Using "Teacher Video Selfies": A Free Resource from Harvard University

I recently returned home from China where I conducted teacher training on phonics strategies and activities for English teachers. Below is my super-professional selfie that I took with the teachers on the last day of the training.

Believe me. I don't usually take selfies with the teachers I work with. But I posted this photo because of the relevance to a concept from Harvard University's Center for Education Policy Research: Teacher video selfies to analyze evidence of your teaching and your teacher performance. The resource, entitled "Teacher Video Selfie: A self-guided module for analyzing videos of your own instruction", can be accessed here. Essentially, teachers record two 10-15 minute teaching segments, and then teachers watch their videos to analyze their performance and self-direct adjustments to their instruction. While watching their videos, teachers write notes about what they notice. Then teachers analyze their notes with guidance from the module/toolkit to learn how to effectively conduct self-observations and set goals for improvement. See the link to view the step-by-step procedure.

Characteristics of a Good (Implementation) Coach...and Educator

When you think of a "coach", what comes to mind? I think of an athletic coach. But what about coaches in context of literacy instruction or fidelity of implementation? This past week, I participated in training new implementation coaches who were recently hired to oversee schools implementing the Reading Horizons program. At the beginning of the training, we discussed the implementation coach vision by identifying characteristics of a good coach. Note how these characteristics apply to both athletic coaches and implementation coaches in educational contexts.

Characteristics of a Good Coach

A good coach…

…takes you back to the basics. A good coach knows that the best way to learn and improve is by doing.

…knows that if you want to get better at something, it takes practice…a lot of it.

…breaks the process into steps, and then pinpoints specific areas needing work.

…focuses on proper form early on to ensure the development of good habits.

…helps you master one thing at a time.

Literacy Training in Zimbabwe

One of my job responsibilities includes traveling to various locations to train teachers in literacy strategies. My objective is to empower teachers with additional tools for their teaching strategies toolbox. I’ve traveled to urban middle schools and high schools, community colleges and universities, literacy centers and libraries, and a myriad of other sites to train teachers, paraprofessionals, and tutors. I’ve met hundreds of teachers and students, and in the process, I’ve witnessed a variety of different backgrounds and needs. Once in a while, I have experiences while training that teach me life lessons, whether it be a lesson learned about how literacy strategies unlock a struggling student’s world of learning, or feeling inspired by a teacher’s passion.

This year I had a unique training opportunity. I traveled to Zimbabwe to provide literacy training for people in various remote villages where such services had never been provided. During this experience, I learned life lessons about individual dignity and the hierarchy of needs—physical, social, and educational. We drove on long, bumpy, dusty roads without air conditioning and proper suspension, and we traveled with little water and food. We traveled through and camped in wild game parks, witnessing rare sightings of wild animals and waking up to the sounds of the competing roars of lion prides. Although the conditions were not ideal, I felt privileged to have had the opportunity to interact with teachers and students that few people will ever get to meet.

Literacy Training in India at Pathway

Last month, my colleagues and I had the opportunity to visit Pathway India, a non-profit organization located in southern India that serves underprivileged and handicapped children. Pathway educates, empowers, and enlightens the students they serve by providing vocational and academic training, rewarding students for their contributions, and sustaining an environment in which the students feel safe, loved, and confident in their abilities to contribute using their knowledge and talents.



We had an opportunity to train the teachers at one of Pathway's schools located in rural Chennai. We also had the opportunity to conduct a training for English teachers in the surrounding area and were privileged to have Dr. Swaminathan in attendance.







Pathway India recently published their latest newsletter article which documents our recent visit. It can be accessed here. To learn more about this organization, visit their website at http://pathway.org.in/, or visit their Facebook page: Pathway India.

TESOL 2014 in Portland, Oregon: Phonics in English Language Learning Contexts

I'm currently attending the TESOL 2014 conference in Portland. It is common each year I attend to recognize "themes" or areas of growing interest based on the presentation topics and the number of attendees drawn to each presentation. One of the popular areas of interest I've noticed at this conference has been phonics as it relates to language competency and enhancing learning in various language skills.

I attended a session yesterday by three TESOL graduate students from Florida State University. They presented on the use of an explicit phonics program over the last year in their Intensive English Program at FSU. I was happy to see that the results of their implementation have been positive.

Success Despite Dyslexia

Dyslexia has traditionally been defined as a difficulty learning to read despite intelligence, education, and motivation. Last month I had the opportunity to attend the International Dyslexia Association Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. I had the privilege of sitting next to Sally and Bennett Shaywitz in a session on Neuroscience and having a pleasant conversation with them. I also had the privilege of speaking with them again after the showing of a new documentary in which they are featured about dyslexia: “The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia.” This film features several individuals who have been able to overcome dyslexia and find success in life despite their challenges with learning how to read. The film is quite inspiring.

As I watched this film, I was reminded of why I do what I do--that the work in which I am engaged is quite significant...teaching individuals how to read, helping them to discover new hope and increased confidence. I was reminded that there are many of us in the world engaged in the same significant effort--to help people learn to read. It's very rewarding work. (Read a great article about dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz here.)

With this lead in, I thought it was time to provide an update on my student in his sixties who I am teaching to read. We've been working together for about a year now. Since he and I first started working together, he has begun reading simple texts. Yesterday when I was working with him, he asked out of the blue, "You're not going to give up on me, are you?" Everyone else who has attempted to teach him to read before has given up, quite possibly because they did not see success in their efforts working with him. He has some pretty intense learning disabilities that have prevented him from learning to read and spell. I assured him that I won't give up on him. He also told me that I have taken him 100% further than anyone else has ever been able to before. Of course, I attribute his success to the method employed...Reading Horizons. When he is reading and he gets stuck on a word, he knows that he needs to decode the word using the strategies he's been taught. I told him that it's time to start writing his story. "What? How a mixed up kid learned how to read?" he questioned with a smile. I am proud of him for his efforts. He is hungry to learn. He finds great joy in small successes...being able to spell and read words independently, which is a skill most of us who have never struggled with reading have taken for granted. Explicit, systematic, sequential word analysis skills are helping individuals with dyslexia around the globe learn to read, as suggested by current research. I'm witnessing that right now with my friend.

(See previous blog posts about my tutoring experiences here, here, here, and here.)

Remembering 9/11...Eleven Years Later

I wanted to acknowledge this day in history as today marks the national (and international) tragedy of 9/11. It is one of those events that conjures up memories of where we were and what we were doing eleven years ago today when we heard the news. Last year commemorated the ten-year anniversary of this tragedy, which provided opportunities to reflect on 9/11 through a multitude of online resources. I posted several of these resources last year on my blog post Remembering 9/11 with Online Resources. I've also listed them again below. A new resource includes the memorial's website, which includes lesson plans for students of all grade levels. 

Although the ceremonies associated with the tragedy of 9/11 are on a much smaller scale today, the memory of this event is still present. Consider resources that can be used to generate teaching moments within your classrooms, or use these resources as a personal reminder of a day in history that you will never forget.

The United Federation of Teachers produced a documentary interviewing dozens of educators in New York City who managed the crisis from inside the schools and guided over one million students to safety.

Thinkfinity provides online conference and community connections, as well as several classroom resources to teach about 9/11.

The National Geographic website provides a video segment of President George W. Bush recounting his experience surrounding the events of 9/11 (to be aired on Sunday).

The Guardian has collected memories of 9/11 from individuals around the world over the last ten years. Individuals recount their memories of what they were doing when they heard about the attack.

The Washington Post has a series of stories covering the ten-year commemoration of 9/11. A few of the stories include the following: A pilot who was ordered to take down United 93; Nine lives that were directly affected by 9/11 and where they are now; and the age of 9/11, which recounts how old certain individuals were when the planes struck the World Trade Center, where they were, and where they are now, "10 years older, 10 years after the attacks." 

StoryCorps has documented some touching stories of individuals recounting the loss of loved ones who died in the September 11th terrorist attacks. Here are three: John and Joe; She Was the One; and Always a Family. StoryCorps has a goal of recording at least one interview for each life lost in the terrorist attacks.

NPR highlights an artist, Marc Farre, who lived in New York City and witnessed the events of that day. He attempted to capture 9/11 in a song. Listen to the song here. This is what NPR had to say about it: "We received a lot of songs from amateur musicians back then, and Farre's was the most powerful one we heard — it seemed to capture the loss and fears of that day."

Thoughts on Purpose

I was recently asked to share my thoughts on purpose with my company--why I do what I do. Purpose is one of the tenets of our company creed. I have blogged about purpose before. A few blog posts that illustrate my purpose for doing what I do include the following: 
Lessons Learned from Life
The "Homeless Wanderer"
The Value of Literacy
Post-India: Thoughts on Service
Teaching the Homeless to Read
Curriculum Vision -- Helping Struggling Readers
Success Stories in Learning to Read
Why Do We Do What We Do?

A few highlights of my job include (but, of course, are not limited to):

• Traveling to India to help with literacy efforts among the leprosy-affected: Post-India: Thoughts on Service, Ensuring Success with English in India, Back in India, A Day in My Life in India, More On a Day in My Life in India, Abolishing the Stigma of Leprosy by Teaching Children to Read in English, A Documentary on Humanitarian Efforts in India)
• Visiting NYC to conduct trainings and needs assessments for NYC Public Schools and Public libraries: New York City Public Schools Teach Students to Read, New York City Public Schools Teach Students to Read: Part 2, Literacy Training in the Bronx...and in Your Own Backyard, Opening Doors to Literacy in New York City Public Libraries)
• Traveling to the Middle East to promote reading instruction: English Teaching and Learning in the Middle East, English Teaching and Learning in the Middle East: Part 2, Phonics for Arabic Speakers in the Middle East) 
• Tutoring a gentleman in his 60's who has never learned how to read: Adult Education and Family Literacy Week 2011: Teaching Struggling Readers, On the Journey to Read, On the Journey to Read: Part 2, Teaching the Homeless to Read)
• Consulting, training, and researching literacy instruction for children, middle school- and high school-aged students, and adults (for both native English speakers and non-native English speakers), and writing curriculum that meets the needs of these individuals. I've visited a variety of settings to fulfill this purpose, some of which include prisons, urban and rural K-12 schools, community colleges and universities, adult education sites, non-profit groups, and charter schools, including the largest school for homeless children in the U.S.: Teaching Literacy in Strategies to Homeless Children and Individuals in Secure Care Facilities.
• Engaging in humanitarian service opportunities, specifically in the areas of teaching English and literacy, as well as empowering teachers with strategies to teach these skills through teacher training with the goal of maintaining autonomy and sustainability. As mentioned above, I have traveled to India for this purpose, as well as to various islands in the South Pacific. I plan to travel to Africa to conduct teacher training in the (hopefully near) future, as well.

Part of the purpose for this post was to respond to the request to share my thoughts on purpose with my company. But another impetus for this post was to provide a more personal side to my blog. I understand that most people find this blog organically when searching on the Internet for specific ESOL- and literacy-related topics; however, I also occasionally have friends and associates who are genuinely interested in what I do. Whether you are a "stranger" or a friend, thank you for visiting this blog!

International Literacy Day 2012

Tomorrow, September 8, 2012, marks International Literacy Day. With Literacy being a passion of mine, and having taken the opportunity to post in years past on family literacy, I wanted to take the opportunity to acknowledge this day of literacy as it has become customary for me to do so. Last year, I posted about my recent experience of working with a gentleman in his sixties embarking on his "journey to read."

I met with him just yesterday, and he is decoding and spelling words like he has never been able to before. I do not attribute his success to my teaching, but rather the explicit, systematic, sequential strategies he is being taught. He said yesterday that "no one has ever been able to get [him] this far"...and he has had several attempt to teach him over the years.

To commemorate this day of literacy, there are several ways to get involved and assist in literacy efforts. I've posted a few ideas in the following two posts:

Adult Education and Family Literacy Week 2010
Adult Education and Family Literacy Week 2011: Teaching Struggling Readers

Here are a few other blog posts that share my thoughts about and experience with literacy. I invite you to consider the needs of those in your own communities and ponder how you may be able to assist.

On the Journey to Read
On the Journey to Read: Part 2 (Adult Literacy and Teaching Struggling Readers)
Teaching the Homeless to Read
How Do I Teach Literacy?
How Do I Teach Literacy? (Part 2)
The Value of Literacy
Lessons Learned from Life
ESL Literacy - A Tibetan Student's Autobiographical Poem
Thankful for Literacy
Success Stories in Learning to Read

I will also mention here that I will be starting a series of literacy training videos on a YouTube channel in the next week or two. (See my posts on Using Video to Provide Free Education and  Free Online Videos for the ESL and ELL Classroom.) Stay tuned to future posts!

Opening Doors to Literacy in New York City Public Libraries

Last fall I conducted a literacy training for literacy and English as a Second Language teachers and tutors in the Bronx. (See my post about it here.) I recently returned to New York City where I helped conduct a follow-up literacy training, this time for five of the previous attendees who supervise the literacy teachers and tutors throughout the city at New York City Public Libraries. The purpose of this training was to train the supervisors on how to become certified Reading Horizons trainers. The training was held at the Bronx Library Center (down the street from one of Edgar Allen Poe's homes). This three-day training consisted of method review, explicit strategy instruction in decoding and spelling skills, as well as instruction on conducting consistent, teacher-directed practice. The attendees also had an opportunity to participate in peer coaching as they each took a turn teaching a skill and receiving feedback from the group. I am impressed with these individuals' competence, as well as their passion and drive to help teach literacy and English to speakers of other languages.

Aside from the training itself, I witnessed something magical going on within the walls of this library. Each day as I walked out of the training, I saw kids from the Bronx gathered around computers after school. I saw parents and children checking out books together. I saw middle school and high school kids meeting at the library to collaborate. I saw adults standing next to book shelves, books open and eyes scanning the pages, taking in the words like they were a refreshing drink of water. Libraries are magical places. I am grateful to be able to participate (in a very small way) in the amazing literacy programs offered throughout New York City. I am aware that there are several other libraries throughout the country doing similar things, whose efforts I applaud, as well. Libraries are magical places. They open the doors to education like no other.

Repetition in the ESL Classroom

I was pleased to have received a series of guest blog posts authored by the English Skills Learning Center (ESLC) in Salt Lake City, Utah. (I've mentioned them in a blog post before here.) I have conducted literacy training for some of their volunteers and staff, and I have been consistently impressed with their efforts to make a difference in the lives of those they serve. To provide a little more background on the ESLC, I've included an introduction from their website:


The English Skills Learning Center provides individualized English instruction to adult refugees and immigrants. Our students speak little or no English, and often are not literate in any language. We train and supervise volunteer tutors who then teach our students twice a week. Instruction is provided at times and locations that are convenient for both the tutor and the student.


We currently tutor students from 34 different countries. We are currently working with over 175 volunteers to serve close to 400 students in the Salt Lake City area.  Our approach focuses on helping our students become better integrated members of American society.


We have operated continuously since 1988, and provide the only free and individualized ESL tutoring program in Salt Lake County, Utah.


The first blog post of this series is about using repetition in the ESL classroom.

Engaging Activities to Teach Sight Words for Improved Reading Fluency

My poster session at TESOL 2012 in Philadelphia went well! I mentioned on my poster session display that my handout would be available on my blog. It is available on the page to the right, and can be accessed here: http://www.esltrail.com/p/engaging-activities-to-teach-sight.html.

I met some very interesting people who stopped by to talk about the poster session presentation content. I had one individual (a faculty member from a college in the mid-west) comment this way: "This poster presentation is so phenomenal. It's so pretty, and eye-catching, and so organized. I was really impressed with that. And also the topic, teaching sight words, is so important because actually, I have this specific chapter I need to teach to my students. So this is a perfect topic, and I was so excited when I found this one. And the presenter prepared the handout so nicely...very informative. Excellent, excellent presentation and poster." (I realize that she was very generous in her praise, by the way.)

Why Do We Do What We Do? An Inspiring TED Talk

Here is an inspiring TED talk that causes me to reflect on why I do what I do for my profession. As a little background on myself, I completed a Masters degree in  Teaching English to Speakers Other Languages (TESOL). I have taught English in the U.S. and in various countries around the world. In addition to teaching English with the intention of helping individuals improve the quality of their lives, I have discovered another passion in my current position as the Curriculum Director at Reading Horizons: Literacy. I have blogged about creating literacy curriculum in my blog post here.

A colleague introduced me to this TED talk by Simon Sinek entitled "How Great Leaders Inspire Action." It is worth 18 minutes of your time to watch and reflect on why you do what you do.

On the Journey to Read: Part 2 (Adult Literacy and Teaching Struggling Readers)

I have blogged before about my experiences tutoring a 60-year-old man who can't read. In fact, his reading level was so low when I started working with him that he couldn't read sight words such as "and," "to," and "the," let alone sound out simple decodable words such as "bag" and "dad." I have been working with this gentleman for several weeks now, and as of two weeks ago, he has begun to read. Two weeks ago I had an experience that I wish everyone could experience: He read a short story for the first time...by himself. He wished that his long-time friend could've been there to hear him, he said. Since that time, his spirits have been high, and his motivation is off the charts. He even suggests material and strategies he could work on at home independently in between our visits. He is also learning computer literacy as he is just beginning the Reading Horizons software program. I wish everyone could have the opportunity to witness growth like I do in my friend who is on his journey to read. (See my previous blog posts about tutoring here: On the Journey to Read, Teaching the Homeless to Read, and Adult Education and Family Literacy Week 2011: Teaching Struggling Readers.)


I have a colleague that recently blogged about her experience with adult literacy efforts, as well. See her post here. I think she, along with anyone else out there involved in teaching someone how to read, would agree that this is an incredibly rewarding experience.


If there is any interest among any of you reading this post in getting involved in adult literacy or tutoring struggling readers (since I've had some ask), here are a few places to start:
1) Visit the free Online Workshop to learn strategies for teaching literacy. On that link, you can also print out a syllabus to use for a systematic teaching sequence.
2) Make a plan for ways to get involved in literacy efforts in your area. For ideas, read my blog posts about how to get involved in adult literacy here: Adult Education and Family Literacy Week 2011: Teaching Struggling Readers and Adult Education and Family Literacy Week 2010.
3) View free webinars available online that are of interest to you for additional training and resources. Free webinars are available on the Reading Horizons webinar page, including ELL Emerging Literacy: What We Know; What You Can Do by Robin Lovrien Schwarz (if you are working with non-native English speakers who are emerging readers, such as refugees), "What Should I Say When They Get Stuck on a Word?" by Kathleen Brown, or Developing Fluent Readers by Neil J. Anderson.
4) Search my blog for topics that are of interest to you to help you with your tutoring. For example, learn how to teach whether the vowel is long or short in a word, how to determine syllable division in multi-syllable words, and ideas for how to teach sight words. (Note that these strategies could be used for native English speakers or English Language Learners alike.) Other teaching tips to help with pronunciation and spelling are also available here.

Click here to read about the pronunciation of -ed.

Click here to read about pronouncing plurals.

Click here to read about voiced and voiceless sounds.

Click here to read about rising and falling intonation in questions.

Click here to read about syllable stress and the schwa.
Click here to read about adding the suffixes -ing, -ed, -er, and -est.
Click here to read about teaching common suffixes.
Click here to read about teaching common prefixes.
Click here to read about spelling words that end in S, F, and Z.

Feel free to share your experiences!

"English Mania": Why the World (Especially China) Wants to Learn English

Here's an interesting TED video on the "mania for learning English." In this short video, Jay Walker mentions that two billion people are learning English, most of all in China. Why English, he asks? Better opportunity. "You can become part of a larger conversation...a global conversation." He continues, "English is becoming the language of problem-solving."

ESL Trail Blog 2011: Year in Review

With the end of the 2011 upon us, I thought I would provide a snapshot of highlights and popular posts of 2011, along with other interesting facts.


Following are the top ten countries from where the most page views of ESL Trail have originated:
1. United States
2. Canada
3. China
4. United Kingdom
5. Philippines
6. Germany
7. Ukraine
8. Australia
9. Russia
10. France


Following are the most popular posts written in 2011:

• ESL Pronunciation Tip: The Three Sounds of the Suffix -ED
• ESL Pronunciation Tip: Syllable Stress and the Schwa
• ESL Pronunciation Tip: Rising and Falling Intonation in WH- and Yes/No Questions
• Listening Strategy Training Activity

Highlights of 2011 include the following:

• Visiting NYC four times to conduct trainings and needs assessments for NYC Public Schools and Public libraries. (See my blog posts: New York City Public Schools Teach Students to Read, New York City Public Schools Teach Students to Read: Part 2, Literacy Training in the Bronx...and in Your Own Backyard)
• Traveling to India to help with literacy efforts among the leprosy-affected. (See my blog posts: Post-India: Thoughts on Service, Ensuring Success with English in India, Back in India, A Day in My Life in India, More On a Day in My Life in India, Abolishing the Stigma of Leprosy by Teaching Children to Read in English, A Documentary on Humanitarian Efforts in India)
• Traveling to the Middle East to promote phonics instruction. (See my blog posts: English Teaching and Learning in the Middle East, English Teaching and Learning in the Middle East: Part 2, Phonics for Arabic Speakers in the Middle East) 
• Tutoring a gentleman in his 60's who has never learned how to read. (See my blog posts: Adult Education and Family Literacy Week 2011: Teaching Struggling Readers, On the Journey to Read, Teaching the Homeless to Read)

I am optimistic that 2012 will prove to be an equally-exciting year!

Teaching the Homeless to Read

I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the homeless...I'm not sure why. I see a homeless person on the street, and emotions of empathy surface...emotions of suffering (not just physical), emotions of lost opportunity, and emotions of unlocked potential. We all have a lot to offer, but some, due to misfortune, do not have the opportunity to convey that potential...at least for now.

I often see the homeless at the Salt Lake City public library (where it's warm during the winter months and cool during the summer months) standing next to bookshelves with open books in hands. I wonder if these individuals really know how to read...or if they are simply staring at the symbols on the pages trying to make meaning (or pretending to make meaning).

As this thought has passed through my mind on a number of occasions, I have felt a desire to teach the homeless how to read. In my search to determine how to make that goal a reality, I was pointed to the Food and Care Coalition in Provo, Utah. I was invited to work with a sixty-year-old gentleman who is not homeless, but who is unable to read and, therefore, unable to find employment. I have blogged about my experiences tutoring him before (see "On the Journey to Read" and "Adult Education and Family Literacy Week 2011: Teaching Struggling Readers"). The last time I went to tutor him at the Food and Care Coalition, I was given a tour of the building by Brent Crane, Executive Director of the Food and Care Coalition. I was very impressed with the facilities, the vision, and the services provided. Brent is the "brain child" behind the design of the building and vision of the organization, and his colleagues and volunteers have played (and continue to play) a huge role in implementing the programs offered.

Services offered include the following:
Barber shop
Dental clinic
Educational programs
Three meals a day
Access to computers
In the future: a residence hall

I am looking forward to continuing volunteer work with this organization to help others unlock, or rediscover, their potential. We all have much to offer...

(See also my post on Teaching Literacy to Homeless Children.)

A Documentary on Humanitarian Efforts in India

If you followed my blog earlier this year about my efforts to promote English and literacy among the leprosy-affected in India, you may be interested in this documentary by Doug Jardine that was aired this past Sunday on Utah Business Matters. It will also be aired this next Sunday. Following is the link to the documentary on YouTube:

Rising Star Outreach Documentary

The documentary illustrates the three-fold mission of Rising Star Outreach: microfinance, education, and a mobile medical clinic. Much of the video on the documentary was shot while I was in India earlier this year. Other volunteers featured on this documentary include Shaun Parry (founder of Promethean Spark), Stacy Tookey, and David Archuleta, all of whom were also among the volunteer corps on my expedition earlier this year.

See my other blog posts about India from January/February, 2011, here:
Post-India: Thoughts on Service
Ensuring Success with English in India
Back in India
A Day in My Life in India
More On a Day in My Life in India
Abolishing the Stigma of Leprosy by Teaching Children to Read in English

See my other blog posts about India from May, 2008, here:
English Language Instruction and Teaching in India
Why the English Language? Why Literacy? Why India?

Teaching English and Literacy Skills to Rising Star Outreach Students in India

How Do I Teach Literacy? (Part 2)

I just returned home from six back-to-back trips, most trips affording me just a couple days in between each trip to literally unpack and pack at the same time. As always, I am privileged to meet a variety of people in my travels. My work has provided me opportunities to interact with individuals who are passionate about improving the quality of life for those they serve. I am grateful to have opportunities to learn from so many dedicated individuals.

My most recent trip was to Southern California where I conducted a training for ESL teachers at a community college. I was impressed with their attentiveness and their teachable nature. At one point during the training, I saw an ESL student peering through the window into the classroom. She kept looking at me and at the board where I was writing. After this took place for several minutes, I finally opened the door and asked the student if there was something I could help her with. She replied in her broken English, "No, I just want to learn what you're teaching." She had seen what I was writing on the board and was intrigued by what she was learning.

The skill I was teaching was the soft sounds of c and g. The basic principles are as follows:

• When c is followed by the vowels e (ce) or i (ci) , the sound of c changes from /k/ to /s/ (e.g., cent; cite). C will have the /s/ sound about 99 percent of the time in this construction.
• When g is followed by the vowels e (ge) or i (gi), the sound of g changes from /g/ to /j/ (e.g., gem; gin). This new sound occurs about 85 percent of the time in this construction.
• When a consonant plus c or g comes between the first vowel and the silent e, the two consonants
will cause the first vowel to be short (e.g., dance, prince, plunge).
• English words never end in the letter j. When the sound /j/ is heard at the end of a word, it will always
be spelled -ge. Words with a long vowel sound will end with just the -ge spelling (e.g., cage). Words with a
short vowel sound will end with a -dge spelling (e.g., judge; bridge).

Literacy Training in the Bronx...and in Your Own Backyard

This past weekend I conducted literacy training at the Bronx Library Center in New York City. Among those in attendance were literacy volunteers, library staff, and administrators. The purpose of the training was to provide an overview of the Reading Horizons method and to provide ideas for literacy application activities. I was impressed with the attendees' passion and interest to improve literacy for individuals who cannot read or write, as well as non-native English speakers who struggle to communicate in English. (See my post on a follow-up training in the Bronx here.)

I showed the attendees the following video, which was followed by a discussion about the reality of life for individuals who cannot read or write.



Our discussion caused me ponder more deeply about other individuals who struggle with literacy in my own community. Although I have had several opportunities to travel abroad to help fill English and literacy needs, I was reminded that you don't have to go very far to find individuals who struggle. This thought reminds me of my responsibility to contribute to promoting literacy in my own community.

I thought I'd share again a video series I mentioned in a previous post called "In Your Own Backyard." Who might be struggling with literacy in your backyard, and what can you do about it? (For ideas, visit my post here.)