Learner of the Month: Christine A.

A resident of Chicago, Christine entered our program last year and was matched with tutor Beth Venzke. She wanted to work on vocabulary, reading comprehension, and memory. It is evident from her responses that she also needed to build confidence, motivation, and stamina to achieve a healthy reading habit.

 

What challenges have stood in the way of your academic success?

In my younger years, I would say that there was a lack of me trying. I also felt that I wasn't smart enough, and this led to me being ashamed and embarrassed.

 

Written by Jasmine Brown

How have you improved since becoming a learner with LVWCC? 

The best improvement of this journey is this feeling inside of me that is so overwhelming that it's uncontrollable...there is no way to repay my tutor for everything she has done to help me. My biggest wish was to learn to read every book in the library, and it's taking me baby steps to accomplish my goal, but I'm almost there.

 

What advice would you give to others who would like to learn or improve their English reading and writing skills? 

Learning is the best treasure out there. My best advice to others is to break out of your shells, step-up, and don't let life go by without reaching for the everlasting happiness that it has to offer.

 

Since Christine entered our program last June, she has improved three full grade levels in reading comprehension. Here are some heart-felt sentiments shared by her tutor, Beth, in Christine's last progress report:

  

"Chris proudly told me she finished the book "Lily's Crossing", the first book she ever remembers reading completely. She was very excited and able to see how much progress she has made. Then she texted me mid-week that she had finished her second book. Her confidence has definitely improved, though we are still working on it. I receive so much joy from being a small part of her accomplishments." ~Beth Venzke

 

Thank you Christine for setting a goal and working hard to achieve it. You truly deserve the honor of being May's Learner of the Month.

 

Jolinda Cappello has been a successful and experienced tutor with LVWCC since September 2011, and she has become a valued member of our board of directors. She also happens to be a very enthusiastic Steven Tyler fan.

What brought you to the organization? I had been looking for local volunteer opportunities. One day, I happened to see an LVWCC flyer posted on the bulletin board at Panera in River Forest. That was the first time I had heard of LVWCC, and it seemed like the perfect organization to volunteer with. I love to read, so the prospect of helping other adults in the surrounding communities improve their literacy skills really resonated with me.  

What's your favorite part of tutoring? It is so exciting to see a learner reach milestones along the way. I have been fortunate enough to work with two dedicated and hardworking learners since 2011. The times when they explained a passage in their own words or recognized when a sentence sounded "off" showed me that we were making great progress.

Written by  Natasha Neal

What do you find challenging about tutoring? When I first started tutoring, I felt a need to mix up the activities each week so the learner would not be bored. However, I have learned that consistency and routine can work well too, as long as it is on the learner's terms. However, the fear of potentially boring my learner still lingers in the back of my mind.

What advice do you have for people just starting to tutor? Establish your learner's long-term goals during the initial meeting and always ask for his/her input when determining what activities to work on each week.

You are not only a tutor, but also a board member. What has that experience been like? It was an honor to be elected to LVWCC's board last summer, and I am so happy to help strengthen and grow the organization. We have discussed many ideas to attract and retain learners and tutors and to increase funding for LVWCC. I cannot wait to see these ideas come to fruition. 

Thank you Jolinda for your dedication to tutoring and board service. You truly deserve the honor of being May's Tutor of the Month.

Library of the Month: River Forest Public Library

We have had the pleasure of working closely with River Forest Public Library. The library is located at 735 Lathrop Avenue in River Forest, at the corner of Chicago and Lathrop Avenues, about 8 blocks west of Harlem Avenue. RFPL provides space for our Conversation Cafe program, they support us at our events, and they provide referrals to our program. RFPL also invited us to present information about LVWCC at their recent staff in-service day. 

Blaise Dierks  Adult Services Manager

Does your library have independent study materials for English language learners and/or adult new readers? 

We have a very small collection of materials that may be helpful for English Language learners and their tutors in our 400's section. We are also glad to help tutors and learners find items through interlibrary loan. As part of the SWAN consortium we have access to a wider variety of materials.

 
Do you offer space for one-to-one and small group tutoring? If yes, how should a tutor make a reservation? 

The library provides first-come, first-served seating on the second floor; we do not have any private study rooms. However, space is available for group work at tables on the second floor and we do also have a designated quiet zone for those who are looking for a quiet space to work. Our busiest time of day is 3:30 to 5 pm on weekdays during the school year and seating is often limited, so this is something to keep in mind when visiting the library. Our only space that can be reserved in the library is our meeting room; reservations can me made on our website.