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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1979-11-29, Page 27lily ELAINE TOWNSHKlriD. "Do you know what thes,. words pre. Elaine? lsthere. any word that you, recog- niie? askedyy tutor as she held up it poster and palated at some black Ws end Cirdes,. . "No," was .ail; 1. could; er '{Answ "These are words we use every day, and you don't recognize any of them? Al- right. Let me .show you, What's this, a Picture of? "A lioy." "Right., That's a boy. And to say the word 'boy' what Ui now have five students, two, firoM Goderich and three from . ether. parts of Huron; County. One In thirteen Canadians. are functionally illiterate, says Sheila. Fink Tobe functionally illiterate means they cannot read newspapers shopping recipes, Kopp g labels and notes sent home from school: with their children. They cannot write chequesor fill put forms for job applic, ;dors. Many people; wonder how, illiteracy can; happen in Canada. The reasons, are Yeol Sheila Fink with reading chart. was the first letter you had to sound?"+ "b," "That's right." she point- ed to a word . beside the picture and explained'. "The sound, of the letter is "b" and the word is boy. "See the fat jowly cheeks of the boy in the picture?" she continued, "In, writing, we use full . circles, half circles and lines straight up. and down; Here we have straight line and the jowly cheeks, of the: boy . help to make the letter "b," Just . like you have a name, Elaine, this . letter has the name "be," Can you say 'be'?" "Be." "And what's the sound of the letter?" "And what's this word again?' "Very good! You've never read before and now you've read: the word 'boy.' Isn't that great?" The purpose of the exer- cise was not to teach me to read Russian, which was the language used, but to give me insight into the exper- • iences of the million Canad- ian adults who cannot read or write. My tutor, was Mrs, Sheila Fink of Goderich who, for;the past two years, has operated an Adult Basic: Education program in her. home with the helpof four tutors. They varied. Some children ,miss schoolbecause of illness or emotional upheavals ' in the home.. Some families move • from place to place, and each time the child enrolls in a new school, he or she falls farther behind: Some stu- dents are not, motivated; others have minor learning dibilities' that are , not recognized in time. Most are in a low economic level. The teaching method used by, Sheila' Fink and other tutors. of Adult Basic Edu- cation is called: the Laubach method. Dr Laubach, •a missionary, went to the Phil- iipines in the 1930s to teach a particular tribe how to read. and write in their own lang- uage -: the Maranaw lang- uage. Dr,. Laubach. discovered. -adults learn 'best through association:. Teaching an adult is almost :a reversal of teaching a child, because' an adult has had experiences in life. He knows what a bird is, even thoughhe may not be able to read or write the word,. The Laubach method used the phonics system andfam- iliar words in the adult language, such as bird= or cup. The method goes from the known to the unknown - the spoken word is the known; the written word is the unknown. Dr. Laubach alsofound adult students could learn jhhe Whole alph, abet :in: a fel . .minutes. When one student learned, Dr. WWII sent him out to teach another; the, Laubach premise is "each one, teach one." He developed teams. whose aim was "to enable adults to learn to read and writeinthe language whi h ec.� they speak, to do it quickly, and enjoyably." During the past 40 years, the Laubach. teethed has been processed In 313 'languages represent- ing MOS countries. Sheila:.Fiink heard about Adult ;Basic Education and the Laubach teaching meth- od in 1977 when Freida MacDonald, co-ordinator of London's A,B.E„ and Terry.• Porter, Assistant Co- ordinator talked on a local; radio program, Freida MacDonald, origin ated Adult Basic Education in London ten years ago She, began with one student; now she has 103 studentsand more than $0 tutors around the city, She also helped to organize centres in $t.. Thomas, Ingersol, Wood- stock and Stratford. Sheila contacted. Freida and Terry in 1977 and at- tended'- .one of their work- shops for tutors in London. Then she wrote to the social agencies in Goderich to -let. .them know she was qualified to teach people who could not read or write but were not retarded.: About a year. later Freida. MacDonald, Terry, Porter. and a student and tutor from London spoke to a church ladies' group and an, article was carried in the Goderich newspaper. Since then, the local program has : grown slowly but steadily, The objectives of. .Adult Basic Education are "to give individual instruction from a prereading level to a grade eight level; toanyone who wishes to upgrade his or her education but has no other avenue of learning:' `: The program does not take school age. children . and cannot accommodate mentally handicapped people, Special. THE HURON ,EXPOSITOR* ROVIESSINO pmgranis are available else- where for the mentally hamgcaPped, and A.B.E. tutors are .sot qualified t0 give this special instruction„ Six Huron County Students have attended A.B.E. classes in Goderich regularly in the; lasttwo years. One, had to move: but is continuing his. studies in another centre. The students are ail work=. ing, butthey .know they are missing opportunities feat promotions and more enjoy- ment in life, With A.B.E. they can obtain "upgrading and understanding.The relationship between the student and his or her tutor becomes close. "It's very exciting," points out Sheila, "to hear a forty or fifty -year-old man or woman reading for the first time in his or her life!" Classes are held in Sheilas home each Monday from 7:30 pm. to 9:30 p.m. be- tween October and: May, Each tutor and student; has a room in which they can work :'privately,, and each student progresses at his or her own speed. Sheila is already plan: Hing ahead for larger accom- modations when the number of students, and tutors in- `. creases, Huron. County Public Lib- rary has supplied teachers' manuals and other resource materials. Students are .en- couraged to buy their own books, which cost $2 a piece, ;Each Skill Book includes a reader, practices and check ups and when thestudent completes each book, he or she . receives a diploma issued by Laubach Literacy International. The Goderich program has books from the grade one to grade five level. When the students complete grade five, they are able to read news- papers and figure out recipes many will go : no farther: However, if some students want to continue, two trained teachers havevolunteered as tutors and will be able to teach seven and eight levels .. of Math and English., Sewing hints If you are sewing, for Christmas here are a few ideas to keep in mind: A sewing scrapbook is handy. On the pages of a- notebook tape a piece of material and an extra button for every outfit you make. If a button is lost or a patch is needed, the necessary mat- .,: erials are readily available: hi your sewing basket, have a dozen or so needles, threaded with most -used col- ours ready for last-minute repairs or for sewing buttons on those Christmas gifts while you take a breather away from the sewing mac- hine. Keep an eye open at / rummage sales' for unusual(' buttons and trim. They're more economical, than the store packaged ones. see«. When cutting: strips of material for hooked rugs, tut in to 'A" from the edge. This will keep the strips together and make it easy to cut off Wat a r'VVI'e Ei, DRIL'LING1, W.D. Hopper and Sons 4 MODERN ROTARY 1' RIGS t; Noll 527-1737 Dura 527.0820 Jim 527'1775 ., .rlr ..r,.� sir ._,..i f° the strips as you need them, one at a time.. Make economical patch- work drapesby cutting sew- ingscraps, into squares,loin- ing them together and lining them with white sheets. To aid in counting stitches when a knitting pattern calls for large number of stitches place a safety pin after each 10 or 20 stitches. Wear a cobbler's apron to prevent tangling when work- ing with two balls of yarn. Use the end pockets for the yarn and put the project in. the centre pocket when inter rupted. CATTLEMEN ! Get this $19.95 value bat tery powered pencil sharp- ener FREE with the purchase of 4 tonnes PURINA RECEIVING CHOW Offer Good until Dec. 31/79 In addition get free 4 coupons [160 kg value] on 'the purchase of Purina cattle supplements up to March 31, 1980::, "MILTON J. DIETZ LTD." extra SEAFORTH 527-0608 N of WINTER STORE HOURS commencing Nov. 19th, 1979 Monday to Friday 8 am. - 12.noon Saturday 8 a rfl.-1'2 noon B N ING CENTRE SEAPORT: 527.0910 • No. specilai framing is needed to become a tutor. Besides the two former teachers, the Goderich tutors include a housewife, a re- .tired 'librarian and Sheila, whn is a seaman! -. Flight Exeeutive Director for Busi- r� >� Air Services. at the Goderich Airport,. Anyone can teach: the Lau - back method, according to Sheila The key is a positive approach; a student t us u Ilare ds a few wodsor sentence in a matter of minutes, giving encourage- ment to ,both student and: tutor. The only requirements of a tutor are compassion, pat- ience, sensitivity and a de sire to help people. He or she. Must be able to give two: hoursonce or twice a week;, teacher and student meet in. the tutor's home,: the on - dent's home or the school, which at the present time is in the Fink house. Huron County tutors are invited to attend workshops in London, which consist of two three- hour sessions, Sheila Fink feels strongly that Adult. Basic Education is needed throughout the Coun- ty of Huron. If enough tutors expressaninterest in the upcoming months, she antici- pates holding a spring work shop in Seaforth,; Clinton or some other area outside of Goderich. Each tutor would then be qualified to `teach students in his orr her own community: Sheila .would like to hear from people in Seaforth and Surroundingareas - people who want to learn to read and write ea well as those whQ are interested In, becoming tutors She; .Alit take neo: students iinglediately, and, always needs a bank of tutors• from which to draw, She urges interested persons, to. call her at 524-2934 after 6. p.m.; all inquiries . are con dential. The people, who: can, bene- fit most from the program;, will not be able to read this: sto hopes f S h e amit ry Sheila py and friends or social agencies seek as Family and Children; Services or Guidance Depart- ments in Secondary Schools will tell them what, is avail able, The next step is up to the people who want to learn to. read, and write, Many are. hesitant about asking for help; most are self-conscious: when they begin to study, Sheila explains to ahem this:. is a new experience for her as; well. She is not a trained teacher, social worker, or. psychologist; she is a lay ' person who wants to help. people learn to read and' write. She is learning some- thing all the time and student and; tutor can share the. excitement of learning. Adult Basic Education helps people who want to upgrade their education but have no other avenue of learning open to them, Some of the students find it diffi- cult' to believe that Sheila .. Fink and other tutors receive no financial benefits for their time and effort, but Sheila points out her reward comes,. T' from the satisfaction and excitement of helping people who want to help themselves,' The perfect Christmas gifi is staring you right the face*... For Subscription. , Rates Phone 52 7- 0240° ,xpositor Since 1860; Serving the Community First f1 We lie got gift idea • for piery000 on . ' t Y - your... list this Christmas" 11 "Come see us today and'we`II lelp make this Christmas the best ever" Jewellery Boxes Metal Plant Hangers Coffee Tables, End Tables' GRANDMA. Sewing Baskets Rug & Pillow Kits Clothes Hampers Pictures • Plaques' and, PLATFORM , or SWIVEL '. ROCKERS = ' GRANDPA Smokers Foot Stools, Decks of Cards Magnifying Glasses' . Ho Trainii & Accessories Steam Engines , Barometers, Battt.ry. Electric i Cuckoo Clocks and LA -z -BOYS ;1ITT�E SISTER Gams, Pussies,, • Colouring Books, Tablas, Chairs, Dish it Nurse Kits, Books for all ages . plus LOVEABLE DOLLS:. GIRLFRIENDS Cedar Chests, Crystal & China Photo Albums BOYFRIENDS Chess Sets, Desks, Backgammon, Records, Calculators, Stamps Coin Albums and LITTLE BROTHER' Tonka Toys, Puppets, Farm Machinery by Ertl, Meccano & Lego Sets, Dorsi Toys, Models) and MATCHBOX' TOYS AUNTS Variety of Jewellery by Lady Jana Michelle, Crystal in Patterns = Pinwheel, Cornflower, Trillium i, Lonachamp and ' DECORATIVE Q' . CANDLES B— Large Selection of . Fisher Price Toys Games i rooks,: Educational Toys and PLUSH ANIMALS _Your Family Bible, 011 Paintings Card Table and Chairs: Chesterfield. Bedroom and DINING ROOM 'FURNITURE Pen & Pencil sets by Shaeffer IOW Mailer Mate. Wallets KEY CASES CREDIT CARD HOLDERS