Literacy Council of North Central Arkansas

Sherran Passmore

Sherran Passmore contacted the literacy council because she wanted to improve her reading skills. She told her tutor that she wished to get her GED and knew she needed to read better. Sherran also told her tutor that she likes the literacy council's program because it gives her one on one help and she feels she can learn better that way.

Tomas Granado

Tomas is a sixty-one year old Mexican man who has spent his entire life being unable to read in either Spanish or English. He never had the time to learn in the past, so he decided to take the time now that he is no longer able to work. Tomas has made fantastic progress and is now in Skill Book 3. Today he finished reading “One Fish, Two Fish” during our session. This is the first book he has ever read in his life, and he intends to read it aloud to his grand daughter. I can’t tell you how proud I am of Tomas and his commitment to learning to read and write.

Jim Brown

Jim has been tutored for about a year and his goal is to get his GED. He is so motivated to learn that he requested a second tutoring session per week. He now has two tutors. Jim believes he can read a lot better since he started tutoring. Life without reading skills has been a struggle. He says as long as you’re physically able and you have the motivation, you can find a job. However, in the world today, because of computers and other technology, you need to be able to read. 

Maria de la Luz Cruz z
Maria has been studying English with her ESL tutor for five months. She enjoys learning English not only for her job, but also for talking with her daughter’s teachers. Both her husband and her daughter speak English at home and Maria is looking forward to joining in their conversations. 

Edward Feeley

Edward has been tutored for about a year and a half. He came to us at the request of his mother, with whom he lives. Edward had been a surveyor in the past, but had a stroke after an operation that left him with aphasia. Although he can read large words, he cannot “see” the sight words that are so prevalent in all written communication. In addition, he has trouble retrieving words and speaking them, making communication very difficult. Initially, he was very upset and frustrated with this inability. He has been making great progress and can now read and articulate many words which were previously “invisible” to him. His demeanor has changed dramatically and he is now cheerful and eager to learn ay every session. His tutor referred him to a doctor of acupuncture to help relieve his symptoms and give him relief from pain. The end result has been such a remarkable change that his mother stopped in one day at his tutoring session to express her thanks. He continues to make progress to the extent that he now recognizes how far he has come, which is a joy that makes both Edward and his tutor very happy.

Lourdes Garcia Bautista

Lourdes, (LuLu) has been attending tutoring classes for a little over a year. She is a young Hispanic woman who is expecting her second child. LuLu, along with other of her relatives operate a Mexican Restaurant in Marshall, Arkansas called Los Aztecos.  In the restaurant, LuLu works as a waitress.  She is a pleasant young woman who likes her job and endeavors to do her best see to her customers needs. 

She has been working to improve her English speaking skills for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is so that she can better serve her customers in the restaurant. One major reason she is striving so diligently to improve her English is so she is better equipped to communicate with and understand her doctor about her pregnancy. LuLu is looking forward to her second child and wants to be able to teach this child and her first child to speak both English and Spanish right from the first so that they will be better equipped when they start to school here in America. She realizes if they learn to speak English at home at a young age, they will be better able to communicate with other children and adults they will encounter during their early years. 

LuLu’s English is improving with every session, a fact that fills her with a sense of pride and accomplishment. Her tutor is very pleased with the progress of this pleasant young woman.