After 5: One Word at a Time

The ability to read is a strong predictor of the skills to successfully navigate society. According to the Ozarks Literacy Council, Americans who have trouble reading make up 75 percent of the unemployed, 33 percent of mothers receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children, 85 percent of juveniles who appear in court and 60 percent of prison inmates. The 2000 Census estimated that more than 55,000 adults in Greene County are illiterate.

Volunteers such as Kathleen Stevens are striving to make a difference in those numbers. As part of Ozarks Literacy Council’s adult basic literacy program, Stevens works once a week with an adult learner to improve his reading and writing skills.

“Reading is one of the most important things we need to do as far as our education,” she says.

As a tutor, Stevens feels like she is fulfilling a commitment to help the community. She finds a great deal of satisfaction in her learner’s commitment and steady progress during the four years they’ve worked together, and notes that they do not do a great deal of preparation for their sessions.

“We take things as they come,” Stevens says. “If we have to go in a different direction, we go in a different direction.”

Tutor Jonna Shepardson, a purchasing coordinator and administrative assistant at Drury University, enjoys the one-on-one relationship she has with her learner. “You know personally the person that your work is going to benefit,” she says.

Ozarks Literacy Council executives say tutors are always in demand and recruiting efforts are continual. A three-night tutor training session for the council’s adult basic literacy program begins Feb. 16.

Tutors do not need a background in education, says program director Nicole Thom-Arens.

“If you can read, you can teach,” she says, adding that flexibility and an understanding that illiteracy leads to a unique view of the world are equally important. For example, people who have trouble reading also sometimes have trouble managing appointments.

Tutors are trained in the highly scripted Laubach method, which gives first-time tutors clear and structured directions for each session. As the tutor and learner progress, literacy council library and staff have additional resources to offer.

“If someone were to be a little hesitant, that shouldn’t be of concern,” volunteer Stevens says. “The guidance and direction you get from the council really guide the way.”

She recommends going to the training session to find out if becoming a tutor is of interest.

“Once I went to the training class,” Shepardson says, “I was sold.”

According to Ozarks Literacy Council, the average adult learner can raise their reading level two grades in just 80 hours of tutoring.

Those involved say learners approach Ozarks Literacy Council at all levels. Some cannot read medication labels, street signs or bus routes. Some have specific goals, such as passing the general equivalency diploma exam. The tutor-learner relationship can be goal directed or indefinite. Most tutor-learner pairs meet one hour per week at a time and place that works best for them. Many arrange to meet at one of the local libraries for access to books, and comfortable and quiet rooms. Some pairs meet during the slow hours at local eateries.

Thom-Arens notes that many people who would be classified as illiterate have very cleverly learned to function without reading skills in a “world made up of words.”
“Illiteracy is not tied to intelligence,” she says.[[In-content Ad]]Through volunteer tutors, Ozarks Literacy Council serves around 200 adults each year in its basic literacy program. The council is seeking tutors to meet with a learner one hour a week.

Tutor training comprises three successive sessions at Ozarks Literacy Council’s office, 430 South Ave., Ste. 200:

• Feb. 16, 5:30–9 p.m.

• Feb. 18, 6–9 p.m.

• Feb. 23, 6–9 p.m.

For more information, call Ozarks Literacy Council at (417) 895-5635 or e-mail programdirector@ozarksliteracy.org.