I Want to Learn to Read so I can Read my Bible
I was called to social justice ministry in the form of literacy volunteering early in the 1980s just after having moved east. My first job was in a privately funded program in a rural community where the social strata sharply divided the poor from the wealthy. While some of the county's inhabitants were on the 'Wealthy American' list, others were at the bottom of the pay scale and poorly educated, thus without much hope of improving their economic status.
I initially worked as a volunteer in a program, mostly tutoring, tutor training, then gradually helping out in the office doing grant proposal writing, maintaining records, and generally anything to be of help. I will never forget most of the students that came through the program as I progressed up the 'ranks' from volunteer, to trainer, to assistant director, and finally became the executive director when my boss and friend retired to return to school for an advanced degree in special education.
Before becoming a trainer, working with volunteers to teach basic literacy students how to read and to teach non-English speaking individuals conversational English (ESL) and occasionally basic skills in their native tongue, I worked with several students. My students were mostly low literacy level rather than ESL as I had a particular fondness for men and women who were brave enough to disclose their lack of reading skills and work hard to overcome what in some cases were severe learning difficulties. We spoke of our students as having learning differences rather than learning disabilities, though their trouble often stemmed from not only detectible disability but also circumstances that impeded their ability to succeed as they went through school. Many were drop outs at an early age. Nearly all had bad memories of their time in school.
I used to ask my tutors not to think of their students as 'favorite' so I am breaking my own rule when I tell you about my favorite student. He was an elderly (late 70's at the time he entered the program) gentleman who was a pillar of the community. He had volunteered in just about every worthy cause in the county, he had worked hard at a menial job all his life, married a wonderful and supportive woman, raised three lovely children and became 'called' to minister at a local church. That is when he realized that, though he knew the Bible front to back and in reverse, his interpretation was based solely on his having learned by listening then repeating Bible stories all his life. He could not read a story out loud. He, in fact, tested at a non-reading literacy level. He fondly described his church as an old-fashioned Bible preaching Baptist church. His entry into the ministry required a degree of faith, not a degree in philosophy or study of any kind for that matter. He was simply called to preaching. God had spoken and he listened. I understood his dilemma and assured him that with God on his side, he would do just fine in the pulpit. And that he did.
He and I began working together to learn how to read by using his own words to form the basis of his lessons. He would tell me a story about a member of his church, a particular Bible story he liked, or a family member. I would write down his story by carefully printing it on tablet paper. We kept the stories to a few lines at first. I recorded his own words, occasionally discussing a change to make his intended meaning clear. When his story was recorded, I asked him to watch and listen while I read the story back to him, tracing my finger lightly under each word as I read. Next, I would ask if he had any suggested changes and then I asked him to read the story back to me. Those who have worked in adult education will recognize this is a whole language approach where you use the student's own words, on subjects of high interest to the student, to form the basis for not only providing a measure of success from the outset, but also detecting additional skill deficiencies that could be taught out of context of the story.
When we announced that we were going to print a book of student writings and offer it for sale as a fundraiser, my student became quite enthusiastic about submitting a story. Not wanting to discourage his writing, I suggested that we keep all his writings in a journal (another technique that helps assess skill progression) and when it was time to submit stories he could choose his favorite.
My brave friend and student chose, from among his many meticulously crafted beginning stories, the following: “I want to learn to read so I can read my Bible.” As we worked on this story I recall his tales of fear that he would be discovered as a non-reader, his realization that he might not have the story straight because he had depended all his life on others for interpretations of what was said in the Bible. I felt profoundly blessed that he chose to overcome his fear and not only help himself but help others in the community by example. He let us publish his story. Then he began helping me as a student representative by visiting other churches in the community to tell his story and encourage others who could not read to come forward and ask for help.
I'll never forget this or any of my other students for that matter. I was truly blessed to have crossed their paths and learned along with them. I know my favorite student has probably crossed over into his Promised Land at this point but his strength spirit, his courage, and most of all his words, will remain in my heart forever. Every time I see a Bible I think of him.
I initially worked as a volunteer in a program, mostly tutoring, tutor training, then gradually helping out in the office doing grant proposal writing, maintaining records, and generally anything to be of help. I will never forget most of the students that came through the program as I progressed up the 'ranks' from volunteer, to trainer, to assistant director, and finally became the executive director when my boss and friend retired to return to school for an advanced degree in special education.
Before becoming a trainer, working with volunteers to teach basic literacy students how to read and to teach non-English speaking individuals conversational English (ESL) and occasionally basic skills in their native tongue, I worked with several students. My students were mostly low literacy level rather than ESL as I had a particular fondness for men and women who were brave enough to disclose their lack of reading skills and work hard to overcome what in some cases were severe learning difficulties. We spoke of our students as having learning differences rather than learning disabilities, though their trouble often stemmed from not only detectible disability but also circumstances that impeded their ability to succeed as they went through school. Many were drop outs at an early age. Nearly all had bad memories of their time in school.
I used to ask my tutors not to think of their students as 'favorite' so I am breaking my own rule when I tell you about my favorite student. He was an elderly (late 70's at the time he entered the program) gentleman who was a pillar of the community. He had volunteered in just about every worthy cause in the county, he had worked hard at a menial job all his life, married a wonderful and supportive woman, raised three lovely children and became 'called' to minister at a local church. That is when he realized that, though he knew the Bible front to back and in reverse, his interpretation was based solely on his having learned by listening then repeating Bible stories all his life. He could not read a story out loud. He, in fact, tested at a non-reading literacy level. He fondly described his church as an old-fashioned Bible preaching Baptist church. His entry into the ministry required a degree of faith, not a degree in philosophy or study of any kind for that matter. He was simply called to preaching. God had spoken and he listened. I understood his dilemma and assured him that with God on his side, he would do just fine in the pulpit. And that he did.
He and I began working together to learn how to read by using his own words to form the basis of his lessons. He would tell me a story about a member of his church, a particular Bible story he liked, or a family member. I would write down his story by carefully printing it on tablet paper. We kept the stories to a few lines at first. I recorded his own words, occasionally discussing a change to make his intended meaning clear. When his story was recorded, I asked him to watch and listen while I read the story back to him, tracing my finger lightly under each word as I read. Next, I would ask if he had any suggested changes and then I asked him to read the story back to me. Those who have worked in adult education will recognize this is a whole language approach where you use the student's own words, on subjects of high interest to the student, to form the basis for not only providing a measure of success from the outset, but also detecting additional skill deficiencies that could be taught out of context of the story.
When we announced that we were going to print a book of student writings and offer it for sale as a fundraiser, my student became quite enthusiastic about submitting a story. Not wanting to discourage his writing, I suggested that we keep all his writings in a journal (another technique that helps assess skill progression) and when it was time to submit stories he could choose his favorite.
My brave friend and student chose, from among his many meticulously crafted beginning stories, the following: “I want to learn to read so I can read my Bible.” As we worked on this story I recall his tales of fear that he would be discovered as a non-reader, his realization that he might not have the story straight because he had depended all his life on others for interpretations of what was said in the Bible. I felt profoundly blessed that he chose to overcome his fear and not only help himself but help others in the community by example. He let us publish his story. Then he began helping me as a student representative by visiting other churches in the community to tell his story and encourage others who could not read to come forward and ask for help.
I'll never forget this or any of my other students for that matter. I was truly blessed to have crossed their paths and learned along with them. I know my favorite student has probably crossed over into his Promised Land at this point but his strength spirit, his courage, and most of all his words, will remain in my heart forever. Every time I see a Bible I think of him.
posted by Angelfish at 9:31 PM
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