Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, January 2, 1992 TAG: 9201030331
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By RANDY WALKER SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
TUTOR FINDS HER REWARD IN TEACHING OTHERS TO READ
To Polly McFarlane, reading has been a lifelong source of pleasure, as well as a vocation. She taught English, Latin and reading for 35 years. At home, she enjoys reading poetry, newspapers, magazines, and novels by James Michener and other authors.So when she heard a speaker from Literacy Volunteers of America say that 30,000 people in the Roanoke Valley were illiterate, she decided to do something about it. She contacted Literacy Volunteers' Roanoke chapter, enrolled as a volunteer tutor and was paired with a "learner."
Thus began a tutoring relationship that has lasted two years, and into which McFarlane has invested more than 200 hours.
McFarlane, a 63-year-old grandmother, has educated herself on stock car racing - one of her learner's interests - so they can read and discuss the sports page together.
Her reward, she said is helping someone become a better reader. "I enjoy reading so much myself."
McFarlane has helped lots of people learn to read better. It's a role she clearly loves. As soon as she retired from her 20-year career at Cave Spring High School, she began tutoring with LVA.
Her learner, a supervisor for a brick masonry company, told his wife that McFarlane would rather teach than anything. "I guess that's pretty true," she said.
McFarlane said she was astounded to learn that the learner, in his late 40s, supervises 28 employees. He got by with the help of his secretary and his wife.
"His wife read job specifications for him because he has a lot to do with bidding," McFarlane said. "The amazing part of his story, and of many adult illiterates, is how well they've masked their problem."
Eventually, though, his boss began pressuring him to do something about his deficiency.
McFarlane was apprehensive at first, because she had never taught beginning reading before. However, she and the learner quickly established a good working relationship. He did not suffer from the embarrassment that troubles some illiterates. Moreover, he was motivated to learn - unlike some of the high school students McFarlane had taught.
For her part, McFarlane tried to show empathy with his situation. "I think the first thing you have to establish is that you care about them and care about them doing well," she said. `He found out right away that I was genuinely interested in him as a person."
The pair began meeting twice a week - for two hours at a time - at the Roanoke County library on Virginia 419, not far from McFarlane's home in the Oak Grove area.
She had him tell a "life experience story" and wrote it down so he could read it. She also had him start a journal.
McFarlane also gave her student a dictionary and helped him check out his first library book. They used a workbook and gradually started reading magazines and newspapers together.
"She's very patient; she lets you go at your own pace," he said. "She hasn't tried to rush me or anything."
McFarlane is satisfied if he makes some small accomplishment in every session. She helped keep him motivated with positive reinforcement.
"I tell him he's the best student I ever had," she said. "Adults' level of motivation is much higher."
When he first began, the learner had trouble with a list of the 300 most commonly used words. Now he's reading sports magazines and church materials. His goal is to obtain his high school equivalency diploma by age 50. That's when he and McFarlane will probably end their partnership, though it won't be the end of her tutoring work.
"When you teach, you see the light come on in the learner's head," she said. "It gives you a good feeling. I think I'll be a literacy tutor until they drag me off to the nursing home."