Hi Allan,
   
  That's a great question thanks for asking me, I'll try and explain why at 50 I looked for help in my reading. 
  At 50 years old I was sick of not being able to do things like other people or understand when people talked to me and use words I didn't understand I would be lost in conversations all the time. I had medial jobs and was trying to raise my two children who were 12 years apart, one going to college and one still at home. Even having children was hard for me I had lots of problems, but to move on. Both of my children could read very well. My problem was I could not help ether of them after second grade with home work. I always know I had to learn more but, I just did not know how to go about it, it always seamed to me like I could not learn at all. When my son was 16 teen and I was baby sitting for my niece's children full time and could not read the books she bought for them I was very very sad and still didn't know what to do. I saw a commercial on T.V. with Danny Glover about learning how to read after thinking about it for some time and calling the number I saw on T.V.
  it took a least six more calls before I found Literacy of Chicago, by this time I was so afraid to go I just could not tell you. First I was tutored in my neighborhood that tutor was very nice but, he had a business of his own so he stopped tutoring me, I had to go to downtown Chicago to be tutored parking was bad and cost a lot too. After finding out I could learn I thought I need to fine some thing closer to home and were I didn't have to pay so much money to park for two hours. I didn't want to give up I had just started. I went to a Library and asked about literacy I was told that they didn't have any illiterate people in there neighborhood. Then I felt so bad I was so dumb this hole neighborhood does not have any one like me how studied was I. It was had for me to ask again but, I went to another Library not in the same day and asked the young lady where there literacy program was, and she said "what does literacy mean" ! I then I asked if there was any one I could
 talk to about literacy she sent me to the second floor I stood in a line and was afraid when I got to the lady others would hear my question about literacy but, I did ask the lady she told me about the Moraine Valley Community College I went there still afraid and shaking all over in the same day. I had to ask again about literacy so I did!! they were so very nice to me and helped me to get started with my problem with reading. I started with a tutor and I wanted to learn math and all I could now that I had found a place I could learn. It was the best move in my life and I am so happy I did it but, it was so very hard to do all of the work to find the literacy program I just can't not tell the fear in me at all.  I thought It would only take me three months to learn how to read I soon found out how wrong I was on that. 
  I know others are just as afraid as I was and maybe even more if there was a way to let them know it's okay you will learn! come and give it a try see for yourself. You would have so many more people who would be making that move to help themselves. 
  I hope this help you and students to know they are not the only ones their. Their are a lot of us out here. How can you reach them? I know that's a very big problem any your trying very hard.
   
  Thank You 
  Cece 
  

Allan Quigley <aquigley at stfx.ca> wrote:
  HI Cece, 

I don't know if you'll see this message or not. If you do, I would like
to say I have read your message several times and shown it to others
here.

I want to add to the comments of the others that these are beautiful
words and an inpiration to those us who who try to work in adult
literacy. 

And, if you do receive this message, I'm sure some of us would be
interested in knowing why you decided to come back to education? 

You said: 

"I went for help when I was 50 years old it was very hard to fine the
help I needed. I think you need to focus on how hard it is to fine help.
I had to make six or eight calls before I found help, a lot of people
will just give up it's hard to fine the help we need."

What was it at 50 years of age that made you decide to make all those
calls and overcome the fears you had?

Hope to hear from you. 

Every success....

Allan 


----------------------------------------------------------------------
B. Allan Quigley, EdD
Professor of Adult Education
Department of Adult Education 
Xavier Hall
St. Francis Xavier University
Antigonish, Nova Scotia
Canada,
B2G 2W5

e-mail: aquigley at stfx.ca
website: www.stfx.ca/academic/adulted
phone: 902-867-3244
fax: 902-867-3765


-----Original Message-----
From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Lynne
Toepke
Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2007 5:27 PM
To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 788] Re: Hard to reach people with
lowliteracy skills

Thank you for sharing cece. I would like to read this to some of our
students, and maybe include some of it in our next newsletter if you
don't mind. Keep up the good work! You're a winner!


>>> cece tilsley 01/22/07 3:32 PM >>>

Hi All,

I was a low level reader and I would like you all to know how afraid
we are to come in and get help. We know we need help it's not just we
think that we don't and we are okay, I can't understand how any one can
think that? I think fear is what holds a lot of us back. We put on this
front that all is okay and life is good but we know in our heart we are
not okay at all. We pray no one finds out about our secret of not being
able to read books, street signs,menus, show marquees and so on. If we
can do mate it's a challenge just to add or subtract. There are so many
of us who have tried to make our lives better for our families and
ourselves don't you all think it starts in first grade ? I was left
behind from the start but, I didn't know it until I got much older. I
guess they called me slow that what happened to me? I really not sure. I
am not slow but, I am dyslexic and never got the extra few minutes it
would have take to help me. I went for help when I was 50 years old
it was very hard to fine the help I needed. I think you need to focus
on how hard it is to fine help. I had to make six or eight calls before
I found help, a lot of people will just give up it's hard to fine the
help we need. 
I am now 64 years old I have two adult children now. I started at 50
years old learning how to read better and learn math too, I worked full
time and lots of over time too, it took me about ten years to get my
G.E.D. and now I am helping others like myself. I tutor in reading, math
and computers. The students come no matter what the weather is or how
much snow we have. I have health problems for the pass years but I only
cancel classes when it's a lot of snow or it's way below zero. The
student they would come it's me I can't make it at those times. 
I know this is not much to go by, I just wanted to let you all know
it's hard to fine help and we are really afraid to look for it to for
fear we can't learn too. 

Thank You 
Cecelia (Cece) Tilsley 
Moraine Valley Community College
Palos Hill, IL 

Lendoak at aol.com wrote:
Dear David Rosen,

Of course there are many reasons for people not enrolling in literacy
training programs to improve their reading and language skills. One
factor that is sometimes overlooked is the perception of those with
limited literacy skills. 

The 1993 NAAL survey reported that many people with very low literacy
skills perceived that they have quite adequate literacy skills. So,
"what's to improve?"

Although we've both been volunteer tutors for a number of years, we
don't have much experience in trying to change such perceptions in order
to recruit new students. We suspect that perhaps a personal benefits
approach might work. We wonder how others may have implemented such an
approach. 

Len and Ceci Doak
Patient Learning Assoc. Inc.
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