example, since Santa Monica Public Library patron Maria C. (last name withheld) learned to read, she can hardly put a book down. When her brother-in-law asked, “What happened to your house? It’s not as clean as it used to be,” she replied, “Oh, now I’m reading!” In the summer of 2017, she read 20 books and received a Summer Reading Program certificate of completion.

While success stories like these have been repeated across the state, they have not come easily, and they have not happened in every community. READ MORE >>

Thursday, May 10, 2018

San Diego Public Library :: READ / San Diego :: Tutor Conference :: June 9 2018

READ/San Diego’s 28th Annual

Tutor Conference

June 9, 2018

Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice

University of San Diego

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Dr. Maryanne Wolf

How the Reading Brain Changes

Our Understanding of Instruction, Dyslexia, and the Digital Culture

READ/San Diego hosts an annual tutor conference open to all volunteer tutors as well as professional adult teachers at the University of San Diego. This exciting event is full of workshops and lectures given by literacy experts at major leading institutions around the country. This year our keynote speaker is Dr. Maryann Wolf, author of Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain.

Brochure & Registration

STRAND 1 8:30-9:45 a.m.

1Smartphones Meet Literacy: Engage your Learners with an App!

2 The Understanding that Grew from Tupac: Poetry as a Bridge to Reading

Comprehension - Double Session

3 So that’s why there is a in sign, in two and we spell every with three syllables! - Double Session

4 Ten Strategies That Support Comprehension - Double Session

5 Systematic Written Instruction from Language Building to Paragraphs

6 Helping Students with Workplace Communication

STRAND 2 10:00-11:15 a.m.

7 How an App Can Accelerate Math Progress ABE to HSE

8 The Understanding that Grew from Tupac: Poetry as a Bridge to Reading Comprehension - Double Session

9 So that’s why there is a in sign, in two and we spell every with three syllables! - Double Session

10 Ten Strategies That Support Comprehension - Double Session

11 23 Sounds First™

12 Helping Students with Workplace Communication - Repeat

STRAND 3 1:45-3:00 p.m.

13 Smartphones Meet Literacy: Engage your Learners with an App! - Repeat

14 Learner as Author: Visual Storytelling as Literacy Tutoring Tool - Double Session

15 Rime Magic: Fast Success for Struggling Readers

16 Ten Strategies That Support Comprehension - Double Session

17 Worth a Thousand Words: Using Graphic Novels in Adult Literacy Learning - Double Session

18 Teaching Civics and Citizenship to Immigrants - Double Session

STRAND 4 3:15-4:30 p.m.

19 How an App Can Accelerate Math Progress ABE to HSE - Repeat

20 Learner as Author: Visual Storytelling as Literacy Tutoring Tool - Double Session

21 Rime Magic: Fast Success for Struggling Readers - Repeat

22 Ten Strategies That Support Comprehension - Double Session

23 Worth a Thousand Words: Using Graphic Novels in Adult Literacy Learning - Double Session

24 Teaching Civics and Citizenship to Immigrants - Double Session

Sunday, May 6, 2018

Azusa Library :: Celebrates its ‘Literacy Heroes’

Azusa celebrates its ‘Literacy Heroes’

Fume of Sighs: 4.21.2018 by Dena Burroughs

The Adult Literacy Program of the Azusa Library, in conjunction with the Foothill Learning Alliance, celebrated its volunteers on April 21, 2018, with a “Literacy Heroes-Volunteer Recognition Brunch” at the Azusa Greens Country Club.

Fifteen volunteer instructors and coordinators socialized, enjoyed breakfast, and received a Certificate of Appreciation for another year of selfless service to the community, which they offer in the form of ESL lessons, Citizenship classes, and more. These volunteers dedicate an average of 12 hours each month to help others gain literacy. They were also gifted with a copy of Leslie Odom Jr.’s book Failing Up, which he wrote to encourage his readers to pursue their passions while rising over the rejections that usually precede success. Odom is best known for his performance as Aaron Burr in the now famous musical Hamilton. READ MORE >>