The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

24 - The Oakville Beaver, Friday September 12, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Literacy Council helps high school drop-out get back on track By Ryan Bolton SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER When Talis Shawley used to jot down a note for his family they thought it was a puzzle. The spelling was off, the grammar was disjointed and his intended message was lost. English just didn't make sense to him. That was until he started taking classes at The Literacy Council of Burlington. The Oakville resident was diagnosed in Grade 5 with attention deficit disorder (ADD) and a learning disability with words. Shawley, now 18, was placed in the remedial school stream. His time there, however, no Newly Re vated Serving B ur & Oakvilllington e $6.00 OFF Purchase 2 entrees and 2 beverages and receive $6.00 OFF! Coupon expires Sept 26/08. Valid Mon-Fri only. Excludes Holidays. Valid at 3485 Harvester Road, Burlington only. Walkers Line QEW Harvester Rd. 10% Seniors Discount (55 and Over) on all menu items excluding alcohol FREE Toys & Balloons for kids 10 and under OPEN DAILY 7am to 9pm 3485 Harvester Rd. (at Walkers Line) LLBO BURLINGTON (905) 632-1114 was fruitless. He became bored and would toy with the teachers by not trying. He just didn't think that this education was, or would be, useful. "It's because I didn't want to (learn) mostly," he said with a hint of a grin, his boyish features becoming animated. "By junior high I didn't actually learn much and by the time I got into high school... I basically dropped out." After completing a handful of credits in Grade 9, Shawley called it quits. He left school to work as a landscaper for a year and a half before picking up a welding torch in Mississauga. His goal of getting his welding ticket struck a dark note when he learned that he needed at least a Grade 10 education in order to do so. "I started to realize you can't really get anything work-wise -- even in the trades jobs -- without high school," he said with a shrug. With his ambition running at full force he decided he was going to defy those who scoffed at him for dropping out of school. He was going to get his Ontario High School Equivalency Certificate, the GED. He went to Sheridan College in an attempt to complete requirements for his GED, but was at a substandard reading level. He couldn't enter the program. Sheridan referred him to The Literacy Council of Burlington six months ago. Talis Shawley The literacy council is a non-profit organization that offers free, confidential learning for adults in the community to improve reading, writing, mathematics and computer skills. Founded in 1980, the council currently has 46 adults enrolled. Implementing the Laubach method of teaching, Each One Teach One, the tutors work one-on-one and/or in small groups to meet the needs of students. "There's no set curriculum. It's purely student-centred, very individualized," said Janet Campbell, executive director of The Literacy Council of Burlington. "To make learning accessible to everybody who needs it" is the reason why the council is successful, Campbell maintains. It was a perfect fit for Shawley. "Free learning that fits around my schedule," he said. As he still works as a part-time welder, he enjoys the flexible scheduling at the literacy council. He currently attends four days a week, each session consisting of two-hours of learning. Depending on the day, he will concentrate on writing, reading, math or social sciences. It's the former that Shawley struggles with the most. He has difficulty with names and places and often secondguesses his spelling. But progress is being made. The Literacy Council of Burlington will be holding a night with Giller Prizewinning author, David Bergen on Sept. 16 starting at 7 p.m. The CBC's Jeff Goodes at St. Luke's Parish Hall, 1382 Ontario St. in Burlington will present the fundraising event. Editor's note: Oakville has its own literacy Council -- The Oakville Literacy Council. It is located in the lower level of the Woodside Branch Library, 1274 Rebecca St. Hours of operation are parttime and it is best to call 905-469-8528 to arrange a visit. ORPORATE EVENTS EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS ARTISTS IN R The CAMPS FOR KIDS LIVE CUISINE RESTAURANT LIVE PERFO EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS ARTISTS IN RESIDENCY COMMU VE CUISINE RESTAURANT LIVE PERFORMANCES CORPORATE E ARTISTS IN RESIDENCYMISSISSAUGA COURSES CAMPS FOR KIDS COMMU PERFORMANCES CORPORATE EVENTS EDUCATIONAL WORK Living Arts Centre Explore DAVID CLAYTON-THOMAS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2008 8 PM Hammerson Hall $25 & up PRINT MEDIA SPONSOR www.livingartscentre.ca TEL: 905.306.6000 OR 1.888.805.8888 LIVE Cuisine Restaurant will be open for Pre-theatre Dinner Buffet & Post-Show Dessert on selected performance evenings. 4141 LIVING ARTS DRIVE, MISSISSAUGA ON L5B 4B8 HWYS 403 & 10, WEST OF SQUARE ONE FREE UNDERGROUND PARKING