By ALISA JOHNSON
One out of six adults in Utah County is illiterate. More than 250,000 Utah adults cannot read well enough to fill out a job application.
The Family Literacy Program is helping to reduce the illiteracy rate in Utah County. Yet, only minimum funding is allocated through the state Department of Education.
“The $5,000 we get from Springville City pays strictly for materials that remain in the literacy center,” Springville Literacy Director Gena Bertelsen said. “Eighty paid hours per month is allotted by the state for the program, but only about 10 hours are paid through the funding.”
A lot of Bertelsen’s 60 hours per month in the program is volunteer work, as well as all of her tutors. However, Bertelsen feels the literacy centers are a large function of education in the state of Utah.
“We are making a proven difference, so we should receive more funding for programs, materials and tutors,” Bertelsen said. “My goal is to have a literacy program in every school.”
Utah County has literacy centers in Provo, Orem, American Fork, Mapleton and Springville. Bertelsen feels the center plays a vital role in literacy.
“A lot of people in Springville didn’t think we had a problem but we did,” Bertelsen said. “There are many factors that can cause illiteracy problems and the center helps immensely.”
The Family Literacy Program’s mission is to “offer effective on-on-one literacy training to help families and individuals develop the necessary literacy skills to thrive in society, find value and success in their work, education and personal lives.”
The program has been found to increase the reading level of children one grade every two months at a tenth the cost of private providers.
Bertelsen heads 36 students and tutors at the Springville Center and 21 students and 13 tutors at Grand Elementary.
“We are here to help the teachers,” she said. “Students come all the way from Payson to get the one-on-one help they need.”
When summer comes, even more tutors are needed because parents want their childrent to continue reading. But Bertelsen said summer is the most difficult time to get students to read.
“With summer activities and sports, children can fall far behind really easily,” she said. “It’s so important for students to keep reading.”
Though the children greatly benefit from the tutors, the tutors also benefit from the children.
“I thoroughly enjoy working with the children,” tutor Nellie Miller said. “It does me good to know that I am making a difference in these little guys’ lives.”
The Utah County Literacy Program has 500 volunteers, and parents can also become educated in helping their students. Even librarians feel the tutoring helps students come to the library more often.
“When students can feel comfortable in the library they will be willing to come more,” Library Director Lynette Catherall said.
Students can graduate out of their program once they are at or above their grade level.
Vince, a first-grader at Grant Elementary, thinks the best part about tutoring is the fun stories he learns to read. Bertelsen is Vince’s tutor and explains that he thinks learning to read is magic.
“As a community, we need to help students,” Bertelsen said. “They thrive with one-on-one attention and we need to give it to them.”
