COUNTYWIDE : Battlefield Shapes War on Illiteracy

The battlefield has changed a lot in the 25 years that the Central Orange County Literacy Council has been fighting illiteracy.

Back then, most students were high school dropouts or people who were forced into jobs before they could learn how to read.

Today, many of the students are Latino or Vietnamese--newcomers to Orange County for whom English is a second language at best.

The council has adjusted to these changes by offering literacy training geared to non-natives. Lessons are designed to meet individual goals.

“We go where the student is and work from there,” said Eunice Jones, president of the council. “Some want just enough to get a job or a driver’s license. Some want to go to college and take a high school equivalency exam.”

Almost 2,000 people attended the council’s free literacy classes last year. All 355 tutors were volunteers.

The classes are available both day and night at churches, community centers and libraries throughout the county.

Students are taught to read through phonics, using sounds of letters to form words and sentences, Jones said. Pictures and other visual aids are also used to enhance understanding.

While most students don’t leave the classes prepared to read James Joyce or Herman Melville, a few who have stuck with the program for more than a year emerged with strong reading skills.

Some adults take classes just to keep up with their children, who learn English in school. “The kids become good at English and want to speak it in the house,” Jones said. “The parents then want to learn.”

The council has scheduled three training sessions for volunteers over the next few months, the first beginning Jan. 11 at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove. For more information, call 637-5765.