Adult literacy program

looking for tutors

Jennifer Platts

People interested in teaching others to read are encouraged to attend tutor training sessions in February, says field services coordinator Irene Larkin.

The sessions, developed by the Laubach Literacy of Canada, are designed to teach adults to read.

The tutoring enables students to "fill in the gaps" in their learning abilities, says Larkin. The training is "very comprehensive and detailed."

Tutors will be matched with a student after training. In each health region there is a literacy council equipped with a student coordinator. Adults with reading problems may call the coordinator to get set up with a tutor (1-800-348-7323). Larkin is the student coordinator for Queens region.

There is no set schedule or designated place to meet the student, both are determined by the student and the tutor.

The training is 12 hours and there is a $5 program fee. To become a tutor, a Grade 12 education is required.

High motivation is crucial for tutors and students entering this program.

Students who stay with the program long enough can go from a Grade 3 reading level to Grade 11.

Larkin says she meets people ranging from those who need to learn their alphabet, to people who have Grade 12 and "have fallen through the gaps" in comprehension and fast reading.

About 30 per cent of adults on P.E.I. have very low reading skills or are illiterate, says Catherine O'Brien from Literacy Alliance. The national average is about 25 per cent. Averages vary from urban to rural areas.

The program and books are free for the students. Teaching goes as quickly or as slowly as the student wants it to go.

Anybody interested in the training must be willing to tutor after training. All those interested must pre-register.
There is help for tutors until they feel really comfortable doing it alone, says Larkin.