Are you sure I should be doing this?Empowering others to support literacy in any learner

Literacy Center of West Michigan• http://www.literacycenterwm.org/

Introduction to Adult Education• GED and remedial reading at Gerald R. Ford Job Corps Center

- Out of school youth age 16 – 26- Finishing a GED, high school diploma, etc.-Trade training- Residential program

Today• Talking about and experiencing low literacy• Thinking about what tools and strategies you can pull from

what I’ll share to help an “other” support writing• Tutors have given us the feedback that they find these

activities and tools very helpful so we continue to use them

Is adult low-literacy a national concern?

Adult low literacy can be connected to almost every socio-economic issue in the United States:• More than 60% of all inmates (state & federal) are

functionally illiterate.• Low health literacy costs the U. S. $106 – $238 billion

each year. • Low literacy costs the U.S. $225 billion or more

annually due to non-productivity in the workforce, crime, and unemployment.

Is adult low-literacy a local concern?

• 21% of adults in Grand Rapids, and 14% of Kent County are considered functionally illiterate.

• Michigan’s high school dropout rate is 15%; national rate is 10.9%

• In Grand Rapids, the high school dropout rate is 22%. • At least 60% of students entering community colleges in

Michigan require remediation.

Adult Tutoring Program

Adults get one-on-one tutoring in literacy once a week for 2 hours at a location and time of their choice.

Foundational Belief • You are an expert in English. Really. And, you are able to affect

change with extensive influence.• Our adult tutoring program would not be able to exist without

this fundamental belief.

Guiding Question-How can tutor* be empowered to work with students?-What tools will help?

*Who are these tutors? - educational support professionals- Tutors in the classroom

or pull out programs- parents- _________________- ___________________- ____________________- ____________________- ____________________- ____________________- ___________________

My goal for our time today

Act I

What does it look like & feel like to be low literate?

What does low literacy look like?

What does low literacy look like?

KIDS (K-12)• Resistance to reading• Hesitation to write• Acting out in class• Lack of homework• Poor grades• Low confidence

ADULTS 18+• Excuses for not reading• Missing appointments• Not answering emails• Takes a long time to read or

sign papers• Becomes anxious around

text• Avoids text!• Asks to take materials home

We have all had experiences with low literate folks

They feel

We feel

The Power of Processing & Wait Time• Concept developed by science educator Mary Budd Rowe in

the late 1960s Positive changes in climate and quality of interactions

Increased levels of cognitive functioning

• We tell tutors to wait 7-12 seconds when asking a question• Do not ask more than one question at a time• Do not rephrase the question when the learner doesn’t

answer

Act II

How can an other approach teaching & support writing?

Other tools for tutors• Allow opportunities to write in non-threatening ways, like

using whiteboards, flashcards, letter tiles, etc.• Importance of positive body language

One final fun activity

Act II

What tool will help you arm your others?

Some strategies we’ve covered• Wait time• Not rephrasing questions• Positive body language• Setting clear guidelines and goals• Using in-context opportunities to read and write• Non-threatening writing practice• Stressing empathy for the situation

Who did you picture?

QUESTIONS?Thank you for listening!

Works Cited• Costa, Arthur L., and Robert J. Garmston. Cognitive Coaching:

A Foundation for Renaissance Schools. Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon, 2002. Print.

• National Center for Family Literacy: http://www.famlit.org • Rowe, M. (1986). Wait time: slowing down may be a way of

speeding up! Journal of Teacher Education, Jan-Feb: 43-49.• Wilson, S. M., Shulman, L. S., & Richert, A. E. (1987). "150

different ways" of knowing: Representations of knowledge in teaching. In J. Calderhead (Ed.), Exploring teachers' thinking (pp. 104-124). London: Cassell.