SENIOR LIVING: Get Involved --- Volunteers Energize Literacy Link
By Michelle Detterick, Guest Columnist and Program Coordinator of Literacy Link Leamos
Bright yellow designer buttons announcing the 2007 New Year’s resolution: “Read! Start the Year Right!” have been seen all over Grant County, heralding the participation of Literacy Link – Leamos in a statewide literacy campaign. The month long campaign is designed to increase public awareness of literacy needs and resources throughout New Mexico. Literacy programs across the state are as diverse as the populations they serve. However, they all have one thing in common: the goal of increasing individual literacy skills. “Read! Start the Year Right!” was initiated by the Professional Program Directors Association and co-sponsored by the New Mexico Coalition for Literacy.
Increase your own literacy knowledge by exploring some of the frequently asked questions posed to Detterick.
FAQ #1… Where are you and just exactly what do you do?
Housed in the Silver City Public Library, Literacy Link - Leamos is a community-based program which offers free, confidential, one-to-one and small group tutoring for adults and families. Weekly tutoring sessions provide instruction to learners in a variety of subjects including reading, writing, math, speaking English, GED preparation, computer, and job skills. Tutoring is done by trained volunteers who customize instruction by utilizing methods and materials which best suit the individual learner. During the 2005-06 program year, 101 learners received one-to-one tutoring by 42 trained volunteers, an increase of over 25 % from the previous year. Documented hours of instruction were 2512.5 hours.
FAQ #2… What else does your program do?
Highlights of the 2005-2006 program year include, program volunteers who supported all Head Start teachers and staff by reading to their classes on a biweekly basis. We partnered with the Library to sponsor a Scrabble challenge for teens, just one of the 12 different community outreaches in which we participated.
With funds provided by our local Rotary Club we developed the Rotary Literacy Center, a project that supports tutors and learners by providing additional tutoring space. The area in the library is available for use by the public when it is not being used by literacy tutors and learners. Computers were purchased and a grant from the PNM Foundation provided computer software. In January we received notification of approval of our proposal to the Southwestern Area Workforce Investment Board. Those funds have been of great assistance in meeting the needs of our learners during the second half of the 2005-2006 program year by allowing us to purchase needed equipment and supplies, provide computer training for tutors and volunteers, and increase the office hours of program personnel.
FAQ #3… Do we really need a literacy program?
Based on census data and literacy estimates from The State of Literacy in America (National Institute for Literacy, 1998) 20% of New Mexicans age 16 and older have literacy skills at level 1, the lowest level on a scale of 1 to 5. Each literacy level is associated with a specific set of skills that are generally accepted as necessary for full participation in society. Individuals at level 1, for example, have difficulty locating simple information in a news article or applying basic math to determine the total on a sales receipt.
Our local need for vital literacy services for adults is evident by examining at the statistics for Grant County. 15.4% of adults age 25 and older, have less than a 9th grade education and 29.5% have less than a 12th grade education. According to a profile done by the Grant County Community Health Council, one-third of households in Grant County speak Spanish at home and one-quarter of those speak English less than very well. Literacy Link- Leamos is working to raise the literacy levels of all Grant County residents.
Now in its sixth year of operation, Literacy Link - Leamos began in November of 2000 as a rebirth of the non-profit family literacy program started in 1999 by VISTA coordinators. A Board of Directors met in April 2001 and at that time the first part-time program coordinator was hired. In October 2003 the board expanded its number from 12 to 15 members. The board of directors of LL-L is an active one with members functioning as liaisons to community literacy partners, serving on committees, and serving as annually elected officers. Literacy Link – Leamos is partially funded by the New Mexico Coalition for Literacy.
FAQ # 4… I need a tutor. How do I sign up? I want to help. How do I sign up?
Individuals interested in receiving tutoring or being trained as a tutor may call the literacy office at 388-0892 for an interview, the first step to become involved with Literacy Link – Leamos. In addition to individual tutoring, the program sponsors We Learn English, small conversational class with a maximum learner-tutor ratio of 3:1 that meets weekly at the Public Library on Monday evenings and Thursday mornings. The classes are facilitated by LL-L program coordinator and volunteer tutors. The primary objective of this interactive class is to increase the English conversational skills of its students by providing instruction and practice in conversation, reading, pronunciation, writing, and English grammar. Enrollment is on-going so individuals are welcomed to join the class during either time period as their schedules permit. We learn English, a year-round class, and its materials are free to all students. Class participants may also receive weekly one-to-one tutoring.
Success of a class is verified by three measurements: attendance, achievement, and informal assessment. Attendance at We Learn English averages 80 % of enrollment. Comprehension is measured through quizzes, a frequent part of the class curriculum. Informal assessment is observed in and out of the classroom, as students overcome barriers to express themselves in English. Records of attendance, achievement, and anecdotal assessment are submitted monthly to the LL-L office. Assessment of class needs is on-going and determines instructional content and format for class. As with all LL-L programs, the needs, interests, and goals of the learner is ascertained upon initial enrollment and is the primary determinant of tutoring instruction and goals pursued.
FAQ #6… What’s next on the horizon?
The 6th annual Love Your Library celebration, Fit as a Fiddle, is scheduled for Saturday, February 10, from 10 am to 1 pm at The Public Library. The public is invited to this fun event for the whole family where we will enjoy toe tapping music by Fiddling Friends, the sounds of the Dulcimer Doings, storytelling, games, door prizes, free books for all, Valentine crafts, and finger licking good snacks by April Teague of the County Extension Office. This annual event gives us the opportunity to thank the city and the Library for housing our program and the many other ways that they assist our literacy program. It is also an ideal time to come and learn more about Literacy Link - Leamos. Everyone in our community has a part to play in improving local literacy levels. Tell a friend or tell a neighbor that there’s help available. Read a story to a child. Make a donation. Be a volunteer. In the words of a great man, Albert Schweitzer, “You must give some time to your fellow men. Even if it's a little thing, do something for others - something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it.” We all can make a difference. Help someone build a bridge to a brighter future.
For more information on the Literacy Link Leamos Program, contact Michelle Detterick at 505-388-0892, email her at literacylinkleamos@yahoo.com and/or check out their website at: www.gilarangers.com/leamos.htm