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Information and inspiration for our friends and partners. |
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To better serve our growing program, we have redefined our roles and responsibilities. This plan has been carefully formed through dialogue at weekly staff meetings; it is the biggest and best thing we are doing to make our good program a great one.
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Natasha Neal
Tutor Support Specialist
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- changing your tutor status
- requesting an additional learner
- submitting tutor logs
- suggestions for learning challenges
- social services information
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Kathy Moran Learner Support Specialist
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Kathy will contact learners and tutors for:
- learner testing
- learner progress reports
- demographic surveys
- goal setting
- learner library card registration and maintenance
Jasmine will work with community organizations to:
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Jasmine Brown Partnerships Specialist
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- inform the community-at-large about what we do
- build and maintain relationships with public libraries
- build and maintain small group tutoring opportunities
- network with local non-profits who serve our common audience
Contact Esther at echase@berwynlibrary.org for:
- requesting or renewing literacy items from public libraries
- requesting consumable low-level workbooks from the Raispis Collection
- curriculum and lesson planning help
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Kathy Moran
Learner Support Specialist
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Welcome New Adult Learners
Welcome to Herlinda, Maria, Graciela and Silvia, new learners who started instruction with us in May.
Group Learning Opportunities
Recommended Resources
The new
English Sounds and Letters app from Reading Horizons helps beginning readers, struggling readers, and ESL learners of all ages master the sounds and letters of the English language. 
Learners view animated cutaways to learn and practice the proper tongue placement for pronouncing each sound of the English language, watch videos showing proper mouth movements for each sound, and record their pronunciation to compare it to the narrator's. Learners also learn how each letter is formed and practice tracing each letter and forming it on their own.
The Spring 2014 issue of Notebook: Resources for the Adult Educator is now available. In this issue:
- Applied Literacy: Using Apps in the Adult Education Classroom
- Reading: Preparing Students for Workplace Success
- Writing: Less, Better, Clearer-Helping Students Write for Brevity
- Classroom Management: Managing the Classroom for ALL Students
- Exploring Resources
- Tutor Profile: Dedicated Tutor Helps Literacy Student Blossom in Life
Library Cards
One of the most important things we can do for our adult learners is to make sure they have library cards that get used.
- "When I was young, we couldn't afford much. But, my library card was my key to the world." --John Goodman, actor
- "A library card is the start of a lifelong adventure." --Lilian Jackson Braun, author of "The Cat Who..." mystery novel series
Intermediate learners and all tutors should use a public library card to check out learning materials; consumable workbooks are available only for low-level learners. Make it a goal to have a library card that gets used by September! Do you need information or help with a library card? Email kmoran@lvwcc.org.
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Natasha Neal
Tutor Support Specialist
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Tutor Log Reminder
Help us make accurate and timely reports to our stakeholders; please submit your tutor logs by June 5th: Online, by email: nneal@lvwcc.org, by fax: (708) 848-9564, or by postal mail: Natasha Neal/LVWCC, PO Box 4502, Oak Park, IL 60304. To download a blank log, go to our website. Training Opportunities
 Creating Culturally-Sensitive Learning Environments Wednesday, June 4, 6:00 to 8:00 pm Indo-American Center, 6328 N. California  In this workshop, we will examine myths and assumptions about education and culture, as well as discuss techniques we as ESL teachers can use to create culturally sensitive learning environments.
Dr. Teddy Bofman has been teaching ESL since 1973. She has a doctorate degree in Linguistics from the University of Michigan. Since 1985, she has been on the faculty of Northeastern Illinois University, where she is a member of the TESL program. She is the 2012 recipient of the Audrey Reynolds Distinguished Teaching Award.
Tuesday, July 1, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St.
Join us for a workshop at the Oak Park Library with Therese Hogan, Associate Professor of Education at Dominican University. Dr. Hogan will answer two questions relevant to many of our tutors:
- What teaching strategies should be used at beginner reading levels?
- What should tutors do when they suspect a learning disability?
According to a testimonial on RateMyProfessor.com, " Dr. Hogan is an absolutely fabulous professor. She is very professional and knows her subject well. She focuses her instruction on the practical side of teaching and does not bore her class with a lot of textbook material. She is quite entertaining and keeps you engaged in learning at all times. I give her A+++++!" Barbara A. Raispis Literacy Collection
The Raispis Collection has been streamlined and relocated to the Berwyn Public Library. To better serve tutors of low-level ABE and ESL students, we have compiled the most essential tools and resources on teaching beginner ABE and ESL, including phonics and beginner speaking.
The Raispis Collection is not kept in the public area; please call Esther at (708) 749-6328 or send an email to echase@berwynlibrary.org if you would like to browse. Browsing hours are by appointment only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9 am to 4 pm, and Thursdays from 1 to 9 pm.
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 Tutor of the Month: China HillChina Hill has a great love of books and education, but it was the love of her grandfather that led to her becoming a tutor. Her grandfather, who will be 80 in June, confided in her that it was his dream to learn to read before he passed away. China went in search of a tutor, but she ran into some roadblocks. She spoke with her grandfather and they decided it would be best if China were to tutor him. Since 2012, she has been meeting with him on a weekly basis.
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Natasha Neal |
China was well-equipped to become a tutor. She has two master's degrees--one in counseling and one in writing, as well as undergraduate degree in education. Even with her strong educational background, she says that she turns to LVWCC for support with teaching phonics and working with learning disabilities. She also turns to LVWCC when she feels stuck, and has received the right books and training to help. Her grandfather has many challenges with learning to read, but China has found techniques that help him make progress. She uses a lot of repetition in their sessions and with homework. She also asks him to review sight word flashcards every day.
She has found the experience of tutoring her grandfather to be extremely rewarding. He had a lot of negative experiences in school, so she provides lots of encouragement and positivity to help him through periods of self-doubt. In turn, her grandfather is very grateful for her effort.
Congratulations, China, on being June's Tutor of the Month. To read some of China's fantastic writing, visit the Austin Weekly News. | |
Written by
Jasmine Brown
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Library of the Month: Forest Park Public Library Looking for a friendly and comfortable space for your tutoring sessions? Look no further than our featured Library of the Month. The Forest Park Public Library is located at 7555 Jackson Boulevard near Des Plaines Avenue. Easily accessible, the library is located near several Pace bus lines and the CTA Blue Line. The Forest Park Library has been a steadfast partner of LVWCC for the last 17 years. They continue to support tutors and learners who meet there every week and they have graciously hosted tutor training whenever we have requested. Recently, the Forest Park ESL collection was merged with LVWCC's Raispis Collection, but they do still carry test preparation materials for native English speakers.  If you'd like more information on how to reserve tutoring space at the Forest Park Public Library, contact Diane Collins, Adult Services Librarian, at (708) 366-7171.
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We would like to take the opportunity to recognize financial support for our program this year:
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Individual Donations
Adele Cannell $1,096
Jolinda Cappello $157
Laura Jane & Myron Colber $50
Esther Chase $70
Katie Frankle $50
Dina Guirini-Gordon $100
Greg Gordon $100
HuaYi He $100
Margaret Kessler $50
Sheila McDonnell $75
Mario K. Medina $125
Claudio Antonio de Oliveira $100
Betsy Snyder $200
Rob and Rebecca Streit $50
Cristen Vincent $42
Jeriann Walsh $50
Michael Warnock $30
Anonymous $12
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In-kind Labor Donation
Sarah Connelly & Arden Realty $1,100
Whole Foods River Forest $747
Memorial Donations
In memory of tutor Edna McQuillan $1,315
Grants
IL State Library, A Division of the Office of the IL Secretary of State $33,243
Literacy For Adults Partnership & the Grand Victoria Foundation $1,387
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LVWCC Board of Directors
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Name
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Resident of
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Since
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Current Role
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Esther Chase
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Berwyn
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2010
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Board President
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Mario K. Medina
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Berwyn
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2011
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Board Member
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Adele Cannell
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Elmwood Park
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2013
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Board Member
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Jolinda Cappello
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Elmwood Park
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2013
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Board Member
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Would you like to serve on our board of directors? Board members must:
- live in our service area, and
- attend 6 board meetings per year, and
- have at least 2 years of volunteer tutor experience with us, or
- be a current student with professional experience we need, or
- have extensive non-profit directorship experience.
Please send an email to echase@lvwcc.org for more information.
Board Meetings
Board meetings are held every other month. Our next board meeting will be held on Monday, July 14, 2014 at 7:30 pm. We invite you to share your concerns about the organization and ask questions during our open session. If you would like to join us, please send an email to echase@lvwcc.org for the location details.
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 LVWCC has been developing literacy skills with adults in the near-west suburbs of Chicago since 1987. We provide free customized tutoring to adult learners through a network of trained volunteers.
Our unique service area includes disadvantaged communities where 25% of residents have not completed high school, in addition to well-educated communities where 99% of residents have completed high school. Together, we are literally changing lives. Learn more.
Our program is made possible by a grant from the Illinois State Library, a division of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds designated for literacy. We are thankful that the State of Illinois continues to invest in our program. Find out more about how public libraries play a key role in the provision of literacy services.
Additional support for the work of LVWCC is made possible through an annual competitive grant from the Donley Foundation, which helps us achieve our organizational mission in western Cook County. We appreciate the legacy established by Edward and Inez Donley and we are proud that the Foundation considers us a partner in their effort to help adults advance in life and contribute to society.
LVWCC Literacy Lines E-Newsletter Archives
Looking for previous editions of our e-newsletter? Click here for the archives.
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Donate
Would you consider a monthly donation to our program? Small dependable gifts from friends like you help sustain our program each year while the state of Illinois works to release annual competitive funding. If you have already sent us a donation, thank you. Your support helps us train more tutors and reach more learners who need us.
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Volunteer
Helping an adult improve literacy skills can be a rewarding process for both you and your adult learner; the effects can last a lifetime and impact generations. More than reading, writing, or mathematics, improved literacy leads to greater self-confidence, engaged parenting, increased employability, and a desire for lifelong learning.
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Literacy Volunteers of Western Cook County (LVWCC)
Mailing Address: PO Box 4502, Oak Park, IL 60304
Office Location: 1010 W. Lake St. Suite 603, Oak Park, IL 60301
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