Hi All,
   
  I was a low level reader and I would like you all to know how afraid we are to come in and get help. We know we need help it's not just we think that we don't and we are okay, I can't understand how any one can think that? I think fear is what holds a lot of us back. We put on this front that all is okay and life is good but we know in our heart we are not okay at all. We pray no one finds out about our secret of not being able to read books, street signs,menus, show marquees and so on. If we can do mate it's a challenge just to add or subtract. There are so many of us who have tried to make our lives better for our families and ourselves don't you all think it starts in first grade ? I was left behind from the start but, I didn't know it until I got much older. I guess they called me slow that what happened to me? I really not sure. I am not slow but, I am dyslexic and never got the extra few minutes it would have take to help me. I went for help when I was 50 years old
 it was very hard to fine the help I needed. I think you need to focus on how hard it is to fine help. I had to make six or eight calls before I found help, a lot of people will just give up it's hard to fine the help we need. 
  I am now 64 years old I have two adult children now. I started at 50 years old learning how to read better and learn math too, I worked full time and lots of over time too, it took me about ten years to get my G.E.D. and now I am helping others like myself. I tutor in reading, math and computers. The students come no matter what the weather is or how much snow we have. I have health problems for the pass years but I only cancel classes when it's a lot of snow or it's way below zero. The student they would come it's me I can't make it at those times. 
  I know this is not much to go by, I just wanted to let you all know it's  hard to fine help and we are really afraid to look for it to for fear we can't learn too. 
   
  Thank You 
  Cecelia (Cece) Tilsley 
  Moraine Valley Community College
  Palos Hill, IL 

Lendoak at aol.com wrote:
      Dear David Rosen,
   
  Of course there are many reasons for people not enrolling in literacy training programs to improve their reading and language skills.  One factor that is sometimes overlooked is the perception of those with limited literacy skills.  
   
  The 1993 NAAL survey reported that many people with very low literacy skills perceived that they have quite adequate literacy skills.  So, "what's to improve?"
   
  Although we've both been volunteer tutors for a number of years, we don't have much experience in trying to change such perceptions in order to recruit new students.  We suspect that perhaps a personal benefits approach might work. We wonder how others may have implemented such an approach.  
   
  Len and Ceci Doak
  Patient Learning Assoc. Inc.
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