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Reading accuracy and fluency in writing are essential skills that more than four million adults in Illinois lack. Moraine Valley Community College’s Adult Literacy Program has again received a Community Literacy grant for $42,500 from the Illinois Secretary of State to continue providing critical services to almost 150 low-literate adults in the area.
Students who enter the Adult Literacy Program take a 90-minute reading and writing performance and comprehension skills test to measure their academic level. During the initial intake process, they also sit through an extensive, personal interview to determine their previous academic experiences, future academic and personal goals, and program expectations.
Students then are assigned to a volunteer tutor at a location near their residence or workplace. Tutors receive instructional materials based on students’ skill levels and are responsible for continuously measuring improvement and tracking progress quarterly. All tutors must be high school graduates over the age of 18, and be willing to tutor twice a week for a year.
Volunteer retention is a vital component of the college’s Adult Literacy Program. Tutors, as well as program participants, are recruited through local libraries, churches, community organizations, and community gathering areas such as grocers and village halls. Regular recognition events, tokens of appreciation, a program newsletter, and invitations to conferences or other program activities help create a community atmosphere.
New volunteers are required to attend a 12-hour training program, which is scheduled every fall and spring semester, and can now be done online or in-person. Training is divided into four workshops covering different approaches and methodologies in teaching reading and writing skills to adults. Many of the training topics are identified by existing tutors.
For more information about either volunteering for or entering the Adult Literacy Program, call Megan Hughes, program coordinator, at (708) 974-5331.
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