January 8, 2007 - 4:00pm
Being able to read, write and do arithmetic can be the difference between achieving one’s goals or not.
Just ask Parksville resident Melanie Mihoc. Although the 20-year-old graduated from high school, she walked away without a solid grasp of the most basic math skills – multiplication and division. She soon learned how important those skills were to achieving her dream of becoming a Veterinary Assistant.
“I didn’t realize until Grade 12 how important math is,” said Mihoc. “I don’t know why I didn’t realize it when I was younger.”
For three-and-a-half years Mihoc has been diligently working at relearning all her math skills with help from the Malaspina University-College Parksville/Qualicum Tutoring Program.
The program is operated by Malaspina University-College Parksville-Qualicum Centre, and is partially funded by the Ministry of Advanced Education. It is located in Parksville in the same building as The Career Centre, a non-profit society dedicated to helping people reach their employment goals.
“By having a home off of Malaspina University-College Parksville-Qualicum Centre campus, the program is more accessible to people who are nervous about going to the campus,” said Bronwyn Brown, The Malaspina University-College Parksville/Qualicum Tutoring Program coordinator. “If an employment counsellor at The Career Centre sees someone having difficulties filling out a form, they can quite quietly and subtly open the door to the Tutoring Program for them.”
Mihoc is one of more than 75 students who use the program annually.
“With help from my tutor, I’ve really come a long way and I can see a real improvement in my math skills,” said Mihoc, who still has a few years to go before she can apply for the Veterinary Assistant program at Malaspina. “I don’t know what I would have done without tutoring help – I probably wouldn’t be in school right now. The program has definitely opened up my horizons and made me realize what I can accomplish.”
Mihoc’s tutor, Diana Jolly, started tutoring in 2004 because she had just moved to Parksville and wanted to become more involved in the community.
“Volunteering with the Malaspina Tutoring Program gives me a better understanding of the learning barriers some people face and how to best approach them with information about the services available,” said Jolly, who also works at The Career Centre. “I enjoy tutoring, especially when my student is making progress because I get to be a part of that person’s celebration in reaching their goals.”
To help students achieve their goals, the more than 70 volunteers at the centre use a phonics-based program called the Orton-Gillingham Approach.
“Instead of just teaching visually and orally, the Orton-Gillingham Approach uses all of the students’ senses to aid in learning,” said Brown. “When you’re teaching adults it has to be in an adult setting, come from the heart and the lesson has to be structured and sequential to avoid confusion. We’re not just building language skills, we’re building confidence and self esteem -- which helps cement the skills as the student masters them.”
By using all their senses in a one-to-one environment, students with learning disabilities are more likely to succeed at improving their literacy/numeracy skills than through a traditional teaching method, said Brown.
She said 43 per cent of Canadians are only functionally literate, which means they often struggle to read a newspaper, a medical label or do basic math.
The Malapina University-College Parksville/Qualicum Tutoring Program is always looking for volunteers and students. Volunteers are required to take five free teaching classes, usually held on five Sundays in a row, and commit to six months of tutoring. Most tutors meet with their students weekly for a few hours, usually during the day.
For more information visit The Tutoring Program website at www.viu.ca/parksville/tutoring.htm or call 248-3205, extension 233 or 243. The Malaspina University-College Parksville/Qualicum Tutoring Program is located at 327-198 East Island Highway, Parksville.
Tags: In the Community
