Literacy Bookshelf : Books Within Reach

National Institute for Literacy

mpasek — Sat, 15 May 2010 14:48:23 +0000

I read something very sad. The National Institute For Literacy is closing its doors. This is due to, of course, budget cuts. Please go on to their site and see what they are about and download any and all free information. The more you know, the more you grow!

We are Linked to Literacy

mpasek — Wed, 12 May 2010 17:34:27 +0000

Reading is a basic skill that we all share in like riding a bike, tieing your shoe, or buying more than you planned to at Wal-Mart. It’s a skill that everyone has in common. So, lets share the resources, our knowledge, of books and links for adult educators.

I have added a couple more links to make it easier for getting book levels or making book lists go to Scholastic. And to find out more about the Student Acheivement in Reading (STAR) program go to STARtoolkit.

Enjoy and I look forward to seeing your contributions!

The More You Read, The More You’ll Know

mpasek — Sun, 09 May 2010 21:41:54 +0000

In our Basic Skills program we have a motto: The more you know, the further you’ll go, and the brighter your future will be. That is so true. I just like adding one little thing; reading. The more you read, the more you’ll know, and to bigger and better places you can go.

I would like to have a place where people can contribute and give titles, authors and book levels for all those teachers who teach low level adult readers. We will need 2nd thru 6th grade reading level books that are appropriate for adults from ages 17 to 77.

The more WE know, the further WE will go, and better readers and teachers We will be.

The more you know…

mpasek — Sun, 09 May 2010 21:25:00 +0000

It is true what our Basic Skills motto says, “The more you know, the further you’ll go, and the brighter your future will be.”
The more you read, the more you know, and the bigger and better places you will go. That is my thoughts which is why as I teach my adult students to not only pass their GED tests I tell them to read at home. They ask for books. I have to find books at their level. Some are at 4th grade reading level. So I search and search then it hits me, I am not the only teacher who has this problem.
Let’s help eachother and post books, authors, & reading levels here, (until I can figure out a better blog). I am hoping we can work together to make sure that literacy is within reach of everyone.

When Dreams Can Become Real

mpasek — Wed, 05 May 2010 15:47:00 +0000

     I write about our day dreams and ways to escape. Sometimes we dream of something that can become tangible. For instance, a person who had to drop out of school for various reasons, dreams of one day going back and getting their GED and being able to read as well or better than their children. A person’s dreams can get clouded and interrupted when “life happens”. Here is a question a child once asked, what are we doing to help?
     We can learn, accept, and re preserve those dreams. First, we learn how many people in our country are learning disabled, drop outs, or illiterate. We learn how many people in our state are illiterate or drop outs or learning disabled. We learn how many people in our areas or counties are ld, illiterate or drop outs.
Secondly, we must accept the raw facts that we find out. Fact: In our county, out of our 1400 students there is a 5% drop out rate and 13% of the students have IEPs or they are in special education services. Most of the 13% are between 1st and 6th grade. A few are between 8th and 12th. Another fraction of those who are currently in that 13% might drop out by 10th grade or get in trouble with the law.
     A professor once asked if we believed that we are responsible for our fellow “man”. I believe that we are put on this earth for a purpose. I’ve always believed my purpose is to care for, protect, and teach the children that I come across in my life. It has grown to teaching those children, who are now adults, and their children, whom society and the education system “sieved out” or let fall through the cracks in our floors.
The third thing we do as teachers and writers is re-preserve those dreams that those people had as children, to complete there education and to read so they can create and hand down new dreams that become real.
Lets make dreams become real, contact your local community college and talk to the Dean of Basic Skills. Then come back and tell the rest of us about your experience.