Analilia Gutierrez, a mother who lives in Winters, longed to become a U.S. citizen, but she struggled to read and write in English — a skill required to take the citizenship test.

But then, she discovered Yolo Reads, a free literacy program offered by the Yolo County Library. Volunteer tutors work with adults to improve their reading and writing abilities.

Gutierrez was paired with tutor Linda Roth. Together, they spent countless hours reviewing flashcards, practicing reading and writing, and studying the types of questions that would be on the test.

Last summer, after five months of preparation, Gutierrez became the first Yolo Reads learner to take and pass the citizenship test.

“Everybody worked so hard. I didn’t do it all by myself. We worked like a team,” Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez is one of nearly 40 learners in the Yolo Reads program.

According to program leaders, one in six Yolo County residents is unable to read and write at a level sufficient enough to carry out daily activities at work and home. Imagine not being able to read a map, restaurant menu or instructions on a medicine box.

That’s a statistic the program aims to change.

“We’re working on teaching people very basic skills,” said Elizabeth Gray, the assistant county librarian who oversees Yolo Reads. “This program is for people who wouldn’t fit elsewhere. Yolo Reads is not ESL (English as a second language) or a basic English course at a community college. We work with people at fourth-grade reading level or lower.”

The program relies on volunteer tutors who undergo a three-hour training. The tutors are then matched with learners, and the pair set goals together.

“Tutors are very motivated people,” Gray said. “Some are ex-teachers, but I really just think they’re people who realize how important reading is and want to help out, who really feel strongly about it.”

The program emphasizes individualizing plans for learners, but the general process is similar for all tutors, according to Maria Alvarez, who also works for Yolo Reads.

“The volunteers find out about the program through the newspaper or online,” Alvarez said. “They go through an interview and an orientation and learn what kinds of materials to use. After being matched with a learner, they create lesson plans, and report the lesson plans to the program.”

Though illiteracy might seem an uncommon problem in a state where education is compulsory from ages 6 to 16, there are many reasons why adults may not be able to read, Gray said.

“There are people who have been working for a long time, who may simply have never learned to read well,” she said. “It’s usually adults who started work very early, or had kids, and haven’t had time to complete their education.

“We’ve mostly worked with people who have English as their first language,” Gray said. “We also have lots of resources for speakers with English as a second language. We help people who are new to the country and want to get a job and participate more fully in society. We’ve had learners from Spanish-speaking countries, Africa, Asia.

“Anybody who is interested should contact us to see if the program is a good fit,” Gray added.

Learners begin by completing a basic evaluation to “figure out where they are,” she said.

“Everyone has different goals, whether it’s to apply for a job, pass a test or help their children read,” Gray said.

After setting goals, a volunteer tutor provides assistance by helping with activities such as reading books, completing workbooks and writing journals.

“We have a bunch of different kinds of workbooks for them,” Gray said.

The Yolo Reads program tracks the learners and their progress. For example, in April, there were 37 learners, who had collectively logged 126 hours of instruction.

The benefits stemming from the program are many, Gray said.

“It’s really connecting the learners,” she said. “Some get jobs, go on to attend Sacramento City College. The learners are just so grateful for it. It makes us a stronger community.”

One such learner, Leticia Quirarte, says Yolo Reads is the perfect program to accommodate her schedule.

“Before, I was taking English classes at Woodland Community College,” Quirarte said. “Then I got a full-time job, and didn’t have time to go to college. But I don’t want to stop learning English, and this is a very good program.

“I just want to improve my English,” Quirarte added. “I also want to have more skills in using a computer.”

Gutierrez, the learner who earned her citizenship, said Yolo Reads was instrumental in helping her study for that test.

“It was a hard and dedicated process,” Gutierrez said. “I’d always wanted to get citizenship.”

Roth, her tutor, said, “Analilia is just an exemplary student. I’m lucky to have her.”

Gutierrez said “writing is the hardest part about English.” The most difficult part, she said, is learning the spellings of words with silent, unpronounced letters.

Gutierrez and Roth laughed as they recalled a particular challenge: learning how to read and spell the name of California’s then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Though there were many obstacles, the hard work paid off after Gutierrez learned she had passed the exam for citizenship.

“After I passed the test, I felt like when I’m pregnant and then have the baby,” Gutierrez said, laughing, heaving a huge sigh of relief to demonstrate.

Gutierrez breathed easy for only a while, though. After passing the citizenship test, the determined learner immediately set a new goal: to earn her GED and attend community college to study cosmetology.

She is now working hard to improve her reading and writing skills, as well as speaking and math. She works using a GED prep book, and is no less diligent about this goal than the last one. After studying math at one meeting with Roth, she turned up at the next session having done three full pages of problems, her tutor said.

In addition, “her reading is coming along really well,” Roth said.

The benefits of Yolo Reads extends beyond the students’ goals, however.

“It’s not just the students who are helped; it’s the tutors, as well,” Gray said.

The best part for Roth, who has been volunteering with Yolo Reads for a year, is “seeing the success.”

“English is a very hard language to learn, but we practice reading out of booklets and we laugh a lot,” Roth said.

Jan Jursnich, another Yolo Reads tutor, agrees.

“My experience with Yolo Reads has been very positive,” Jursnich said.

Jursnich has had two learners since she began volunteering. Though Jursnich has been with the program for 18 months, she still feels “very new to it,” she said.

“One (learner) couldn’t continue due to (lack of) child care. I met my current learner last November, and I’ve been with her since,” Jursnich said. “She’s very eager to learn.”

The most rewarding part, Jursnich said, is simply the act of helping another human being.

“It gives me a tremendous sense of satisfaction to help someone meet their goals,” she said.

“The program is about helping our most illiterate folks to gain the ability to empower themselves,” Gray said. “There’s so much you can’t do when you can’t read.”

Gutierrez can attest to this.

“This has benefited me a lot,” she said. “Before (Yolo Reads), I didn’t speak any English and read very few words. I’m feeling like I’m progressing. Six years ago, I was scared when people asked me something. Now, I feel more comfortable answering some questions.”

Gray hopes the program will grow to reach more people in need.

“We’re really trying to do a lot of outreach,” she said. “We’re really open to new ideas.”

To bring more attention to the program, Gray is thinking about planning an event celebrating Yolo Reads in September, which is National Literacy Month.

“We want to serve as many people as we can,” she said.

— Reach Chloe Kim at [email protected]

Sidebar: (Juvenile Detention Facility program)

Yolo Reads also provides free services for Yolo County youths at the Juvenile Detention Facility.

The tutors work with teens ages 13 to 18 who are incarcerated at the Juvenile Detention Facility in Woodland, according to volunteer Diane Adams. The youths primarily work on GED preparation.

“It’s amazing. The kids actually have the opportunity to earn their GED while in custody,” program coordinator Stacy Beckwith said.

The program is voluntary, which means “kids willingly come in and get the one-on-one help they need,” Beckwith said.

The services offered are flexible and not limited to literacy. Preparations may include tutoring in math, reading and the language arts, social studies and science.

“We are available to work on anything the youth need help with — writing skills, career exploration, finances,” Adams said.

Although the Juvenile Detention Facility program is separate from the adult literacy program, the overall effect is the same.

“Learners benefit by attaining academic skills, receiving feedback about their strengths and areas (where they can) grow and … building self-confidence,” Adams said. “Tutors benefit by seeing students progress in skill-building and gaining self-confidence. It’s great to see the kids apply themselves and respond to one-on-one attention.”

The help that the youths receive stretches a long way.

“It gives them that little extra foot in the door to continue on the right path. It’s just wonderful,” Beckwith said.

How to become a tutor:

For those interested in tutoring, no experience is necessary, the hours are flexible and Yolo Reads provides all necessary training and materials. Tutoring space is available at each of the seven county library branches located in the communities of Davis, West Sacramento, Clarksburg, Winters, Esparto, Knights Landing and Yolo.

Yolo Reads is especially in need of volunteers able to tutor adults in Davis, Winters and West Sacramento. To learn more about the program, call Yolo Reads at (866) 609-7303 (toll-free), email [email protected] or visit www.yolocounty.org/Index.aspx?page=1444.

June 20, 2011: The email address at the end of this story was corrected after its initial publication.

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Yolo Reads tutor and learner pair Carl Turner and Najia Karim pose for a photo during the program’s annual celebration last fall. Courtesy photo

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Pat Riley, a volunteer tutor with the Yolo Reads program, looks up a word in a dictionary while working with learner Lorena Junes study during one of their meetings last month. The program is offered through the Yolo County Library to help adults improve their reading and writing skills. Sue Cockrell/Enterprise photo

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Yolo Reads tutor Pat Riley helps learner Lorena Junes work on her reading skills last month. Sue Cockrell/Enterprise photo

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