PR 2007 Jun U3

Shelton State Staff Members Published in International Reading Paper

Tuscaloosa – Three staff members from Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa have had an article published in the June/July 2007 issue of Reading Today.

            Authored by Dr. Fran Turner, Director of Adult Education, Thomas J. Taylor, Dean of Student Services and Julia Chancy, Literacy Coordinator of Adult Education, the article, entitled “At Your Service,” focuses on a program founded last year in cooperation with the College of Human Environmental Sciences at the University of Alabama.

            Several courses at the UA have a service learning component that can be met by working with adult learners to earn credit.

“Service learning can be loosely defined as a way of integrating community service with academic instruction, research and educational practice.  Student learning is enhanced at the same time an urgent community need is met,” said Dr. Turner.

The UA students served as tutors in Shelton State’s adult education classes in GED and Career Readiness Credential preparation, graduation exam help and skills remediation.

“Currently, the estimates are that approximately 30,000 individuals in West Alabama struggle with low literacy skills.  The service learning program allows us to make a tremendous impact in the lives of these individuals in a cost effective manner and train students to be tutors – all at the same time.  It’s a win/win for the individuals, the students and our community,” said Thomas J. Taylor, Dean of Student Services at Shelton State Community College.

The 2003 “National Assessment of Adult Literacy” report issued in 2005 estimated that 30 million adults function at the most basic level of literacy skills and 11 million adults are in the non-literate category. PLUS (Project Literacy U.S.) states that one out of four adults in the United States struggles with low literacy skills every day.

“These people are your neighbors, friends and family members who cannot read a medicine label, complete a job application, or help their children do homework. PLUS Tuscaloosa is a community wide effort using trained volunteer to teach adults to read.  The program is administered and coordinated by the Shelton State Community College Adult Education program,” said Dr. Turner.

The International Reading Association was founded in 1956 as a professional organization for those involved in teaching reading to learners of all ages. IRA is dedicated to promoting high levels of literacy for all by (1) improving the quality of reading instruction, (2) Disseminating research and information about reading, and (3) Encouraging the lifetime reading habit.

Reading Today is the bi-monthly publication of the International Reading Association which focuses on News about pressing issues in literacy education and features on trends influencing the field.