Helping Jo to read and write (2)

Heart In The Write Place (see Jesus Life: issue 89)

See first blog: helping Jo to read and write (1)

OK, so far so good. Jo has come into your organisation and you’ve got to know him a little. It’s time to move onto the next phase now. By the way, teaching people to read is quite an intensive business. Breaks for a breather or a welcome cup of tea or coffee are definitely a good idea – for you and him!

Further assess Jo’s needs: there are formal assessments you can use BUT make sure Jo does not feel intimidated by using one that is too difficult. Personally I use my own informal, spur-of-the-moment assessments as well as more formal written aones I have made myself (I can email these to you.) However, be systematic and thorough e.g. check he knows all 26 letter sounds, words he may have seen lots of times and recognise like ‘danger’ and possibly common letter combination like ‘er’ ‘ee’. It’s much better to start with something you know he can do – even if it’s recognising the first letter of his name. Make sure the way you do Jo’s assessment is encouraging and positive. Show pleasure at what Jo DOES know.

Make sure you explain every step. Often people have not learned to read because they have not understood that there is some logic in English phonics i.e. letters and letter combinations do represent sounds and words are not just an irrational combination of letters.  (Yes.. if only … we all wish they were more consistent with less exceptions!)

Discuss and perhaps write down a simple plan for the next few weeks. Don’t do this for Jo but with Jo.

Encourage every tiny step. Tell Jo how pleased you are with his progress.

I don’t think I have ever taught two people to read in quite the same way twice. You ‘feel’ your way every time you have someone new to teach to read. However, here is a rough map for you! Fill in the details yourself!  Don’t introduce too many new things in one session. The following ‘map’ may take several or even many sessions to cover.

1.      Teach a few of the common consonants sounds (not names yet) e.g. s, t, m, p and one vowel only (a). I tend to teach lower case first – but if he already knows UPPER rather than lower case, use that.  Help Jo to use his different senses in learning – speak the sounds, hear the sounds, touch (write) the sounds. Use different colour pens and some images - anything that works for Jo. Explore, learn yourself what works best for him! Be creative!

2.     Use comic sans font - it’s easier to read!

3.       Read and write 3 letter words using these letters e.g. mat, map, sat. 

4.      Gradually introduce more common consonant letter sounds like r, f, g and another vowel (o). Keep making sure words are sounded out and make sense.

5.      Introduce a few irregular words like ‘the’ and ‘she.’ Explain how inconsistent English spelling is.

6.      Begin to make up simple sentences for Jo to read. It is best if these eventually come from Jo’s own experience e.g. an account of a day trip he has been on or sentences about his work. Point out full stops.

7.      Cut the words of these sentences up – or individual letters in words - and get him to put them in the correct order.

8.      Gradually introduce less common consonants sounds and another vowel. (Vowels are the hardest sounds to learn.)

9.      Quite naturally you will find yourself introducing 4 letter regular words like ‘slap’ or ‘from.’

10.  One-by-one introduce all the consonant and vowels. Don’t introduce new sounds and patterns until Jo has really learned the ones he is already working on.

11.  Go over the things Jo learned last week at the beginning of each session.

12.  Bring fun into learning: e.g. play snap using the words Jo has learned.

13.  Use real adult everyday things for Jo to read e.g. NHS leaflets, newspaper adverts, maps. Searching for places or objects of special interest for Jo on the internet can be fun. Don’t use school resources if they look like ‘kid’s stuff ’ – this can be humiliating.

14.  Encourage Jo to practise at home. It won’t work unless he does.

15.   End every lesson on a positive note.

Watch out for third blog: 'Teaching Jo to read and write' (a few days)

Three rough sleepers and three bottles - of a different kind

10.00pm … it’s a clear, starry night in central Coventry - and cold.  It is January, after all. Thea and Helen have decided to fill hot water bottles at the Jesus Centre three times a week for rough sleepers to collect until the end of February. Yes, and tonight Carry Ann and I decide to support this new adventure. Spreading the bottles (bearing Thea’s wonderful blue homemade covers) on a table in the Jesus Centre, we enthusiastically pray over them all: ‘God, come to the people we give these bottles to! Meet their practical needs and lead them to find and serve the true God.’

Leaving Helen to man the hot water filling station at the Jesus Centre, Carry Ann, Thea and I  all stuff a steaming hot water bottle under our coats (mmm…. like this kind of outreach …. nearly as good as outdoor central heating.)  What do we ask God to do? ‘Help us find three suitable candidates to give these bottles to.’

We roam a deserted car park, unlit back alleys and sheltered doorways in our search until we reach the old part of the town. It’s quiet tonight; town feels hollow and echoe-y. Is our search in vain? – Surely not, we’ve asked God, after all. No! Hurray! There, bedded in the porch of Holy Trinity church we spot them, three unshaven men, already tucked into their sleeping bags for the night.

Perfect - one each .. ‘Here you are!’ we tell them. Propping themselves up on the concrete, the men gratefully reach out for the bottles and quickly stow them in their bags.

Later that night, in bed myself now, I can’t help but think of the three pleased smiles and three hearty ‘thanks yous.’ Three men, three bottles – not the ones they’re probably used to – but bottles of a different kind. Good to think the men are warm, for a few hours at least.  Warm bodies, warm hearts … must go and do it again sometime. Yes, and really hope to bump into those three grateful guys again.

Helping Jo to read and write (1)

Heart In The Write Place (see Jesus Life: issue 89)

Helping Jo to read and write (1) 

OK, Jo comes into your organisation, probably a little shuffling and shy, tells you he’s missed much of school through truancy, got behind and never caught up.  Teachers didn’t seem to like him anyway and he often felt shown up in front of his mates because he couldn’t read. Apart from his name, he can’t write at all but can read a little.  What do you do…?

Well, here’s a little introduction in three parts.. not much more. I hope it’s helpful. I do welcome all comments to improve these blogs! – Either below or email julia.faire@yahoo.com    Particularly welcome are any ideas for games or fun and practical activities. After all, let’s enjoy what we do – if we do, the chances are Jo will as well! Here goes ……

Introduce yourself, say how much you enjoy helping people to read and you are really happy (not too over the top) to lend a hand

Have a conversation about his skills – listen - empathise – assess. Ask leading but unthreatening questions.

IF YOU LISTEN AND UNDERSTAND at this stage you are on the road to success already! Feeling misunderstood, dismissed or put down by teachers in early life is often the point where things in Jo’s life have gone badly wrong. From the start try to understand and turn around any negative input Jo has had over the years. Particularly be quick to show he has ability and intelligence and any downward trends in his life can be reversed.

Never sound shocked or surprised at Jo’s lack of skills

Find out why Jo wants to improve his skills and what he needs to know for his everyday life e.g. if he is a cleaner can he read ‘toxic’ or ‘poison?’ If he is looking for a job, can he understand words on forms like ‘name’, ‘address?’

Don’t give false expectations – there are no short fixes – tell him learning to read and write takes time. 

Encourage him from the beginning to stick at it, practise at home and come each week – the effort will be immensely worthwhile. 

     Offer 1-1 help for a few weeks but tell Jo that after a while he will learn in a group (this all depends on how many helpers you have.) 

Next week's post: part 2 of helping Jo to read and write

Church on display

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched — this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. (1 John 1:1,2)

What a way to start a letter! John begins by telling his readers that he has heard, seen, observed and touched Jesus, the Son of God. How important it was to him! How important for us, too, His church, to be seen, observed, heard and touched as we embody, live out, both individually and together, the gospel. We have to be ‘incarnate,’ in the flesh, human beings amongst human beings.  Christ-humanity touches this world’s humanity and some believe. Today people do not want words or empty promises. They want truth lived out, displayed, in order that they may see, observe, hear and touch. Sounds easy? No, it’s not easy, but it’s church, us, at our best, dying to all that spoils and putting on all that is Christ, learning to love through many falls, trials and heartaches … help us God……

Nothing big? Perhaps not

A little while ago I was having a sort out (I’m always having them) and found the battered old diary I used to write as a teenager (painted black with a gold buckle and lock – the key long since lost).  I stumbled across the telling account of a particular incident I had long forgotten about.

A bowl of oranges sat on one of the long red tables of the girls’ boarding school I attended and we were sitting down to our evening meal. I reached for my orange and began to peel it, only to find it was blue inside. Moaning and whingeing, I complained loudly to the whole table of my sad lot. At the end of the table sat an old teacher, Miss Stirte her name was; she was well past retirement age. ‘Here you are, Julia,‘ she said without any fuss. ‘Have mine. ‘

My teenage diary told my story. Tail between my legs, I was profoundly convicted by her unassuming response to my need – and ashamed, too, of my loud, ungrateful complaining. She would never have known her simple action halted me in my tracks and I’m sure she is no longer alive. But I had observed, learned of, a truly honourable way: that of quiet and small, unheralded acts of self-sacrifice.

Now, if someone would ask, what is your call? I might say, “‘Nothing big; I’d just like to keep doing quiet, small, probably unnoticed  things that perhaps may cost me a little but others will benefit from them.’”  These are what make God smile; they are what move His heart and bring His blessing; they are indeed inspired with the breath of heaven and build His kingdom, perhaps like almost nothing else.

‘Nothing big:’ I think I better rephrase that. The small and the insignificant to us are often of high importance to God. And that forgotten incident of so many years ago? I believe it changed my life.

Spiritual fathers and mothers needed

See my last blog: Spiritual fatherhood: mother speaks

I’m not a parent but I can imagine, after hours of intense labour, the relief, the joy, you must feel when you hear the long awaited cry of your newborn child as it takes its first gulp of air.  The other Sunday, a few of us prayed for…….. , a Hindu. With shining eyes and a spontaneous, childlike heart he cried: ‘Jesus, reveal Yourself to me.’  He’d taken his first gulp of air. It’s only a beginning but he’s crossed the line, out of the darkness of the womb and into Life.  Yesterday we went to his house and prayed for him to receive the Holy Spirit.  This, for us, is joy, elation.

Many struggles lie ahead. After all, what is more helpless than a newborn child? Who is more vulnerable to danger, disease or the results of neglect?  Nothing can be more obvious: spiritual fathers and mothers are much needed; they are actually vital and if not ‘on the job’, the child will die.  God's genius for parenting His offspring lies within the church – and, happily, He’s chosen to involve, despite our  human frailties,  the likes of you and me.

Spiritual fatherhood: mother speaks

On Sunday I was supporting two brothers giving deliverance ministry to a man who was severely possessed. It went on a long time as demon after demon was expelled. It was quite a gruelling experience for the man involved. But I noticed a beautiful thing; my two brothers were immensely encouraging and warm and they knew how to reach the man’s heart with tender words of encouragement.  It reminded me of the words of Paul as he wrote to the Thessalonians: ‘But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. ‘(1 Thessalonians 2:7) Such a heart is no surrender of masculinity. Indeed it is the heart of God Himself: "Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. (Isaiah 49:15)

I felt so heartened: men loving men, purely, tenderly, gently, from the heart. Masculine strength: strength you can trust and lean on yourself. I have no problem being led by such men.

And then, only a breath away, Paul continues his words of advice to the Thessalonians, this time exchanging feminine images for masculine ones:  “For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children.” (1 Thessalonians 2:11) Fatherliness, motherliness, perhaps we all need a mixture of the two - mothers included!