During 2001, the Learning Society worked to bring together those with an interest in Adult Literacy. Since that time, our program has developed with the guidance and direction of dedicated volunteers, and a steering committee that included representation from the Nuxalk College, Library, Healthy Beginnings, Community Support Society, and North Island College.

We want to provide support to adults who wish to learn to read or to improve their reading.

We have designed a two year Pilot Project to develop the supports needed to address that objective, and envision the following activities:

A Personal Tutor program: Volunteer Tutors providing one-to-one instruction to learners, and in some cases to encourage them to become Tutors as well. (with tutors/peers)

Community Literacy Workshops: practical life skills style workshops that address literacy.

Community Radio Broadcasting: To provide practical and creative opportunities to improve literacy skills of all levels. (writing/reading current events, radio dramas, read along sessions, documentaries.)

OUR GOAL
The intent of our program is to provide practical, enjoyable and relevant learning opportunities that are well integrated into the fiber and support structure of our community.

OUR OBJECTIVES
Continue to develop community partnerships in support of literacy.

Eliminate barriers to participation, and explore innovative strategies for reaching those members of our community not served by literacy programming.

Provide learners with an appropriate assessment, and a realistic understanding of literacy skills.
Develop and deliver programming that is practical, enjoyable, and provides skills that learners will consider relevant to their daily activities and personal educational goals.

Provide training for volunteer tutors, and the support and resources needed to be effective.

Support learners to achieve a level of literacy where they become 'self instructive' and continue in a life-long learning process.

Promote a greater understanding of the importance of adult literacy within our community.

Encourage learners to become literacy ambassadors and support other learners.

Support each member of our community to reach their full potential.

Continue to research provincial support networks and participate where able.

WHY DO WE NEED ADULT LITERACY PROJECTS?

Most statistics on who is illiterate are based on the self-reported figures to be found in the Community Profiles. The Canadian government figures that Level 3 (Grade 8/9) is the measure of literacy. In the past, this would be good enough for a Junior matriculation, and many young people left school with this certificate and got a good job.

Those who do not pass Grade 12, are considered to be in this group of the functionally literate. However, this is a very inexact criterion, as many who are considered "functionally literate" are not functioning very well in this literate society.

Here are some facts about the literacy levels of Canadians.

In 1987, the Southam newspaper publishers sponsored a survey of literacy skills of Canadians. they discovered, among other things:

10% could not read and understand instructions on a bottle of cough medicine.
13% could not pick out a road sign that warns of a traffic light ahead.
33% could not figure out change from $3 for the purchase of two items.
11% could not sign their name in the correct spot for a social insurance card.
29% could not circle long distance charges on a telephone bill.

In 1995, the United Nations made a survey of literacy levels around the world. Statistics Canada helped them with the Canadian part of the International Literacy Survey (ILS).

The Survey results showed that:

Level 1 (Fundamental K-3) 22% cannot decode (sound out words) and know they have problems

Level 2 (Elementary 4-7) 35% read, but not well, and may not realize they have problems

Level 3 (8/9) (Literate) 33% minimum desire threshold, good enough for clerical work, but not ready for the final two years of high school

Level 4 (11-12) and Level 5 (12+) 20% has many skills to handle complex materials, can handle any literacy task

Many students drop out of high school because their literacy skills are weak.

Not all students who drop out of high school could not succeed there: there are other reasons for dropping out, of course.

Not all students who could do well in college or university will go on to post-secondary studies.

ARE YOU LITERATE?

1) Have you met any words you could not pronounce?
What did you do?

2) Have you met any words whose meaning was not familiar to you?
What did you do?

3) Have you met sentences that were so long or so complex that you had to read them more than once to understand their meaning?

4) Have you encountered written instructions or directions that didn't give you enough information to understand them?
What did you do?

5) Have you ever made spelling errors?
How did you know?
What did you do?

6) Have you ever written something and then changed or re-written it?
Why?

If you have done any of these things, you are literate. Writing is more difficult than speaking because your reader is not right in front of you: if he doesn't understand what you have written, you can't correct yourself. Therefore, you have to check and recheck what you have written before you share it.

Many people who are illiterate think that literate people never make mistakes. They are setting a very high standard for themselves that no one can meet. It is a relief to them that their tutors stumble over long words when they read at sight and that they have to correct their spelling, too.

WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT IT?

Starting in the fall of 2002, the first group of volunteer tutors were trained. After Christmas, the students began their first steps to read. Three of them came from other countries and could read their own languages, but wanted to learn English. Now we have students with a full range of reading levels. Some just to make their lives more interesting, some want to help their children do well in school, and some are working to acquire those skills that will enable them to do well in college or university.
We are happy to be a part of their dream.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?

We are looking for volunteers to help tutor students. Would you like to join our tutors?

Of course, tutor training is free to the tutors, and there are no fees for the students. But materials, supplies, office space, and all the rest cost money.

All donations are gratefully received.