Beginning A Literacy Program
by Nancy Woods
Director, Adult Literacy Action
Pennsylvania State University

 

BEGINNING A LITERACY PROGRAM ASSESSING THE NEED PROGRAM STRUCTURE BUILDING A PROGRAM MONEY MATTERS RECRUITMENT PROMOTION TRAINING HORIZONS

BUILDING A PROGRAM Job Descriptions Most beginning literacy programs will be staffed largely by volunteers, and for the sake of both consistency and efficiency, it is important to develop job descriptions for them. The job descriptions should be specific about the time you will require for each type of volunteer. For example: To be a tutor for the (NAME OF PROGRAM) you must know how to read and write, and care enough to help someone else learn. You must be willing to complete 12 hours of training, at the end of which you will be matched with an adult student who has requested help improving basic literacy skills. You will be expected to meet with the student a minimum of 3 hours a week at a local site to be agreed upon. Approximate duration of assignment: one year, or the time it takes to help one student complete the program. Volunteers may serve in many other capacities in addition to tutoring. They might, for instance, participate in grantwriting, fund development, community outreach or office administration. (A written job description is important for these assignments as well.) Tutoring Sites Public buildings with private space available are the optimum tutoring sites because they offer a professional atmosphere in an easily accessible building. There are many site options, including: Local churches Libraries American Legion posts Union halls Fire halls Community centers Public schools Granges Homes Colleges and universities Community rooms of public buildings Site coordinators must be sensitive to the dynamics of the location and its staff. In a local church, for example, it may be best to plan tutoring sessions to correspond to times when the church is normally open, to avoid placing extra work on the ministerial or building staff. At all locations, the staff should be kept informed of your class schedule, and the tutors should know whom to contact if problems occur. Curriculum There are several adult basic education curricula available: the local library or the State Department of Education may be able to review them for you. Deciding on a curriculum is another opportunity to draw in others from the community. Invite a college reading specialist, or other knowledgeable individuals, to evaluate the materials you are considering. Ask others in the community who are already using the program to critique it for you. The goal of a literacy program is to teach and improve basic reading and writing skills, and in many cases, math skills. A literacy program has a three-part purpose: To introduce basic skills, to reinforce and review those skills, and to consistently build new skills that increase the studentís literacy level. A successful curriculum will feature some of the following: A training system for volunteer tutors Materials that are geared to the interest and capability of adults Guidelines for establishing readability levels A method that introduces new skills gradually while continuously reinforcing skills that have just been learned Suggestions for supplemental materials that relate to the studentís daily life Textbooks and materials that are not out of print Reasonable cost A means of ongoing evaluation: chapter review; check-ups or test; review in subsequent books; tier-based approach Sensitivity to the need for an alternative approach for students who did not succeed in a traditional school system; these students, for example, often work well one-on-one Once curriculum bases are covered, the next step is to enhance the studentís retention and comprehension capabilities with supplemental reading and writing lessons drawn from the studentís daily life. For example, an early lesson for the parent of a six-year-old could include sight words and writing practice for completing a school absentee excuse. An early lesson for a student seeking employment could include sight words and writing practice relevant to completing a job application. More advanced students might be interested in supplemental books on money management, child care and other topics. The daily living skills your program teaches will be appreciated by other community groups. Employment service agencies will find it easier to place a job applicant who has no trouble filling out forms, for example, and parents who understand school forms can ease the burden on local schools. Agencies which have seen what you can do for them will be more likely to refer students to your program. There are other ways to draw the community in to this aspect of your program. A local library can provide supplemental reading materials. Public schools can cooperate with enhanced parent-teacher-child interaction. Employment services can supply sample job applications. And newspapers may be willing to donate free papers for teaching: students can learn how to read the want ads and how to find information about children's story hours, free immunization clinic locations and other community programs and events. While students are meeting with volunteer tutors they can also benefit from small supplemental classes in groups of 4 to 10. Subjects like writing, spelling, social studies and math can improve their information base and strengthen their understanding of basic skills. You may find professional teachers who would like to volunteer to conduct these mini-classes; the classroom experience can ease studentsí transitions from one-on-one instruction into adult basic education, pre-GED and GED programs. No matter what instruction program you undertake, it should be clear to students and tutors what short- and long-term goals they can expect to achieve, and in what time frame. Given realistic expectations, tutoring can be a positive experience for both student and tutor.