THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, October 31, 1995 TAG: 9510310289
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CHARLISE LYLES
STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
In a quiet corner of a local library, Charles W. Duke Jr. sat bolted to a workbook. ``Sam was thinking the car was going to fast,'' Duke read.
``Remember,'' said Nancy Kelly, the Tidewater Literacy Council tutor by his side. ``There are three ways to spell `to.' ''
Duke concentrated for a moment, thumbed his fingers against the pages, then erased quickly. ``Too,'' he repeated three times, pleased with the correction.
At age 45, Duke is learning the vowels, syllables, consonant blends, tenses, grammar and comprehension that are reading.
``I didn't learn when I was growing up - I wasn't made to,'' said
Duke, a painful candor burning in his blue eyes. ``I have a son now. He's 10 years old. And I want to help him out. He's much smarter than I was.''
``No.'' scolded Kelly. She won't stand for Duke putting himself down. One of 325 Literacy Council volunteers, she has served more than a year as the tall, gentle-spoken man's reading and writing instructor, self-esteem booster, coach and all around good friend.
About 223 people throughout the area receive such tutoring through the council, which is partially funded by United Way. This year, about a fourth of its $59,000 budget came from United Way. Donors must specifically request that their contributions go to the Literacy Council.
In a 12-hour workshop, the agency trains tutors to teach the phonetics-based Laubach Literacy Action program. Then twiceweekly they are dispatched for hourlong, one-on-one sessions at libraries, community centers and elsewhere. Tutors usually work with the same individual for at least a year.
Kelly, an avid, book-a-week reader, learned about the council from reading ``Volunteer Connection'' in The Virginian-Pilot.
About the same time last year, Duke's reading difficulties had caught up with him.
Raised by grandparents whose lack of enthusiasm for school severely discouraged him, Duke said he dropped out at 17. ``I quit in my mind in second grade.''
He slid over and through the cracks, his inability to read undetected. For job applications, he visually memorized the spelling of his name, though he didn't know how to sound out the letters.
To pass the driver's test, he memorized all the signs and their meanings by sight. For the written portion, he memorized words by shape and appearance, even though he could not sound or reason them out.
``I get upset with him when he says he's not smart,'' said Kelly. ``Adults who can't read are very intelligent. They've functioned in a reading world without understanding. They have exceptional memory.''
Despite his inability to read, Duke found work as a pipe fitter for 14 years. But sometimes, he couldn't read instructions on how to bend pipes. He believes he was denied a raise one year because he couldn't read. In August, he was laid off and recently invited back.
Meanwhile, he had returned to night classes several years ago at Indian River High School. He was placed in the lowest level. Last November, he could no longer ignore his obstacle. ``I wasn't learning like I wanted to and a friend of mine told me she had a tutor.''
That was through the Literacy Council.
``I learned more one on one with a tutor in a year than I did going to night class for two years.''
Duke has advanced from a second-grade reading level to fifth, said Kelly. And at night school, his pace has accelerated. He's ready for algebra. And his words resonate with a new reverence for learning.
His wife and son are behind him. They applaud as he applies his new skills to real life - writing checks, reading maps, prescriptions, recipes. ``It took a lot of courage to do what he has done,'' Kelly said.
Not really, Duke shook his head. ``I want to help my son,'' he said. ``If I can't help myself. I can't help my son.'' MEMO: Call the Tidewater Literacy Council at 393-6459.
ILLUSTRATION: MORT FRYMAN
The Virginian-Pilot
Nancy Kelly of the Tidewater Literacy Council works with Charles W.
Duke Jr., who hopes to one day help his son, 10, with his reading.
by CNB