Library Services

Kim
March 1997

Kim, a marketing professional with a local manufacturer has been a volunteer with the Library Literacy Connection for the past three years. She previously had a good experience tutoring children in a summer reading program in Crestline, Ohio. When she heard about the program in Mansfield for adults, she applied.

Kim relayed one experience she had while tutoring at Crestline: when she was showing a little girl a list of pattern words…log, dog, hog…when the student suddenly was able to read the rest of the list, she went screaming across the library to her mother …"Look what I can read!" Kim was hooked on tutoring!

Of the three learners Kim has worked with in the Adult Literacy Connection, two experiences have been rewarding and one disappointing. Kim's first learner was a woman in her thirties whose husband had recently passed away. His death resulted in her having to not only find a way to make a living but also take care of so many daily things that require reading. The learner came to Kim with a third grade reading level and progressed in two years to a ninth grade level. Kim said she was such a pleasure to work with because she was very motivated and goal driven.

The second person Kim worked with had difficulty committing to the program. He did stay for about seven months but was making little progress and finally dropped the program. Kim said she was inclined to "beat herself up" for not having more success with him. However, she feels now the timing was probably not right for this gentleman.

Kim is currently tutoring a man of African American heritage who moved here from the South. He is in his late forties, has a family and has held the same job for the last twenty years. He came to Kim with the ability to write his name and a few letters of the alphabet. Kim states he progressed in "leaps and bounds" after about three or four months working primarily with Dr. Seuss books. Kim was concerned about insulting him with children's books but when asked he said he didn't mind and seemed to enjoy the books; however, Kim noted he doesn't take them home.

Kim was pleased this last holiday season to receive a Christmas card from her learner with three sentences on it. Previously, he couldn't even look up addresses and phone numbers. Kim realizes how amazing it is that he was able to hold down a job and function as the head of a household without being able to read. Particularly touching is his never wanting his children to know he couldn't read. He would have to come up with excuses when they wanted him to help them with homework; to this day Kim says he feels guilty about this.

The pair are currently working on composing a letter to his parents telling them he never learned to read but is now learning. This was one goal he had set for himself at the beginning of his tutoring sessions and continues to work on.

When Kim was asked what techniques she used to help adults read she said "whatever works!" "Colorful highlighters as well as flash cards and pictures for visual learners, lots of repetition for others and some do well by noting the context of the word, making educated guesses accordingly."
Kim emphasizes to her learners that it is up to them to let her know what seems to be working. She said the library has a lot of materials for the learners to choose form, but the key to a successful beginning with a new learner is making them comfortable so they feel free to share their opinions on what would be most helpful in assisting them in learning.

She mentioned that a learner may share with their tutor problems they are having in their personal life and Kim has been appreciative of being in the library where referral resources are available. Kim commented also on how a learner discovers how useful the library can be for them and their families, which is one of the intrinsic benefits of the Literacy programs.
Kim seemed very enthusiastic about her role in the literacy program and said she can have a really rough day at work, come to tutoring quite low, but leave feeling energized. "It's so inspiring to assist a person who is so eager and willing to work so hard to learn."

When asked what suggestions she might have for the program, Kim stated the following: 1.) Computers for learners- some learners are very tentative about their own handwriting and might prefer to type {one learner was so self-conscious about his writing he brought a bottle of "white-out" with him to the sessions} 2.) Expand to places of employment-now that she has been tutoring for some time, she can spot "closet illiterates" and would like to see her employer and others offer assistance with support from the library and 3.) Expand to include family literacy programming- Kim would like to see a similar program for school age children.

Postscript: Kim, who says she "lives to read" is currently reading about a Chinese female author who was persecuted during Mao's cultural revolution. She is also reading a "trashy" novel, but she declined sharing any details.

Interview by Tom Tappan