Friends, we have reached the end of another semester. I am more confused now than I was before I started this course. Huh? I mean, I guess I always assumed I knew what it meant to be illiterate (which I still strongly dislike that term), but I never really knew the depth of the term. Children are illiterate, yes, to an extent, adults are illiterate, I could possibly agree, plants are illiterate, B.S.! No, but plants actually are illiterate; I have learned that, or the idea of that has been implanted in my brain and will forever remain (thanks to…Sean maybe?). Either way, the definition of being literate or illiterate has reached new depths for me. The concept, I am very sure of, is so much more than being able to read or write (however, I do understand that is a large portion of it). Background, support system, resources, daily life…so many factors come into play when determining whether or not someone is literate. Two months ago, I would’ve told you differently. Actually, my definition of literacy was something along the lines of, “resources that help someone read or write,” and by resources I meant books. Not sponsors. Not access to a good education. Not home life. Being literate means only this: you can read and write. False. No. Being literate means an abundance of different things. Comprehension. Repetition. Regurgitation. And actually recognizing what it means to be able to do those different things. So let’s throw in, being able to learn is an aspect of literacy. Of course it is, but I wouldn’t have said that two months ago. This class has opened up doors for me that I never knew existed and has made my opinion of illiterate people more sympathetic. All of the things we have learned this semester have made me realize that many people don’t choose to be illiterate; it is the life they have been given. That’s just my opinion, some are going to disagree. Taking this class, and listening to Becky speak, has really inspired me to help people. It sometimes puts a damper on my day to realize that I do not have a second of free time to do so, though, and then I realize, I want to be a teacher. If I obtain my degree and certificate, I will be able to help people every single day and it makes me happy to feel that I might be able to make a difference someday, and learning from this class, I further understand the sorts of help “illiterate” people need. For that, I appreciate every door this class has opened for me. What doors have this class opened up for you and have those doors made you realize/ appreciate anything more?
Through this class I ended up working with Holly to help teach Lamont how to read. We’ve been working together one day a week since early October.
It’s not going as I thought it would.
I thought it would be a very slow process, where we would accomplish little. I know that’s not a hopeful outlook, but I wanted to not set my ambitions too high because his developmental problems might not allow for a vast amount of learning.
Every week though, Lamont ends up surpassing my expectations of him. It’s still going more slowly than teaching a learner without developmental problems, but not nearly as slowly as I anticipated.
Even before we started the lessons, Holly gave him a literacy test that determined that he had about a first grade reading level–he knows letters and most of the sounds they make and can already read some sight words and simple sentences. What I feel we are working to do is to get him beyond this basic utility point and introduce him to more complicated words and words that he encounters in his life.
Lamont would like to earn a driver’s license, but can’t read the permit test manual or the test. Lamont loves hockey and I’d like him to be able to read about the game and his favorite players. Lamont works at a bottling plant, I would like him to be able to have this skill to move to a more fulfilling position.
Having worked with Lamont for nearly two months, I don’t have the same apprehension about what I think Holly and I can teach him. I think it was important for me to learn this through actually working with a student I saw as “limited” rather than simply hearing platitudes.
I’d also like to mention that last week Lamont taught me that a group of soda or soup cans is called a herd. All this week when I have opened cans I have imagined they should make mooing noises when I open it.
This class has made me think significantly more than almost any other class I have taken. I have spent so much time defining and redefining what I think literacy is that I’ve almost come full circle. I remember us talking about the idea of knowing so much that you don’t know anything. I think that has started to apply (not to imply that I know everything about literacy). It’s just that, now that I’ve started to expand my idea of what literacy could be, I feel like I am just confusing myself. And I like that. I wasn’t expecting to be challenged by this class, much less challenge myself. I’m excited to keep defining literacy and prepare for a future as a teacher.