The Development of a Literacy Curriculum for Adult Liberian Refugees

Kristen M. Kohler Department of Linguistics and English Language Master of Arts From 2003 to 2006, Tucson, Arizona became the new home of many Liberian refugees. Because of civil war in their homeland and ensuing years spent in refugee camps, these refugees had not had many opportunities for literacy development. Tucson had several literacy and ESL programs available; however, none of these programs was meeting the Liberians’ particular needs. For my project, I designed and implemented a literacy curriculum for the Liberian refugees in Tucson. In preparation for developing my curriculum, I not only took coursework but also thoroughly reviewed the literature on literacy learning and instruction for first language learners, second language learners, and adult learners. I then followed the curriculum development model described by Richards (2001): conducting a needs analysis and a situation analysis, developing goals and learning outcomes, planning the course scope and content, designing the syllabus, deciding the role and design of instructional materials, building in opportunities for evaluation, and considering larger factors that may affect the adoption of the curriculum. In addition to the curriculum development process, I had to attend to the more practical concerns of finding students, finding volunteers, finding a classroom and finding materials. I taught my literacy class from September 2006 to December 2006 at the Martha Cooper Branch of the Tucson Pima Public Library. I had 12 students whose literacy abilities varied dramatically, with the most advanced student reading at approximately a seventh grade level and the most beginning student working on letter names, sounds, and formation. I also had close to 20 volunteers who helped with transportation, childcare, and tutoring. We met twice a week for thirteen weeks for two hours each time. I used an interactive approach to teaching reading that incorporated both top-down and bottom-up approaches. I found that while a balanced instructional approach is certainly the most effective, the instruction needs to be modified to include more bottom-up work for the lowest level students. Others interested in developing similar programs may benefit from and build on my experience. For this reason, I included in this report a description of the lessons I learned and the implications I see for other programs. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This project would never have been possible without the help of many people. I would like to thank the refugee organizations in Tucson for answering my questions and helping to advertise the class. I would especially like to thank the International Rescue Committee in Tucson for their help. IRC staff answered countless questions and prepared a letter of support that I could send to my department in Provo. Janet Rabin also explained the resettlement process and the challenges facing the refugees in Tucson, and Tracey Wren spent a great deal of time helping me find and interview potential students. Tracey also helped me to coordinate the in-class childcare. Once classes started, Jenn Pierson volunteered as a reading tutor and kept the IRC up to date on developments. I am truly grateful to them for sharing their time, expertise, and experience. I would also like to thank the library staff and administrators at the Martha Cooper Branch Library, especially Sharla Darby, the head librarian, and Matt Landon, the youth librarian. Sharla Darby and Matt Landon helped me to get approval to hold the class in one of the meeting rooms. They continued to provide support and understanding when the classes started, even when it was inconvenient (i.e. Playdough® in the new carpet from the childcare, noisy students interrupting the other patrons, etc.). I am grateful for their vision and for their efforts to keep the class going once my project was finished. I am also grateful for the support of the Tucson Area Reading Council, especially to Dr. Bob Wortman who delivered my grant proposal to the committee. The Creative Classroom grant I received enabled me to buy supplies for the class without needing to charge the students. The Tucson Area Reading Council was kind enough to allow me to apply for the grant outside of the normal application cycle and deadlines, and their promptness in answering my request allowed me to receive the money before classes started. I would also like to acknowledge several individuals in Tucson who helped me during the planning stages of the class. Cherie Gray and Maime Spillaine, both of whom have experience working with refugees in Tucson, offered advice on finding a site for the class and answered my various questions. Sharon Hendersen, an elementary school teacher with many years of experience teaching beginning literacy, met with me and showed me materials and teaching strategies for use with beginning learners. Barbara Eiswerth, a member of several organizations that assist refugees, helped me to spread the word to the community and led me to some helpful materials. This class would not have been possible without the help of many wonderful volunteers. I thank them for their time, patience, and enthusiasm. I would especially like to thank the Law Women’s Association at the James E. Rogers College of Law, University of Arizona. I would also like to thank the staff of the Linguistics and English Language department at Brigham Young University, especially Phyllis Daniel. They helped me to keep track of my progress, turn in the right papers at the right times, and finish my project while living in another state. I would like to thank my teachers at Brigham Young University and at the University of Arizona for giving me such an excellent education. Their high standards in both their personal and academic lives were inspiring, and I am honored to have learned from the best and the brightest. I would especially like to thank Maya Eagleton at the University of Arizona for her assistance during the needs analysis stage of my curriculum development. I would also like to express sincere thanks to Dr. Patricia Anders, the head of the Language, Reading, and Culture department at the University of Arizona. Without her willingness to be an unofficial member of my project committee, I would never have been able to finish my degree long distance. Dr. Anders generously donated her time and considerable experience first to answer my many questions about adult literacy and then to help me find a grant and plan my class. I am truly grateful for her kindness and her support. I am also grateful to my committee members at Brigham Young University, Dr. Lynn E. Henrichsen (chair), Dr. Dallin E. Oaks, and Dr. Dee I. Gardner. I am amazed at how well they know the field and the research. Their experience intimidated me at first, but their humility and willingness to help quickly reassured me. I am truly grateful for their feedback and ideas, which have shaped and informed the design, implementation, and write-up of my curriculum. I am also grateful that they were willing to make special accommodations for me to communicate and even take a class long-distance. It was not always convenient for them, and I am grateful that they were so supportive. I am especially grateful to Dr. Henrichsen, who has spent almost as much time on this project as I have! He has helped me from the very beginning, when I was still trying to refine the idea for the project and figure out how to finish my degree long distance. He offered valuable advice and insight through countless phone calls and emails. He worked very hard to find ways for me to finish my degree from another state, even traveling to Tucson to see my class first-hand. He provided constant guidance and encouragement. I am grateful for his kind, good humor and for his inspired mentoring. I also would like to thank my students for their dedication and support. I am impressed by their enthusiasm for learning, even in the face of great obstacles and other responsibilities. I am a better person for knowing them, and I am grateful that they were willing to make the sacrifices and have the faith to come to class. Finally, I am grateful to my wonderful family for their love and encouragement. I would especially like to thank my husband Tom for his faith in me and for the sacrifices he has made to help me reach my goal.