Literacy in June

June 1-7 is National Volunteers Week. This is an opportunity to especially thank those community volunteers who carry the cause of literacy for several of our member organizations.  We help citizens find volunteer opportunities in the following areas:

• Adult learning
• English as a Second Language
• Preparation for GED

Training is offered by our member organizations. So if you are interested, please call us at 405-830-2790 or email us and we will find the best situation for you.

June 13-19 is National Adult Learners Week. This month is a good time to recognize those adults who courageously present themselves to literacy organizations seeking to improve their reading. Adults frequently feel ashamed of not being able to read.

Celebrating their learning process is very important. You can help or contribute to those organizations that are diligently teaching and supporting adult learners. Please call or email us for more information.

Putnam Heights Elementary Project:

A collaboration between the OCU TESOL Department, Payne Education Center and the Oklahoma City Metro Literacy Coalition

This past January, 15 Oklahoma City University graduate students in the MA TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) program partnered with Payne Education and Putnam Heights Elementary School to assist 2nd and 3rd graders with their reading skills.



During the spring 2015 semester, future ESL and EFL teachers working on their MA in TESOL were provided training and lessons on Structured Language Basics by Payne Education Center in order to help students at Putnam Heights Elementary to improve phonemic awareness and overall reading skills.



After an initial training session held at the Payne Center, the student teachers who were enrolled in the TESOL Practicum class at Oklahoma City University were advised on various lessons and guided reading activities on a weekly basis. Each of the students was required to teach small groups of 4-5 Putnam students a minimum of 30 hours from January through the end of April. Classes were held for two hours each week and were of tremendous benefit to both the students and the teachers in training.

Our sincere appreciation goes to the Oklahoma City Literacy Coalition, the staff and trainers at Payne Education and the administration and faculty at Putnam Heights Elementary school for providing this professional development opportunity for future educators and to enhancing the reading performance of our young people. OCU TESOL hopes to continue these type of projects in the future.



For further information about this program, feel free to contact Dr. Rob Griffin in the TESOL program at Oklahoma City University at: (405) 391-2138 or rgriffin@okcu.edu. You may also contact Mary Surbeck at the Oklahoma City Literacy Coalition at: (405) 830-2790 or msurbeck@att.net.

UCO Reading Buddies Program

The UCO Reading Buddies program is an ongoing tutoring opportunity for children. In this program, children are paired with UCO elementary education or early childhood education teacher candidates. They work individually or in small groups on reading related objectives and skills. If you wish to enroll or would like further information about this program, please contact Dr. Keith Higa via email: khiga@uco.edu

Reading Buddies Program Schedule:

July 6-9, each day
from 3-4 pm
July 13-16, each day
from 3-4 pm

University of Central Oklahoma
Education Building
100 N. University Drive
Edmond, OK