Personalized Reading Tutors Offer Help to Adults in North Canton

Has a relative, friend or co-worker repeatedly stated they could not read something in front of others because they didn’t have their glasses with them? Or maybe they have continually asked others to read things for them? It is possible that the person cannot read at all.

There are millions of adults who have difficulty reading, from not being able to read anything to being able to read at first-, second- or third-grade levels. Many of those adults graduate high school, work at full-time jobs and raise families before anyone around them realizes they can’t read.

“My teachers in school never asked me if I could read. I just got passed ahead to the next grade,” said Cindy Hanlon of North Canton.

Hanlon is one of those adults who did graduate high school, has a job and has raised three children who now are grown and living out of Cindy’s home. She is finally learning to read with a private tutor, Joni Gates, who works through the Canton City Schools Adult Basic Literacy Education (ABLE) program. The student and tutor meet two hours once a week at the in a private meeting room.

“My sister has always read things to me. If someone asked me to read, I would just say that I couldn’t because I left my glasses somewhere,” Hanlon said.

Donna Fowler, coordinator of the volunteer tutors for the ABLE program, said there are 70 tutors available who work in classrooms, the GED open lab, the English as a Second Language classrooms and one-on-one with students in North Canton and around Stark County. Tutors meet with students in any of the many libraries in the county and can help with reading, math and writing skills.

“We have tutored thousands of students since the beginning of the tutor program in the early 1970s,” Fowler said.

Gates, a retired elementary and special education teacher, has tutored for the past three years.

“I like to take the time to get acquainted with each of my students by talking through their goals for the tutoring,” Gates said.

“Students that are being tutored have to be dedicated and really want to work towards achieving their personally set goals.”

Hanlon is one of those thousands of adults that took the first step to learning to read. She is gladly sharing her success with others in hopes of encouraging those who need it, regardless of age or skill level, to take their first step.

“My oldest daughter is really proud of me. Learning makes me feel really good about myself," Hanlon said. "I used to cover up the fact that I had trouble reading but now I know if you need help, you can get help."

If you know of someone who may need help with reading, or if you would like to volunteer to tutor someone, call Donna Fowler at 330-456-9590 or visit www.ccsdistrict.org/adulted.