December 2008Put Reading First
Success in life starts with reading. If you have an adult
in your family who is not able to read, you will find help at
Literacy Lubbock. Any person, age eighteen or
older who lives in our fifteen-county area, can learn to read, write or
speak English free of charge. The adult student will be matched
with a volunteer tutor or will attend a small class to work on his/her
own personal educational goals. Unique to our community, adults
with learning challenges such as dyslexia can learn to read using a
multi-sensory curriculum approach. Support your family member by
calling to make an appointment with Literacy Lubbock’s caring staff.
Family members, be patient and listen to your new adult reader read
words. Let your new reader know that you are proud of his/her
reading. Help him/her build comprehension skills by rereading
familiar books and talking about the characters, places and events that
took place in the story. Read together every day. Visit the
library often. Literacy Lubbock is located at 1306 9th Street in
the Mahon Library.
Success in school starts with reading. When
children become good readers in the early grades, they are more likely
to become better learners throughout their school years and beyond.
Learning to read is hard work for children. Fortunately we have
access to research that provides suggestions on how to give each child a
good start in reading. Becoming a reader involves the development
of important skills, including learning to use language
in conversation, listen and respond to stories read
aloud, recognize and name the letters of the alphabet,
listen to the sounds of unspoken language,
connect sounds to letters to figure out the “code” of reading,
read often so that recognizing words becomes easy and
automatic, learn and use new words, and
understand what is read. As a parent, grandparent or
mentor, you can help your children become readers. Learning to
read takes practice, more practice than children receive during the
school day. Read to your children with expression, and talk with
children about what they are reading. Have your children read
aloud to you every night.
Success in reading can depend on a volunteer.
Literacy Lubbock has a waiting list of adult students who want to learn
to read. Be a lifesaver and volunteer to help someone today.
If you are interested in the critical need of helping someone learn to
read, please contact RSVP, and we will put you in touch with a staff
person at Literacy Lubbock.
Volunteer Opportunities:
Senior Citizens and families with children who have
disabilities oftentimes wander through a maze of agency turndowns and
futile referrals in search of help. Soon they will be able to go
to one place, and that place will navigate the maze of agencies for
them. “That place” is called the Aging and Disabilities
Resource Center (ADRC), and it has been assembled by Lubbock
Regional Mental Health Mental Retardation. It is located inside
the YWCA at 1400 Ave. O.
Previously, the search for help with aging and
disability issues was often one of frustration as people were routed
from agency to agency to agency with no successful resolution.
Within the Lubbock community there will be a huge collaborative effort
with multiple agencies involved in the ADRC project. Thirty
agencies have signed up to cooperate with the program. The ADRC is
creating an environment in which people can feel relaxed and comfortable
while exploring their options. The center will have complete
computer capabilities, and Richard Zapata, the ADRC Options Navigator,
will be available to personally provide assistance. The center
will provide a 100% follow-up and care coordination.
Continue to monitor the RSVP Voice for postings of
volunteer opportunities with the Lubbock ADRC. You are cordially
invited to attend the Grand Opening of the Lubbock Aging and
Disabilities Resource Center on Wednesday, January 7, 2009,
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm at 1400 Ave. O.
To volunteer, or for more information about these or other
volunteer positions, please call the RSVP office at 743-7787.
HOW do I join RSVP?
Becoming a member of RSVP is simple as long as you are at least 55 and
have some time to volunteer. Just call the office at 743-7787 and chat
with Karon McDowell about your interests. If you are not certain
what you would like to do, we can mention several current volunteer
opportunities and send you a list of the sort of jobs which RSVP members
are presently doing to whet your appetite. If you have a special skill
or talent that you would like to utilize, we will search to find just
the right job for you. Just mail in the
enrollment form
(requires Adobe Reader) and we will call you!
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