Alisha's story
“I used to avoid reading and writing. We never had any books in the house. I went to the library to get help with reading and writing so I could get a job.
“I was referred to the library for literacy help by Workskills because I needed to find work and my literacy skills weren’t very good. I first met with the Literacy Coordinator who gave me some activities to do and paired me with my tutor.
“With the help of my tutor, I am now a fully licensed driver. We did the practical driving as well as the written activities. I passed my driver’s test the first time! I was so excited. We then worked on a trial project for speech pathologist Rosalie Martin which helped me with my reading.
“I have read an average of two chapter books a year for the last four years and have already read one and a half books this year. This is more than I ever managed before. I have also done a lot of writing and now I can write something on nearly every subject I am asked to.
“I have done a short course on filling in forms (something I used to avoid at all costs). I have done some cooking and learned how to use measurements correctly. This was a challenge because it uses maths and I am not confident with maths. I have never cooked anything from scratch before, now I choose recipes and am asked to make cakes for my extended family.
“I took part in a mock interview at the UTAS for the journalism students and then I was interviewed on the radio by Ryk Goddard and the winning student from the UTAS journalism competition. I have also written (with my tutor’s help) a story about my past that appeared in the Island Tasmania magazine in 2015. I am currently working on future job choices and what I need to do to achieve these goals.”
Listen to Alisha talk to ABC Radio’s Ryk Goddard about how learning to read and write has given her independence, confidence and a change of life for the better.
More success stories:
Writing in plain English at Houston's Farm
"It's also given us another opportunity to talk about plain English generally, and what that means to the business, and to emphasise that gone are the days that you need to use long words and complicated sentences in a business-related document. The theme is always keep it simple and transfer the message as clearly as possible."
Julie's story as an adult learner
"If I had a tutor like Anne back at school it really would have made a difference. What I’d say to others is, don’t feel ashamed. Come in and see someone. I feel better in myself, more confident. I can now go to the supermarket and add things up, read the backs of cans and know what is inside."