Wendy Quinones <wbquinones at comcast.net> wrote:       v\:* {   BEHAVIOR: url(#default#VML)  }  o\:* {   BEHAVIOR: url(#default#VML)  }  w\:* {   BEHAVIOR: url(#default#VML)  }  .shape {   BEHAVIOR: url(#default#VML)  }        st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }              John and Cece have showed tremendous courage in insight in their postings, and I thank you both for your thoughtful responses.  I hae taught ABE levels from intermediate through college transition, and many of my students say the same thing once they are comfortable enough to reflect on and share with me and their peers the barriers that kept them from pursuing their education.
   
  I. As you know each students has their own problem with learning but with your help they will over come it. I never talked about mine reading until I was 50 years old, now that I am 64 well life is different and I'll talk about it to any one who will sit down and hear me.  We never had any L.D.classes we didn't even have our families to help us because well I just don't know the (because part) I guess at this pont I should say the year 1948 first grade.  I have asked my sister's in the passed years but I was told they didn't know I could not read, so I guess I'll go with that. I don't blame they I just wanted to know.
   
  I'd like to recommend a book that learners at all these levels find tremendously inspiring:  "Reading Changed My Life," which is published by Townsend Press.  It contains three stories about adult learners who faced and overcame all the barriers that our students are familiar with.  It is easy enough for the intermediates (roughly at grade levels 4-8) to read, yet of such high interest that college-bound students don't find it condescending.  (Townsend Press has a fabulous line of books adapted for these intermediate level readers -- my class read their version of "Narrative of the Life of Federick Douglass" and adored it.  It is pretty faithful to the original, too.  You can find Townsend Press at http://www.townsendpress.com/ )
   
  2. Thanks I am going to check this out.
   
  And having griped about the barriers to home study, I listened yesterday as one of my lowest-level students talked about working on GED books at home!  She has a long way to go before she's ready for the test, but she certainly answered some of my questions about students being able to do this.  She is someone who almost dropped out of our program last year because she was so afraid of her math class, but having overcome that she seems ready for almost any challenge now.  I hope she will inspire others in the class.  She has certainly inspired me!
   
   3. When I was a low level student  I know I could not do the work in the G.E.D. but some people like to try as you already know. I am so happy to hear she over came here fear her math class, that was one of my weakest subjects.  I had quit for two years because of it but, but I attended a reading group and my coordinator would talk to me about going back to school and I did but it took time for me to see the light and go back to classes I am very happy I did it was a very long road to my G.E.D.  
  I didn't know how to study, I went by how my kids studied and did it like them, I put my books on the kitchen table and started to read and read but what was I reading?  It's hard to believe anyone didn't know how to study you would have thought by this time in our lives we would have learned by no, I had not. I had to learn how to study too. I know you understand what I am saying. 
  Keep on helping your students they love it even though they don't tell you so often enough. 
  Thank You 
  Cecelia (Cece) Tilsley
   
   
  Wendy Quinones
    ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Lisa Robertson 
  To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List 
  Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2007 3:57 PM
  Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 776] Re: Hard to reach peoplewithlowliteracy skills
  

    On Behalf Of John Ward
   
  I would like to respond to why people needing help in reading don’t attend school.  One major reason is fear.  Fear that people in the school will not understand why you’re so much different than they are.  There are the disabilities of learning how to read.  I also feel the way that some people are brought up.  As being a young person living with two parents that were alcoholics, my dad worked, my mum was never around, always in a bar room.  Trying to raise four brothers and two sisters when I was 8 and 9 years old.  My younger siblings were more important to me than school at that time.  Also, always fearing when the cops came knocking at the door, knowing that they were here to take us away from our parents and that it was my responsibility to hide and protect them from the cops.  As I grew up and winging it with a sense that I didn’t really need the help until I was involved in an accident that took a life.  At that time I also didn’t really have anything to live for
 – I tried to commit suicide several different times, realizing there was nothing out there for me.  I went to doctors and counselors.  I went to vocational rehab and she gave me the idea to go back to school.  It gave me reasons to live and to show my sons that their father could accomplish something by putting his mind to it.  So I suggest you work with vocational rehab people to get those people who are ready for a change in their life in the door of the classroom.  I also think you should allow people into the classroom to come to visit to check out how adult education works.  It doesn’t mean you have to join, but to see if you would feel comfortable there.  Make sure the learning time is welcoming and can get the fear to go away.
   
  John Ward
  ABE Student
  Windham Adult Education
  Windham, ME 
   
   
   
    Lisa Robertson
  ABE Coordinator
   

   
      
---------------------------------
  
  From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Taylor, Jackie
Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2007 1:33 PM
To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 774] Re: Hard to reach people withlowliteracy skills

   
  Dear Cece,
  I did not wish to let another moment go by without thanking you for your insightful message. I commend you for your successes, and for using those successes to help others who face similar challenges. You certainly demonstrate leadership even now on our Professional Development List, by reminding us of the reasons why we stay with the struggle. We certainly can and do make a difference every day, as you continue to demonstrate.
   
  Thank you for that. Best wishes, Jackie
   
  Jackie Taylor, Adult Literacy Professional Development List Moderator, jataylor at utk.edu 
   
      
---------------------------------
  
  From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of cece tilsley
Sent: Monday, January 22, 2007 3:32 PM
To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 769] Re: Hard to reach people with lowliteracy skills

   
    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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