Colleagues,
A literacy colleague and friend mentioned in a recent Internet radio broadcast that he is not aware of any people who give talks to children in schools about their experience learning to read as adults. I know there were adult learner leaders, for example Archie Willard, and perhaps Dale Christianson, Toni Cordell, John Corcoran and Marty Finsterbusch (Executive Director of VALUE USA, Inc) who often did or still do that, some to great effect. I am wondering if there are others. If you know adult new readers who give talks to children in schools about their own experience learning to read as adults, please let me know who they are and, if you know, include their contact information. If I get responses, I'll keep a list of these in case others may be interested in contacting them.
David J. Rosen
djrosen123@gmail.com
Comments
Thanks, David. There is huge value in implementing what you propose. One of the most moving stories in my experience, which I wish had been shared among school-aged kids, was related to my very early work with Laubach Literacy, way back when. An elderly woman in El Paso, TX learned to read a very basic story from one of the supporting texts that we used. She was so excited that she told her tutor that she wanted to call her daughter in CA and read her the story. She said that one of her greatest regrets in life was not being able to read stories to her growing baby. The phone call to her grown daughter and her family was, as you can imagine, moving and inspirational to the tutor who related it to me!
There are also other stories to be shared. I met John Corcoran, also in El Paso, TX many years ago and heard him tell his story, which has been generously and widely shared. I hope it continues to spread! Leecy
Colleagues,
Archie Willard, who sadly is no longer with us, who learned to read as an adult and became a national learner leader of prominence, was frequently a speaker in elementary and secondary schools. See his October, 2012 guest blog article on the topic, "Reaching out to Learning Disability Children."
I checked with Marty Finsterbush, the Executive Director of VALUEUSA, the U.S. national adult learner leadership organization that he, Archie, and many other adult learner leaders helped to form, I believe, in the 1990's. Marty said that the only adult learner leader speakers group he was aware of, in Washington state, apparently no longer exists. While Marty, who lives in Pennsylvania, is available for these talks, he is not sure who else might be. Persuasive adult new readers -- and published writers -- Toni Cordell (Florida) and John Corcoran (Southern California) may still do these talks.
Adult learners who have specific reading disabilities but who have learned to read, and who are prepared to "tell their story" in public, can make an important difference in children's and adults' lives. If you work as a teacher, volunteer tutor, administrator, or have another role in an adult literacy program with adult learners or graduates who might be interested in becoming public speakers like Archie was, consider creating a small group to prepare and help them find good opportunities to speak in your community. One possibility for preparing them might be a blended learning model called a Learning Circle, an online public speaking course combined with a weekly, often volunteer-led, face-to-face opportunity to practice speaking in a small support group of peers. For more information about that, email me.
If you are aware of any adult learner speakers, or speakers bureaus (if they are still called that), please let us know.
David J. Rosen
djrosen123@gmail.com