HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-11-01, Page 20.4
PAGE 2A —GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER
They teach the basics • • •
e from page 1 A
loan. Students must buy
their own books.
The books used in the
ABE program were
developed by a
missionary named ' Dr.
Frank Laubach and have
been adapted to 300
languages in 100 coun-
tries. They are called the
New Streamlined English
Series and contain a
unique phonics methods
of teaching basic reading
and writing for 0 to fifth
grade. There `are five
books, each representing
a grade. After the student
has completed each book,
he or she gets a diploma.
"Each student works at
his or her own speed,"
explains Mrs. Fink.
"They are well
motivated. They come
here because they want to
improve themselves.
Nobody makes them
come."
THE STUDENTS
AND TUTORS
Two of the students who
attend the ABE program
at Mrs. Fink's house are
husband and wife. They
travel about 30 miles once
a week for the program.
They first heard about
the program through a
Literacy Canada an-
nouncement on
television. They phoned
the telephone number
given and found out about
the closest ABE program
to them.
They have been with
the ABE program for a
year now, missing only
one night so far. The
husband, Mrs. • Fink's
student, is part way
through Grade 2 and
wrote his, own cheque for
the first time recently. He
says he can pick up words
better now and expects
the program will help.
him even more in the
future.
"I haven't got too much
to lose," he says.
—He fi the program
hard but thinks it's
worthwhile. He has a.
public school education
but says,in the days when
he went to school,
students were. pften
— passed onto the next
grade whether they were
ready for it or not.
"People who can read
and write don't ap-
preciate what they
have," he concludes. •
His wife is being
tutored by former
Goderich librarian, Betty
MacKenzie. She has the
equivalent of a ,Grade 4
education and has been
trying to help herself for
years by getting her
daughter to pick up books
for her frd'm the library to
look over.
She doesn't like the fact
that she can't read
recipes. Sometimes the
recipes she makes, turn
out to be something
different altogether, she
laughs.
She is now almost
ready for book 3 in the
ABE program and finds it
has helped her a lot.
For her part, Miss
MacKenzie says she
enjoys tutoring. She
started last October and
has two students, one at
her own home on Thur-
sdays and one at Mrs.
Fink's home on Mondays.
"It's very worthwhile,"
she says.
Another student came
to the ABE program in
January and is already
on book three. She works
very hard and has am-
bitions to improve her-
self. At present, she is
studying to be a
homemaker through a
Conestoga College
course. Her tutor since
March has been Dorothy
Craig and she often goes
to Mrs. Craig's house if
she needs extra help with
her course.
"It's a pleasure to help
her when she works so
hard," says Mrs. Craig.
"This program (ABE) is
for people who haven't
had a chance and want a
chance."
Mrs. Craig has taught
both full-time and as a
supply teacher and, says
she is really enjoying her
.volunteer work as a tutor
with the ABE program.
Mrs. Fink speaks of
another student, a 30 -
year -old who was taken
out of school by her
parents when she was
very young after
mistakenly being iden-
tified as retarded.
This woman came to
ABE after her niece read
about the program in the
Signal -Star and informed
her of it.
"She didn't even know
the phonics sounds but in
half an hour I had her
reading. It was the first
time she had ever read a
complete sentence. She
works and works and is
now ready for the third
grade. None of us know
how far she'll go but
we're ' really excited
about her progress. Even
if she only goes to Grade
5, she will be able to do so
many things that she
couldn't do before," says
Mrs. Fink.
Thaf`las statement by
Mrs. Fink" sort of sums up
the whole reason behind
the ABE program. It
gives people a better
chance in life and
probably a better outlook
•on life as well.
H1W IT BEGAN
ABE originated in
London, Ontario in
October of 1969. Mrs.
Beryl Treloar; a member
of the London Council of
Women and Mrs. Miriam
Stevens, a community
worker. with London's'
FACS, initiated the idea.
Mrs. Stevens, in her
Capacity as community
worker, had met so many
people who could neither
read or"write and felt that
if these people could just
do so many . things the
rest of us take for
granted; they would have
a better chance in life.
A call over CFPL's
Open Line radio.program
invited a volunteer to
assist two women from'
the London core area to
improve their.reading
skills. This call was
answered by Freda
MacDonald, a qualified
teacher recently moved
1,1979
to the city. She had her
first student w ithin the
week.
By 1970, four additional
students requested to
come into the program
and a second volunteer
tutor was recruited. ABE
was on its way!
Today there are over
100 students and over 80
tutors in London's ABE
program.
The aims and ob-
jectives •of ABE are: to
give individual in-
struction from a pre -
reading level through to
Grade 8; to give
assistance to anyone
(first, second or third
generation Canadian)
who wises to upgrade
his or her education but
has no other avenue of
learning; to keep the
learning situation in-
formal and relaxed; and
to encourage students to
continue their education
and later, if possible, to
proceed to night school or
some other learning
program.
It is important to note
that the ABE program
does not duplicate other
adult education
programs Watch cities
and towns offer.
REASONS FOR
ILLITERACY
It is easy to attack the
school system as a reason
for the illiteracy problem
in Canada but Mrs.
MacDonald, the first
tutor with ABE, says she
has the utmost respect
for the system and its
teachers.
There are many
reasons for illiteracy in
Canada.
Some people never
learn to' ,read and write
because of emotional
turmoil • in the home;
movement from school to
school; loss of interest
and motivation; and even
slow development of the
brain in. this learning
area.
W-ha-tever the- reaso
these people grow up with
a problem because of
their inability. Some
people never admit to this
inability.
But now ABE is helping
those people willing to
admit they have' a han-
dicap and who would like
to help themselves.
"My dream is' to see
ABE in other towns in the
county. All you need is
one person to start it,"
says Mrs. Fink, em-
phasizing that tutors only
have to volunteer two
hours of their time once a
week.
She hopes' to hold a
workshop soon for all
those in the area who
might be interested in the
ABE program.
Meanwhile she is also
hoping to acquire •more
students and tutors from
anywhere in the county.
All inquiries to her at 524-
2939 Will be kept con-
fidential.
Judy Woodall, Joy McKee, Lynda Rotteau and Joan
Smith each took part in the pledge ritual of the
Exempler Chapter of the Beta Sigma Phi Sorority
FACS
needs
donations
The Christmas season
is approaching and Huron
County's Christmas
Bureau under the
auspices of Family and
Children's Services
(formerly Children's Aid
Society) would .like ' to
appeal to all residents of
this county to he aware of
the special needs of some
of our children.
In 1978, 150 families
were assisted, wit an.a'
approximate total of
children.
Not all families
required financial aid
with meals but those that
did received as follows: a
basic $15 per family for
r�food --purchases plus
another . $3 food subsidy
for each child and $5 per .
each child to be used to
purchase a smallL gift or
pyjamas.
In addition to the
above, depots in five
centres in Huron County,
manned by volunteers
supplemented• the above
with gifts, new and .used
clothing donated by in-
dividuals and groups
within the community..
The cost.of this effort was
Turn to page 'IA •
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See our Representative
BOB FURTNEY
ate THE BEDFORD HOTEL
GODERICH, ONTARIO
EVERY TUESDAY
(Next Visit:
on: Tuesday, November 6th
L
FEDERAL BUSINESS
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For prior information call 271-5650 (collect)
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chapter. (Photo by Joanne Buchanan)
Public relations is the
art of not treating the
public like relations.
+
The CBC is making a
film on agriculture in
general and beans in
particular. It's called
Pork and Windy.
-+++
Juvenile delinquency is
the result of parents
trying to train children
without starting at the
bottom.
++-F
Not one person in a
thousand keeps kis hands
in his pockets while
giving directions.
1979 TAXES
Town of Goderich
Third and Final Installment
Due
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1979
Payable at any local chartered bank or Victoria & Grey
Trust Co. Present your tax bill when making payment.
Interest at the rate of 12% per annum added to over-
due Installments.
Larry J. McCabe
Tax Collector
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AMHERSTBURG 736.2151
EXETER 235-1422
GODERICH 524-8321
GRAND BEND 238-2374
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