Rose Puszka noticed right away when her daughter was learning to read that she struggled some remembering the words and sounds.
Her son, who was talkative, had picked up reading more quickly, but her daughter was more quiet and would require some help, some more time and strategies, such as visuals – cues to tell her what was happening in the story.
It is a story Puszka is familiar with.
Visuals are one of the strategies employed by the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows-Katzie Community Literacy Committee, for which Puszka is the new adult literacy coordinator.
Literacy has been her passion for years.
She moved from Leicestershire, England nine years ago. Her work there centered on literacy and family learning, as well.
She was support and education coordinator with the Alzheimer’s Society of B.C. before joining the adult literacy committee in Maple Ridge.
She loves to read, but more so considers herself an avid learner.
“I’ve always been fascinated with how people learn in different ways,” she said.
Puszka is a visual learner.
“That suits me just grand.”
But people, young and old, learn differently.
Experiencing the trials of her daughter learning to read ignited a passion in Puszka to explore literacy.
She has previously trained in early childhood education and worked as a nursery nurse, telling and presenting stories to children, being animated and using visual aids.
“It’s the first step to reading and loving stories,” Puszka said.
Some of those she helps at the adult literacy centre might have missed such experiences, didn’t have someone at home to engage in reading with.
It is common among those who seek help at the centre to have missed the nurturing part of reading, possibly due to a underlying family disruption.
If they didn’t have stability in childhood, it might have been difficult to focus on learning.
The non-profit group operates The Learning Room out of the CEED Centre, at the foot of 223rd Street in the Port Haney neighborhood of Maple Ridge.
The CEED Centre building has long been a place of learning; originally it was a Japanese school house.
The literacy committee offers numerous programs and services, which outreach facilitator Elaine Yamamoto wants more people to know about.
If someone needs help doing their taxes or getting ready for their driver’s license test, that is the goal, Puszka said.
“Learning is personalized to the learner’s needs.”
Anything to break down the stigma attached to those who struggle with reading and writing.
Yamamoto points out that only in the past 100 years or so has reading been considered an essential skill, but ever so today.
The adult literacy centre can help, but the challenge is getting those who need it through the front door.
In B.C. today, more than 500,000 people have challenges with literacy.
The centre offers drop-in hours at the CEED Centre three times a week, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon.
First they meet with Yamamoto, who will refer them to Puszka. She usually meets with prospective learners at a coffee shop to discuss how to help. They go over goals, strategies and schedules to meet one on one with trained volunteers.
“It’s whatever works best for them, learner-focused,” Puszka said.
One young mother who recently came to her could read at a Grade 10 level, but didn’t have confidence in her own abilities. She wanted to improve her own reading and writing so she could help her young son and avoid what she experienced.
“She just wants to support him in his schooling,” Yamamoto said.
She was set up with a volunteer, one whose personality gelled with her own.
“With a little encouragement and support, she’ll be on her way.”
The centre employs a host of strategies, from phonics to reading aloud, sounding out words and making guesses as to where a story is going or what it means, and picking out familiar themes.
Another popular strategy is to get learners to recite a story to a volunteer tutor, who will write the story down. Afterwards, the tutor will read the story back, then have the learner read the story out loud.
Reading their own words makes them more comfortable, Puszka said.
The adult literacy committee has connected with local groups such as Pathfinders and Work B.C., the Friends in Need Food Bank and Haney farmers’ Market to gain more referrals.
All help is confidential and free.
“We want to help as many adult learners as we can,” Puszka said.
For her, helping adults improve their reading and writing skills boosts their confidence.
Seeing them improve is all the reward she needs.
Supporting literacy
The Maple Ridge-PItt Meadows News has been a strong and proud supporter of the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows-Katzie Community Literacy Committee for the past several years. As a producer of media content in print and online, The News believes in supporting literacy growth locally and will publish periodic features promoting the literacy committee’s efforts.
“We are excited to partner with the literacy committee as its local media sponsor, and are committed to providing ongoing support to this organization, building awareness of their services in the communities of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. This partnership is a natural fit for us,” said Lisa Prophet, publisher of The News.