literacy

On January 2, 2014, Words Alive, a San Diego organization dedicated to improving literacy for ages preschool to adult, received a $10,000 grant from the S. Mark Taper Foundation to support critical literacy programs. Nicole Daniel, Development Manager for Words Alive, said, “This grant will help us implement our programs that foster a love of reading in underserved communities throughout San Diego County!”

Included in this programming is now Rolling Readers, welcomed by Words Alive in January 2014.  Words Alive is happy to announce this partnership by continuing the Share Your Love of Reading event next week. She said, “The campaign was started by Rolling Readers a few years ago. Sponsored by Mission Federal Credit Union, It takes place in celebration of Valentine’s Day and Interim Mayor Todd Gloria, Fox 5’s Heather Ford, and Supervisor Dave Roberts are among those participating this year as honorary readers. We will be continuing the read-aloud event as part of our awareness campaign on February 12 & 13.”

Two volunteers who are currently sharing their love of reading through Words Alive’s programs are Sharon Gruby and Rick Seidenwurm. Gruby describes herself as being passionate about children’s literature and works in local preschools. “Developing a love for reading and learning has been the focus of my life,” she said. As an educator for 37 years, Gruby understands the value of developing literacy early on. She added, “General knowledge is that remediation of reading problems after the early years is generally ineffective, so when I found that I could help make a difference, I volunteered to be part of it.”

Seidenwurm works with kids aged 14 to 19 at Choice Summit High. He describes his “beat” as “a one-room schoolhouse in the basement of the YMCA in City Heights serving twenty to thirty kids.”

The school where Seidenwurm teaches is administered by the San Diego County Office of Education’s Juvenile Court and Community Schools system. Students participate in the reading program and monthly book club as an alternative to juvenile detention. “I thought about quitting after my first session at Choice” said Seidenwurm. “The kids were non-responsive, disorderly, and frequently rude to us. It was like pulling teeth to get them to respond with a yes or no, much less venture an opinion. But, there were a few glimmers of hope and the next month’s book was more to their liking and a few of the kids began to participate and told us when the book resonated for them and when it didn’t.”

The initial lack of interest in reading seen by Gruby and Seidenwurm is not unusual according to Daniel. She described how Star Testing measures reading and language proficiency. “Last year, 48% of San Diego students were at or below basic proficiency. Students who are below basic proficiency in third grade are much less likely to graduate from high school. Up until third grade, students are learning how to read. After that, they are reading to learn.”

After several months of working with the kids at Choice, Seidenwurm realized his kids were moving into the category of reading to learn. He found himself spending time with students after the scheduled reading and book club sessions. He said, “Book group sessions are a monthly highlight at Choice and the participation gets better and better. I just facilitated a discussion of a book of early poetry by Tupac Shakur where six of them co-facilitated.”

Gruby, while dealing with a very different age group, has seen similar progress with her kids. She said, “At the beginning of the year many children are not interested in the books we read, but at the end we see beginning readers, interested listeners and enthusiastic learners. Watching this growth is one of the most rewarding parts of this program. When I walk in the room and am greeted enthusiastically with questions about past books, I know we are reaching the children.”

In 2010, Seidenwurm became so involved with the kids that he started a creative writing program for the kids at Choice. He found that some of the kids were reluctant to write fiction. Seidenwurm described how he got the kids to change their attitudes about writing. “I usually begin with a reading from a novel or short story or talk to them about my travels or my life and then give them a choice of writing prompts and ask them to write a story or essay or poem. They need lots of encouragement just to put pen to paper, but they’ve gotten braver and braver as they’ve learned to trust me, their classmates and themselves.”

As the kids opened up, Seidenwurm experimented by asking them to write a short story about him. Their responses completely surprised him. “One of them portrayed me as the head of a drug cartel, another as a master tagger, and a third as the oldest astronaut preparing to embark on a mission to Mars.”

These volunteers have found their participation in literacy programs to be highly rewarding. Seidenwurm said, “You should volunteer for Words Alive’s teen programs to show these troubled adolescents that there are adults out there who care about them and want to enrich their lives and experiences. And maybe just maybe you will be lucky enough to share an ‘aha’ moment or two as a bonus.”

Gruby added, “I often encourage people to volunteer. Many of those I encounter are retired teachers and I tell them how rewarding the program is to volunteers as well as the children. Not only can they make a difference, it beats going to exercise class every day! I tell them when they see smiles on the children’s faces, they will be hooked. The emergent reading years are the most important and we as volunteers have the opportunity to impart our experiences as well as utilize our creative ideas. Words Alive gives volunteers the opportunity to keep learning by working with stimulating people.”

More information

Words Alive works with schools and school districts to provide literacy programs to approximately 8,000 at-risk teens and low-income children and families each month. Programs are provided monthly and/or weekly based on need. Learn more about Words Alive on their website at www.wordsalive.org.

In 2013, there were a number of events to help improve literacy in San Diego. The events were sponsored by the San Diego Council on Literacy (literacysandiego.org), Reach Out and Read San Diego (www.rorsd.org), and Words Alive (www.wordsalive.org).

In February, the San Diego Council on Literacy sponsored The Bee. The Bee is a team spelling bee with judges, prizes, and a silent auction. The event provides participants a team-building and networking opportunity. There were celebrity expert spellers, judges, and corporate, nonprofit, and individual teams.

The 4th Annual Read and Romp Fundraiser in support of the Reach Out and Read School Readiness Program was held in March. The program, sponsored by Reach Out and Read San Diego (www.rorsd.org), featured book-themed activities designed for children ages two through eight. This event is sponsored annually by the local chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Eat, Drink, Read was another event sponsored by the San Diego Council on Literacy. Held in May, the event brought out local chefs, who prepared unique dishes inspired by their favorite book.

The 10th Annual Author’s Luncheon sponsored by Words Alive was held in November and featured New York Times bestselling author Alice Hoffman, who has published twenty-one novels, three books of short fiction, and eight books for children and young adults.

On Nov. 16, the San Diego Chapter of Romance Writers of America (RWASD) held its annual Literacy Bash. According to Sylvia Mendoza, 2013 President of RWASD, “The annual RWA San Diego Literacy Bash event was sold out to capacity in November. Because of the hard work of the committee, the presentation by NY Times best-selling author CJ Lyons, and the generosity of members and guests, we were able to bring in a good amount of money and turn around and make a donation to not one, but two, local literacy organizations. READ San Diego will receive $500 and Words Alive! will receive $300.”

RWASD members conducted a book signing in conjunction with the Literacy Bash. Sorcha Mowbray, who organized the e-book portion of that signing, said, “The event was a great opportunity for traditional and digital authors to share our love of the romance genre with like-minded readers. It is always exciting to meet readers and interact with them one on one, add to that the ability to support literacy based charities? Total win!”

“As a journalist and author,” said Mendoza, “I believe in the power of the written word. Literacy is important because reading and writing well is empowering. It changes lives. Opens doors. Makes dreams a reality. Creates opportunity. And brings readers pleasure and enlightenment.”

Nicole Daniel, Development Associate for Words Alive!, said, “We’re excited to hear that we are a beneficiary of this event. It’s such a natural fit because we’re in the business of creating the next generation of readers. We were honored to be selected by the RWASD board.”

Mendoza added how proud she is of the chapter members. “The generosity of our members at this Literacy Bash is uplifting, the celebration is just plain fun, and we give back to the community’s literacy efforts. I can’t think of a better way to end my year of service as president of RWA San Diego than with all this positive energy.”

More information

Romance Writers of America, San Diego has been around for more than 30 years. It has a strong foundation that is built on professionalism, camaraderie, learning the craft and business of novel writing—and giving back to our community. Learn more at www.rwasd.com.

READ/San Diego is a free literary instruction service for adults 18 years and older. If you are interested in learning more about READ/San Diego, visit them at http://http://www.sandiego.gov/public-library/services/outreach/read

Words Alive! opens opportunities for life success by inspiring a commitment to reading. They provide volunteer-led reading experiences for children and youth, education opportunities for parents, scholarships for continuing education, and access, and ownership of quality reading materials. More information is available on their website at www.wordsalive.org.

Sylvia Mendoza is an award-winning journalist and author of “The Book of Latina Women: 150 Vidas of Passion, Strength, and Success.”  Her website is at www.sylvia-mendoza.com.

Sorcha Mowbray writes erotic romance. Learn more on her website at sorchamowbray.com.