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Literacy Together’s Fall Gathering 2022

Literacy Together's Fall Gathering 2022

 
We had so much fun at Literacy Together‘s Fall Gathering 2022. Thank you to all who came! Thanks to The Boat House at Smoky Park Supper Club for hosting us. 
 
Literacy Together's Fall Gathering 2022
 
Special thanks to Salvador Chávez from Zumba Chavez and Rico Suave for coming to share their Zumba magic with us!

 
Thank you to our ESOL student and fantastic photographer, Sergio , for taking (and gifting us!) such beautiful photos!
 
Literacy Together's Fall Gathering 2022

Literacy Together's Fall Gathering 2022Literacy Together's Fall Gathering 2022

 

You can see all the images of Literacy Together’s Fall Gathering 2022 videos on our Facebook and Instagram accounts. Thank you!

 

 

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Hispanic Heritage Month 2022: Unidos for a stronger nation

Hispanic Heritage Month: Unidos, inclusivity for a stronger nationHispanic Heritage Month 2022: Unidos for a stronger nation

Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15 by celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of people from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

Literacy Together would like to honor the following Latinx community members who exemplify the true spirit of what we accomplish in unity:

English Language Learners209 adults from Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Haiti who are determined to learn English to improve their employment opportunities, engage in their children’s education, and participate fully in their new community. In return, they share their culture and insights with their volunteer tutors through a relationship that enriches both parties.

Board members: Literacy Together benefits from the advice and counsel of four Latina board members to ensure we remain true to our mission and vision. They include Zurilma Anuel (Venezuela), Nora van Arkel (Honduras), Gabby Mendez (Mexico), and Joselyne Gago (Cuba/Spain).

Staff member:  Our Communications and Outreach Director, Laura Bernhein (Argentina), raises awareness of our work in the community, recruits volunteers, and enrolls families in the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

We are truly stronger together!  Here are the faces of some of Literacy Together’s Latinx community. Hispanic Heritage Month 2022: Unidos for a stronger nation

 

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Goodwill Industries of Northwest NC’s interview with Rebecca Massey

Adult Literacy Program
 
 
Please take a few minutes to watch this two-part interview with Rebecca Massey, the director of the Adult Literacy Program. Thanks to Mike VanGilder of Goodwill Industries of Northwest NC for helping us spread the word about Literacy Together and the Adult Literacy Program.
 
 

The Adult Literacy program provides 1-on-1 volunteer tutors for English speakers whose reading, writing, spelling, or math skills are below a basic skills level. This program serves approximately 50 students per year. Students come to Literacy Together because they want to improve job prospects, help their children in school, enroll in a High School Equivalency Program, and better navigate the world around them. Adult Literacy students often have learning disabilities or differences such as dyslexia. Tutors are trained to help students navigate these learning challenges, and we also recognize the unique strategies that students have used to learn and adapt. 

Although we serve a wide variety of literacy needs, there are two main tracks in the Adult Literacy program: Basic Skills tutoring and GED preparation (also called High School Equivalency / HSE preparation). 

In the Basic Skills track, the program director initially assesses students to determine their reading level, learning barriers, and personal goals. When tutoring begins, students work on the specific reading, writing, and spelling issues that challenge them the most. Tutors complete a training in phonics-based and multisensory literacy instruction. They learn to create individualized Basic Skills lessons using the Orton-Gillingham methodology and use the Wilson Reading System curriculum. Tutors commit to working with their student for a minimum of 1 year. Students set their own tutoring schedule and meet 2-3 hours a week with their tutor. Every Adult Literacy lesson is tailored to the skills, needs, preferences, and goals of the student. 

In the GED/HSE track, the program director (or a community partner like AB Tech) initially assesses students to determine their reading level, learning barriers, and personal goals. Students study for one subject test at a time (see the list of GED subjects here). Tutors complete a GED/HSE training and choose the subject(s) they feel most comfortable tutoring. Tutors commit to working with their student for a minimum of 6 months. Students set their own tutoring schedule and meet 2-3 hours a week with their tutor. GED/HSE textbooks are the primary resource in this track, but lessons are also tailored to the student’s skills, needs, preferences, and goals. 

While the aim of our work is to meet the educational needs of our Adult Literacy students, we understand that they are also often dealing with logistical and personal obstacles. Their barriers may include lack of transportation and childcare, poverty and unstable housing, a history of addiction, post-incarceration, inadequate medical care, and frequent mental health issues. In the face of these barriers, our students appreciate the structure and regularity of tutoring; at the same time, tutoring requires flexibility, creativity, and the ability to adapt. Learn more about this program here

Become a volunteer

 

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Read some of the comments from the Youth Literacy summer interns!

Read some of the comments from the Youth Literacy summer interns!

 

The Youth Literacy Program wrapped up an 8-week summer program, Igniting Superhero Readers, in August! Twenty-six interns, young adults in the Asheville community, supported elementary students with 1:1 literacy instruction. Over 75 students participating in the Youth Transformed for Life and Christine W. Avery Learning Center summer camp programs received tutoring services to strengthen literacy skills and a love for reading! Read some of the comments from the Youth Literacy summer interns.

What was the most challenging part of being a tutor, and what was the most rewarding?

“Keeping kids’ attention was a struggle, as well as being able to handle emotional outbursts. The most rewarding part for me was when I listened to one of my kids read a book – it was like magic watching her put together a story and comprehend it.”

“The most challenging part of tutoring was when one of my students wouldn’t even come to sit down with me to read or play a game.  The most rewarding part was meeting kids in my community; they made me laugh every day, and having conversations with them was always interesting.”

 

 

Please give a few examples of ways in which you saw growth.

“The ability for my younger student to start to put together words better was a big deal, and my second student flew through “I Am Enough” and began to radiate the same energy the book had. When they both began to ask me to do the workbooks, I knew they had grown.

“My student once told me in the most adorable and goofy way, “I can’t read!” but towards the end, when we got farther in his lesson book, he was reading the lines of words very well and could also write words after I say them. Finishing the post-assessment made me proud because I’ve seen my student working hard and I could tell his skills improved.”

“Z. started sounding out words he didn’t know on sight. This was an amazing breakthrough. I was blown away by him. It was so rewarding to watch his self-esteem grow.”

Read some of the comments from the Youth Literacy summer interns!

 

What do you feel you gained through this internship (in addition to the salary)? What did you learn or experience that is important to you?

“I feel that not only did I gain an amazing bond with these little kiddos, but I also gained a new sense of patience and gentleness for them. The two boys I worked with were in the foster care system. Honestly, it broke my heart because the world would look at them as a troubled youth, but in reality, they are going through things that most can’t imagine. They taught me to attentively listen; they also taught me that even though I have a job to do, some things are more important– like having a conversation with someone who cares.” 

“I gained a better understanding of how kids struggle with reading skills and how beneficial one-on-one tutoring can be. I also learned how much power words can have and how negative or positive self-talk can make a huge difference in a student’s attitude and perception of what they think they are capable of.”

“This internship provided me with a new perspective that I didn’t have before.  I got to interact with people from my community, how to better communicate with others, and how kids learn and are treated in educational environments will affect them for the rest of their lives. Interacting with the kids was my absolute favorite part; seeing them gain confidence in themselves and watching them grow and have fun while doing it was the best feeling in the world.

“I gained a better understanding of how the passion for reading begins and a new appreciation for patience.”

Read some of the comments from the Youth Literacy summer interns!

 

How will this internship contribute to your goals for the future?

“Right now, I’d love to become a librarian. Libraries are the centers of our communities. I’d love to be able to sponsor community events and programs like these in whatever profession I enter. This experience will not only help me now and allow me to gain even more experience as I finish high school and college, but it’s also something that I will never forget as I move into the future.”

“I plan to use this internship to give myself a solid background whilst pursuing a career in adolescent psychology. I also plan to continue doing it and may try to find similar programs wherever I go, knowing that I have the proper background.”

“I can’t say for sure that I see a future with me working kids as a profession, but I loved this experience and will do it again as long as it is available for me to apply for in the summer. I don’t want to necessarily work with kids, but I want to work for kids. I am a criminal justice major, navigating my way through undergrad to become a lawyer.”

“I have always loved reading. I love sharing that passion with others and discussing books with others. To be able to aid a child’s literacy growth has been an amazing experience for me as a book lover. This will contribute to my goal to continue inspiring others to read and encouraging others’ passion for reading.”

“While I don’t plan on working with kids for my career someday, this internship taught me how to be more fun and creative. It also taught me how important it is that kids (and adults alike) believe they are capable of conquering challenges and doing things that may not come naturally to them.

“This internship will help me realize that I want to be a teacher in the future.

“This internship contributed to my goals in the future because it has always been my dream to help POC children in the community. I always wanted to be the inspiration I wanted as a kid, and I feel like I have done that with this internship.”

comments from the Youth Literacy summer interns!







 










 

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Adult Literacy Program: Congratulations to Bob and Tim!

Adult Literacy Program: Congratulations to Bob and Tim!

 

Congratulations to Bob and Tim! After working very hard for three years with his wonderful tutor, Tim, Bob completed the entire 12-book Wilson Reading System. He came into the program in 2019 struggling with his reading and writing, and he graduated this summer with an understanding of advanced concepts in the English language. That is a huge and rare accomplishment. But even more important, Bob now has the skills and experience to become an Adult Literacy tutor!

Our students know better than anyone else what it takes to do this work and how important it is to have a partner on that journey. Congratulations to Bob and Tim! They have been an amazing team and an inspiration to us all (Read more about how Bob and Tim worked together).

Adult Literacy Program: Congratulations to Bob and Tim!

 

Please watch this video recorded in June 2021, where Bob talks about his experience working with Tim.

The Adult Literacy program teaches reading, writing, spelling, and math to adults who read at or below a basic skills level. This program serves approximately 50 students per year. Students come to Literacy Together because they want to improve job prospects, help their children in school, enroll in a High School Equivalency Program, and better navigate the world around them.

Although English is their native language, Adult Literacy students struggle with recognizing individual sounds, written words, and comprehending a sentence or longer passage.  They comprise a diverse group in terms of educational background, socioeconomic status, personal goals, and learning styles. Many are challenged by learning differences such as dyslexia. All Adult Literacy students courageously take the step to give reading another chance. Sign up to volunteer with this program.

Read these Adult Literacy Program success stories.

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