Board Orientation Retreat

The new Action Read board that was elected at the September Annual General Meeting recently came together for an orientation retreat. We got to know one another, shared some great stories, got creative and learned all about the roles and responsibilities of the board.

We had a very productive day, filled with valuable information and open conversations, and we had a few laughs too! We also enjoyed a delicious vegetarian lunch from 'With the Grain'.  

I’m so excited to work with this dynamic group of individuals who are going the extra mile to serve this 'small but mighty' organization!  ~ Mira Clarke, Executive Director

Left to Right - Jeff Guitard, Cindy Garland, Leah Sadler, Colleen Harper, Joyce Allen, Courtney Townsend, Vanessa Morton, Cheryl Turner, James Gray.  Missing John Dack and Paul Mesman

Dispatches from "Coming from the Heart"

"Boozhoo" (warm hello)! This group, led by long-time Action Read staff member and elder Jan Sherman, explores creative writing through a First Nations, Metis, and Inuit perspective.

Since returning from the summer break, this devoted group of learners has explored a number of writing topics.  They have responded to quotes from a traditional perspective based on spirit, heart, body, and mind; have written about traditional to contemporary Indigenous music; have written about what a Territorial Acknowledgment means to them and have written responses to other people’s writing from River Bundles a local publication.  They have even done some nature based creative writing exercises (e.g. what kind of tree you would be and why!). Members continue to show greater understanding of their uniqueness as learners at every session.

Jan Sherman discussing the medicine wheel with learners

The group has also explored Anna Bowen’s writing about the land we live on, and spoke to Anna directly when she lead a special class. 

There is so much to cover in this group, and the energy and passion of the learners continue to drive it forward!

Diversity Workshops

In the spring 2018, with the support of the Guelph Community Foundation, Action Read held a series of workshops to celebrate diversity, and to create a comfortable and inspiring context in which to share ideas and experiences around issues of identity, culture, and abilities. Our Project Coordinator Dawn Matheson brought her own unique perspective and considerable experience to the project.  She immediately identified the need to approach each workshop through a “kind and compassionate” lens. Seemingly a small thing, it set a very positive and non-judgmental tone to the project, which served to encourage participation and engagement.

We held six very well attended, highly engaging workshops. The project created new learning partnerships, built new community connections and created a sense of belonging. Workshop topics included spoken word poetry writing and performance, film, advocacy letter writing, music as therapy and community drumming.

Approximately 40 learners participated in the project and all of them agreed that the learning activities were valuable and enriching.

Huge thanks to the Guelph Community Foundation for their support of this special project!

"Music for Community Building" with Gary Diggins

Action Read staff member Laine

Noah Irvine "Mental Health and Addiction. Getting Your Voice Heard" 

"Poetry Potluck" with Kevin Sutton 

"Transported" Workshop with Dawn Matheson

Here are a few comments about what people appreciated about the workshops;

• “The amazing pleasure of trying something I honestly felt I had no “feeling” for or about”

• “The talk about the Syrian and Kenyan Refugees and their stories about their immigration to Canada”

• “The writing round to the poem in a group of four or three.”

• “The inclusivity and open-mindedness.”

• “Interesting stories, all unpredictable and sweet. Gained knowledge about others.”

• “Seeing everyone drum together was awesome!  It was easy for everyone to participate. And it was so fun!”

• “I like the sharing that went around in the room. Also the fact it doesn’t matter where we are from, there is community.”

• “We had a lot of fun and laughter"

• “We created community!"

Learning about Dyslexia

Last Wednesday Action Read tutor Mel Stronach, with the assistance of her learning partner Colleen Harper, gave a fantastic workshop on working with dyslexia.  Mel is a high school teacher who also recently trained on the Orton-Gillingham method for teaching literacy to individuals with dyslexia.

Mel’s presentation was riveting! She and Colleen shared lots of hands on practical examples, reflections, and experiences.  Mel went over the role of grapheme / phoneme correspondences, spelling strategies, auditory, kinesthetic and visual strategies, suffixes, etymology and much more in the workshop. Fortunately, she created a binder filled with strategies and ideas for other to use if they were unable to make it out.  Speak to staff if you’d like to check it out. 

Mel and Colleen sharing their wisdom!

Multi-sensory resources that Mel and Colleen use in their learning sessions.

Listening closely

2017 AGM and 30th Anniversary Celebration

We enjoyed a wonderful jam-packed AGM and 30^th anniversary celebration on September 27^th. We celebrated the work and accomplishments of our members in 2016-2017, and looked back with much fondness at 30 years of history, successes and stories.

Jane Tuer Executive Director of Project Read Literacy Network gave a terrific presentation. Then Joanne, Laura Sumner and Celina Whaling-Rae launched their incredible new film done at Action Read called ' Finding Our Voice - Stories from Adult Literacy Learners'. 

In 1987 Action Read started with a dream to help those who couldn’t find employment due to basic skill gaps. In fact, Action Read was initially a project of the Centre for Employable Workers. Action Read set out to pair individuals who wanted help with trained community volunteers. From there, small group learning, family literacy and computer based programs quickly emerged.  In 1991 Action Read became an independently incorporated charity. Throughout the 1990s, we moved several times to accommodate growing demand.  

For 17 years we were located at the Park Mall building in downtown Guelph, and in 2017 we came here! While many changes have occurred at Action Read since 1987, we remain a community-based agency committed to learner-centred programming, involvement and accessibility – the values that propelled us forward from the beginning. Here are some highlights from our celebration...

Reviewing the Annual Report prior to getting started

Hosts with the most! Shawn Knight and Renee O'Drowsky

Outgoing chair and all round awesome volunteer Jeff Guitard!

Life is sweet...What would a celebration be without cake?!

Some of our members

Doris Middleton Award Winner Colleen Harper (right) with her tutor Mel and Doris's daughter Sherri Gosse

From Project Read's Presentation (Gosh, golly, gee-whiz ;) )

Kindergarten Readiness Summer Fun!

by Denia Dornan-Anderson

Summer is here, which means that kindergarten is fast approaching! It’s the perfect time to get outside and enjoy the weather while engaging in activities that will help your child get prepared for school in the fall. Take advantage of your summer surroundings by experimenting with these early learning activities, or make up your own.  Above all, make it fun and follow your child’s interests!

Sand Words

When the weather is hot, it’s sometimes nice to take a trip down to the beach. Identify different animals and things that you see at the beach. Each time you find something new, help your child write the letters that make up that word in the sand. Sound out the word, and if you want to add something, have your child think of another beach-related word (e.g., pail goes with sand and shovel).

Summer Vacation

If you plan on going anywhere this summer, whether it is a picnic at the park or a trip to see grandparents, have your child help you pack. Emphasize the sound of the first letter of each item being packed (e.g., “sss…Socks”). Following this, ask the child the name of the letter that makes that sound.

Window Art

Do your windows look like they need a cleaning? Why not have some fun with it! Gather some non-adhesive foam shapes, numbers or letters, a bowl of water and a paintbrush. When water is “painted” onto a mirror or window, the foam letters and numbers are able to stick to the glass, creating opportunity for children to make words or sequences of numbers. Having a variety of colours that the letters and numbers come in is also useful for children to sort into categories.

Alphabet Hopscotch

Make a hopscotch grid and add different upper case letters in the sections. You could even have your child draw the letters.  Using a beanbag to toss onto one of the letters, ask your child to identify the letter and then count the number of hops it takes to get to it. You could make this more challenging by adding both upper and lower case letters so the child becomes familiar with the different letter forms.

Berry picking

On a sunny day why not go to pick some berries? Once you have collected them, set up a clean spot where you can dump them all out. In that space, encourage and assist your child to create letters by lining the berries up to letter formation.  For example, start by spelling their name.  Each time they take a berry away from the letter to eat it, have your child name an item that starts with that letter.

Animal Number Songs

You may encounter some frogs this summer. A great song that can be used to practice numeracy skills is ‘5 Green and Speckled Frogs’. This song is useful for working on numeracy skills by counting how many frogs are left after they start “jumping in the pool”.  If you have internet access, check out the song on youtube - you will probably recognize the tune! www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVPmtaHmL4g

While this is the classic version of the song, you could do it with any variety of animals that you see during your summer activities.

For Example:

“5 brown and fluffy dogs drink from a drinking well, wagging their tales back and forth, swish swish. One saw a frisbee fly, which made him follow by, now there are only 4 brown fluffy dogs.”
Coming up with different versions helps children identify different characteristics of the animals, in addition to enhancing their counting skills. Cut out the frogs below, or make your own to have a visual when you sing the song together.

For Example:  

“5 brown and fluffy dogs drink from a drinking well, wagging their tales back and forth, swish swish. One saw a frisbee fly, which made him follow by, now there are only 4 brown fluffy dogs.”

Coming up with different versions helps children identify different characteristics of the animals, in addition to enhancing their counting skills. Cut out the frogs below, or make your own to have a visual when you sing the song together.

2017 Winegard Award Winners Recognized

Wednesday, March 29, 2017 — News Release by the Volunteer Centre of Guelph / Wellington

A student helping Syrian refugees adjust to life in Canada, a professor who uses his skills in computer science to support food security, and a Physical Resources (PR) manager who teaches adults how to read are the winners of this year’s William Winegard Exemplary Volunteer Awards. Student Yousr El Sharawy, computer science professor Dan Gillis and PR manager Paul Mesman were honoured at a ceremony at the Gryphon Athletics Centre March 29.

Established in 2007, the awards are presented each year to U of G staff, faculty and students who volunteer in the community by the University of Guelph, the United Way of Guelph Wellington Dufferin and the Volunteer Centre of Guelph/Wellington.



Volunteer award winners (from left) Paul Mesman, Yousr El Sharawy and Daniel Gillis with William Winegard

They are named for William Winegard, former U of G president and former Guelph MP who served as Canada’s first minister of science and as parliamentary secretary to the minister of international trade.

 

“I’m not in the same league in volunteering as most of you. In my experience in Guelph, the volunteers are just fantastic. It makes you feel good to see such dedicated people,” Winegard said in a short speech.

 

Winegard continues to volunteer today as a reading buddy for local schoolchildren.

 

“Professor Gillis, Paul and Yousr are dedicated volunteers recognized today for their tremendous community spirit,” said Ken Dardano, executive director of United Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin.

 “United Way is pleased to partner with the Volunteer Centre and the University of Guelph to present these outstanding volunteers with this year’s Winegard Awards.”

El Sharawy uses her Arabic-language skills to help refugees as a logistics coordinator and interpreter for a private Syrian refugee sponsorship program. She co-founded the campus Migrant Justice initiative and works with other campus groups, and volunteers with the Guelph Refugee Sponsorship Forum.

Gillis co-founded Farm to Fork, which aims to improve the quality and quantity of food donated to emergency food systems. He is also a founder of The Seed Community Food Hub, which helps local partners bring people together to access, grow, cook and share healthful food. He has co-organized the Food Waste Hackathon and the Feeding Nine Billion Challenge, both of which involve multidisciplinary teams of U of G students developing solutions to food problems.

Mesman has been a volunteer tutor at Action Read Community Literacy Centre since 2013. He meets with learners once a week to help them develop practical skills and to build their confidence and self-esteem. “Our three recipients have shown how volunteers can turn their passions into lasting contributions benefiting people and organizations in our community,” said Christine Oldfield, executive director of the Volunteer Centre of Guelph/Wellington.

Be Good to Yourself

By Joanne Morant, Action Read Tutor-Learner Coordinator

The days get shorter and the sun hides behind the looming snow clouds.  It is a busy time of year as we prepare for the holidays. During this time, like a lot of people I tend to socialize more, spend more, eat more, do more and sleep less. By the time January comes around I feel exhausted, and by the time February arrives the winter blahs have settled in.

Self-care doesn’t come naturally to me.  I still insist on putting everything else before my own needs. I go into over-serving mode during the holidays to make sure everything is ready, and everyone has the “best holiday ever”.

So what steps do I need to take now to help me through the holidays and winter months until spring arrives?

Everyone has different ways and ideas to help with self-care. These are a few of mine for this holiday season!

1. Get more sleep – 8 hours is my goal. Turn off the TV and sit quietly with a cup of herbal tea for a half hour before bed.

2. Read – my pile of unread books seems to grow each month! Losing myself in a good book will take my mind off all the holiday preparation.

(Let's hope Joanne's pile of books isn't as big as the donation we received from the Retired Teachers this year!)

3. Make and stick to a budget – not the easiest for me. The best places I have found to shop during the holidays are the used book stores, second hand stores (so many interesting and unusual things I could spend hours just browsing), Christmas church bazaars and the grocery store.  My sons have always appreciated a nice bottle of olive oil or specialty vinegar at this time of year and it doesn’t cost a lot.

4. Smile – the more I smile and laugh, the better I feel.

5. Bake – this always put me in the holiday spirit especially listening to music I enjoy. It feels great to share with others some tasty treats.

6. Un-schedule – so many people to see and things to do in a short period of time. Instead of rushing around here and there I will set some time aside in January to visit friends and family. There will be more time to spend together and less stress for everyone.

7. Ask for help – this year when my family gets together it will be pot-luck instead of preparing everything myself. What I always seem to forget is how much others like to cook, experiment with a new recipes and enjoy bringing a dish that they made to share. It is about being together during the holiday.

8. Finish a project (or start a new one) – it could be a craft or an art project. Mine is a needle point I began 3 years ago. Take time out to do something I enjoy!

Give yourself permission to engage in activities that make you feel happy and less stressed during the holidays. Make time to go for a walk, have coffee with a friend, volunteer or just sit down with a good book.

I am going to tape my list to the fridge and it will stay through January, February, March………

Miriam, Gabe and Deb showing us how to kick back by channeling their inner rock stars!

Who doesn’t love a little tactile learning?

By Gabe Smith, Action Read Group Facilitator

In a simplistic way we can look at learning styles as a spectrum of 3 components (auditory, visual, and kinesthetic) with a lot of overlap. When you have a strong leaning toward kinesthetic learning it is important to link concepts to actions. Although learning by doing may not be the first thing that leaps to mind when you think of a classroom or a tutoring session it can be a very engaging way to learn.

The Action Read Math Group learning about measuring, angles and timing by launching rockets at the park, July 2016

We all learn in a variety of ways however, most people learn many things very well by watching or listening to instructions. We watch videos or talk to someone about something we need to learn. This works great both in the classroom and out in the world. Unfortunately for some of us, much of our learning is accomplished through a kinesthetic or tactile way. So what if - when you see something, it doesn’t make much sense, or when you hear something it fails to resonate? Then have some fun.

We are all capable of learning through different styles but most of us have a preferred method when we are trying to learn something difficult. This is when it can be most advantageous to know and use your preferred learning style. If you want to know all about different learning styles go ahead and check out some of the great resources below.

 If you want some examples of how you can adjust your teaching (or learning) to include some more kinesthetic and tactile elements then stick with me (or come back later).

Below a bunch of great ideas that have worked in my groups here at Action Read. Keep in mind however, when working with adults, many people will balk at activities that seem childish. So keep it light but keep it on task.

Reading 

Reading out loud is a step in the right direction but…

• acting out what is being read is great. Find a play with a great monologue or read along to your favorite song
• stand up to read, altering your position can prolong attention
• touching or holding different materials while reading can provide welcome stimuli. Common things are fine. I have used sand, gravel, stones, paperclips, and rags
• storyboards or drawing what is being read can be better. This can also be a great way to let out some creativity and assess understanding
• stress-ball anyone? These can help with all kinds of situations

Writing

Writing can be a hard subject to get physically creative with as we often get carried away with the inherent creativity of writing itself. So think about…

• writing on different surfaces such as card stock, cardboard, paper towel, white board, chalkboard, the possibilities are nearly endless
• using the computer. Like you needed me to tell you that!
• talking about writing while walking, how about a few trips up and down the stairs. Frequent stops to take notes can be a great way to make sure you don’t lose all your amazing ideas

Math 

Stop avoiding math and see just how much fun it can be when…

Cooking. It’s a great way to work on all kinds of math skills such as;

• measuring – How much flour do I use?
• adding – If I need to put in this much milk and this much water how large of a container will I need?
• telling time – What time will it be when I need to take those cookies out of the oven?
• multiplication – My recipe is for 4 servings but we have 12 people in the class, how much milk will I need?
• division – There are only 2 of us working on this project do we really need to make 24 cookies?

Trying physics. That’s right, throwing a ball or launching a rocket can be math if you measure it. This can get complicated if you go full on physics right away, but with practice you can break it down into manageable steps for basic functions.

Rock tumbling. Over time the rocks smooth out, and when this occurs they lose material. How much? Wash them and weigh them to find out. Toss a little geology into your math they feel great together. (Hint you can plot this too for a way cool looking graph. Then when you’re done, make a wicked slick looking piece of jewelry.)

How about a human clock? 

• Place numbers out on the floor and be the hands of that clock
• Make a clock out of an old book or CD.

     

      Are you getting excited? I am, let’s get up and learn!

All of that said, the best teaching and learning tools for those who need kinesthetic or tactile learning will include things that use the body or include touching and textures. They will also include some practice in translating the learning. It is always great to use our strengths but let’s not ignore our weaknesses.

References and Resources

http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/jvt002/docs/asee-2008b.pdf

http://www.lbspractitionertraining.com/pd-courses/practitioners/working-with-adult-learners/257-25-kinesthetic-learners

http://vark-learn.com/strategies/kinesthetic-strategies/

http://homeworktips.about.com/od/homeworkhelp/a/tactile.htm

https://www.alnmag.com/article/2011/06/training-kinesthetic-learner

Measuring Learner Progress

By Joanne Morant, Tutor Learner Coordinator

 

Everyone has a different definition of what successful means.

A couple of years ago, I met with a tutor who was a bit concerned that her learner was not making any progress. They were still working on learning the alphabet and recognizing basic sight words. In actuality he was making progress. His self-confidence, verbal communication skills, time management skills and commitment to his learning had all dramatically improved! He was certainly making progress.

Literacy is not just about reading and writing. While reading and writing provide the necessary foundation, it is about the learner’s ability to use their skills to navigate life.

When looking at how we measure progress, it is important that we know who are learners are. They are individuals who may come from different socio-economic backgrounds, have intellectual, learning and developmental challenges, health issues and other barriers that all contribute to how quickly or slowly they progress in their learning.

Gabe, David and Joanne celebrating David's learning achievement!

Redefining Success in Adult Literacy

 

We need to expand our definition of progress to include not just milestones, demonstrations, and test scores but to recognize changed attitudes such as increased confidence, self-esteem and motivation, or improvements in such things as social skills, stress management, time management and problem solving.

The Aboriginal community works with a holistic model for lifelong learning.  They are re-defining how success is measured. In a ‘Report on Learning in Canada – Redefining How Success is Measured in First Nations, Inuit and Metis Learning’ it states that:

  “Aboriginal knowledge is based on observation, direct experience, testing, teaching and recording in the collective memory through oral tradition, storytelling, ceremonies, and sons.  The fact that Native science is not fragmented into specialized compartments does not mean that it is not based on rational thinking, but that it is based on the belief that all things are connected and must be considered within the context of that interrelationship. In order to maintain harmony and balance, this holistic approach gives the same importance to rational thinking as it does to the spiritual beliefs and social values.”

 

Holistic learning attempts to move away from the traditional approach to learning to focus on integration and connection. Learning from a holistic perspective is concerned with the development of the intellectual, emotional, social, physical, artistic, creative and spiritual dimensions of self.

I believe that it is very important that we also include qualitative ways of measuring progress. Milestone tasks, culminating and integrated tasks and demonstrations all demonstrate to the learner what new skills they have learned.  They can help build self-confidence. These are important tools. When learners have successfully completed a milestone task, they receive a certificate. This is just one way to acknowledge success.

In school our progress was measured with ‘a number’. We can all remember weekly spelling dictation and the feeling when we showed a parent or other family member our paper – 10/10 with that J or ‘good work’ at the top of the page. But then again we might have misplaced it on our way home from school. I think that is what happened to my math tests! Many adult learners still look at how successful their learning is with ‘the mark’.

Measuring Progress in a Holistic Learning Environment 

The experiential learning theory is a learning cycle based on two dimensions - action/reflection and experience/abstraction. These two dimensions define a holistic learning approach where learning takes place between individuals and the environment.

What Can You Do?

We know that learning activities and tasks must be relevant to learner’s needs and goals. They should be able to use the skills they are working on outside Action Read. Communication with learners is essential.

Checking in with your learner at the beginning of each session is a great way to find out if they are indeed using the new skills they are working on or have acquired and/or if material needs to be reviewed again or learning plans revised.  Here are some questions that may be helpful:

·         Ask what’s new. How was your week?

·         Were you able to practice what we have been working on?

·         Did you complete a task or activity that you would have not tried before? Do you feel more confident in trying something new?

·         What worked for you and what didn’t work? Reflect on why or why not?

One great way to demonstrate to your learner the progress they are making is to keep a copy of some of their work (with a date) in their portfolio box. Every so often go back and look at some of their previous work. You will both be able to see the progress that they have made!