English Literacy Classes at Women's Lunch Place

Volunteer Karen Haddock has been teaching an English Literacy class for two hours each week at WLP. She is pictured above with a student, Stella.

Here’s how the class has been going so far, in Karen’s words:

"Every week our class is different, which keeps it challenging. One thing is consistent––we take turns reading aloud from children’s books. Some women ask why we are not using adult books. Then they realize some of the books can be enjoyed if you are 9 or 99.

We learn about people, history, science, and events that inspire. We’ve read books about Mary Walker, who learned to read at the age of 116, and the true story of Owen and Mzee, a hippo and turtle who became best of friends following a 2004 tsunami.

Lately, a guest named Stella has been giving me lessons in Swahili. She brought her dictionary to translate phrases and write them out for me. I taught her how to pronounce “hippopotamus” and she taught me how to pronounce "Nimefurahi,” which means “I am happy.”

After reading Ina R. Friedman’s book, "How My Parents Learned to Eat" we practiced using chopsticks with tater tots from breakfast. At guests’ requests, I have provided grammar and spelling skills books. 

The group enjoyed books about Nina Simone and Roberta Flack and then pulled up their music on Spotify to listen for a while. The vocabulary in these songs can often be advanced, and our guests appreciate learning new words.

A woman named Eugenie Clark is on a postage stamp, which led me to find out why. In class, we read that Eugenie swam with sharks and studied their sleep habits, dispelling the myth that sharks need to move constantly.

There are so many fascinating children’s books to read at any age. So far, it’s been a good run!”