“I got tired of people reading things for me,” said Freda, age 61, who read the first book of her life during the spring of 2020, during coronavirus-related stay-at-home orders.
Freda’s father did not allow her to go to school, so she never had the opportunity to learn to read. Now, she wants to be able to read storybooks to her grand-nephew and read the Bible. She has worked hard with her tutor, Nikki, getting to know sight words and sounding out words using beginner books and activities to learn consonant digraphs. She is so determined to read that she hasn’t let the pandemic stop her! In the spring, Nikki dropped off books to Freda’s home and she and Freda practiced reading them together over the phone. When the temperatures warmed, they moved outside for masked tutoring. And now, Freda and Nikki will be able to work remotely thanks to LVNRV’s Bridge to Digital Learning Initiative that provided her with a donated tablet and technical assistance to make distance learning possible.
"Freda has shown great dedication to learning to read. She practices between sessions and is diligent with homework assignments," said Nikki, who agreed to an increase from once/week to twice/week sessions when Freda requested more time for tutoring. “She has now read three books!” Freda can’t wait to see her grand-nephew again, so she can read him one of the many books she has conquered!
We are so inspired by your hard work and commitment to learning, Freda! Keep up the great work!
