This tool might help you with Step 2: Create a plan of action with your community
To gain a better understanding of how people in your community view literacy and what sort of support would work best for those who need it, it’s critical that you listen to as many people as possible. This might happen through:
- individual interviews
- small focus groups
- larger public forums.
We have set out suggested questions you might like to explore. They will work equally well in any of the above approaches. Feel free to use the questions as they are or adapt them. Make sure whoever is leading the discussions has sound communication and facilitation skills. You may decide to get an independent facilitator to do this part of the work. Some tips on how to open and close the meeting are included at the end of this list of questions.
PART 1: UNDERSTANDING COMMUNITY PERCEPTIONS OF LITERACY
- What do you think of when someone says the word ‘literacy’?
* Note for facilitators – depending on what the group has already covered, provide additional information about what we mean by literacy, that is: Listening and speaking, reading, writing, numeracy, learning, and using everyday technology to communicate and handle information.
We know that around half of adult Tasmanians lack the skills to deal with the demands of everyday life (it might be reading forms or bills or adding up things in the supermarket).
- Is it an issue for people in (insert name of community), do you think?
- Do they think about it as something that is important to them?
- Do people talk about it? If yes, how do they talk about it?
PART 2: IDENTIFYING BARRIERS AND ISSUES ABOUT ENGAGEMENT
Many communities now have volunteer tutors and paid staff who can help people with learning to read, write, count or use everyday things like phones or computers.
- What might stop people in (insert name of community) from being involved in a literacy program (e.g. meeting with a volunteer tutor to learn these skills)?
PART 3: IDEAS FOR HOW WE COULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO LEARN
- What reasons do you think people in (insert name of community) might have for wanting to improve their literacy?
- What might it take for someone to do something about improving their literacy? What would make it important enough for them to seek help with it?
- How do we make it ‘the right time’ for people to do something about it?
- What do you think we could do to encourage people to use these programs?
PART 4: PROMOTION OF LITERACY AND IT BEING SEEN AS ‘NORMAL’
- If we wanted to ‘sell’ the idea that improving your literacy was a normal thing to do in (insert name of community) what would we need to do?
- How could we make it something that everyone does in (insert name of community)?
- How would we promote it, for example Facebook, radio, at community events? Would we hold events, have community members stand up and talk about their own experiences, use the community newspaper to tell positive stories?
- What sort of words or style of language would we use to get everyone on board with the idea that it’s a good thing?
PART 5: AWARENESS ABOUT 26TEN AND LITERACY
A program called 26TEN has been started across Tasmania to help improve adult literacy. 26TEN refers to 26 letters and ten numbers – the tools you need to be able to read, write and count.
- Have you heard of 26TEN? If so, what do you know about it?
TIPS ON HOW TO OPEN THE DISCUSSION – SUGGESTIONS FOR WHAT TO SAY
- We are holding this and other meetings so we can find out what people in our community think about literacy.
- The sorts of questions we want to talk about with you include: Do people know what we mean by this word? Is it an issue in this community? Do they talk about it? What sort of words should we use to describe it? Does it matter? Why would people want to do something to improve their literacy skills? How would we encourage people to get involved in literacy programs?
- There are no right answers – we want to hear everyone’s views.
- You do not need to agree with each other – it is fine to have different views and to talk about them.
- Please let everyone have an equal chance to talk. You can talk as much or as little as you feel like but not all at the same time!
- We would like you to assist us by sharing your observations, experience and knowledge of your community. What you tell us will be written down but only as ideas – we are not recording who says what or anything personal about you. If you feel like sharing any of your own experiences please feel free to do so, but don’t feel you have to.
- We do need the group to agree to keep confidential anything personal that a person may choose to say.
- The aim of our project is to bring literacy into the life of the community – to make it a ‘normal’ thing for people to want to improve their literacy skills so they can fully participate in all aspects of daily life.
- We have a series of questions which we would like to discuss with you. It should take about 1 to 1.5 hours.
TIPS ON HOW TO CLOSE THE DISCUSSION AND INVITE PEOPLE TO BE INVOLVED IN THE FUTURE
- Thank you for sharing your thoughts and ideas with us.
- We would also like to invite you to continue to be involved.
- You might like to come to future meetings to find out what is happening and how you could become involved.
- You might be able to help us to generate more community interest in literacy skills by talking to people you know about it.
- Could you also talk to one of our team members on your way out and answer a few short questions so we have some basic information about who has taken part in this discussion.
See our Literacy Consultation Survey.
Important note: As there is a good chance that some people at the focus group or public forum meetings may have limited literacy skills, you might decide to have several people near the exit to farewell people and ask them these questions as they leave. This can also provide an opportunity for members of your lead group and other volunteers to further connect with people and build goodwill about literacy and the idea of becoming a 26TEN Community.