Irlen describes these visual problems as Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome (SSS) and includes such problems as dyslexia. From my reading of Superlearning (1979) and Superlearning 2000 (1995) by Sheila Ostrander and others, I had become aware of many techniques to learning as well as those learned in education courses for teachers but using colors for reading was new to me.

The correctional library programs, for which I was director, had developed a reading lab which houses special reading materials and uses peer tutors to help inmates and school students with their reading difficulties. I spoke with Laws, who was also a Certified Special Education Teacher and we began to discuss what we might do at the state prison. She was hired as a consultant through a Department of Education grant for “Innovative uses of Technology in Education.” This program would allow us to develop a program based on the use of visual testing and use of colors in reading training. An acquired color machine allowed printed text and graphics to be focused onto a TV monitor with selected colored backgrounds or letters. These would be switched until an optimum combination was found for each student. With the machine we could also alter the size of the letters. By coordinating information from school TABE tests, our library brought together twenty-eight men who volunteered to be part of this program and Laws began meeting one-on-one with the inmates.

She would test the men for their current reading ability and their ability to see through various color overlays or color backgrounds with enlarged type on the color machine. Laws would also test for right and left brain coordination. After doing this for each inmate, she would write a “prescriptive” program for each. Exercises, including eye, breathing and relaxing, reading lists, color overlays, and sometime relaxing music, were all part of the prescription. Twenty-six of the twenty-eight students, we found, could read or see words better with the color overlay, one or two with larger print. Gary, (pseudonym ) on the other hand was found to have no sense of “visualization.” He couldn’t remember what he learned from one day to the next. He hardly could talk, as words did not come to him because of brain damage.

Laws started helping Gary by asking what he was interested in – Cars. He had been a mechanic and knew a great deal about cars. Laws drew a picture of a car and had Gary tell her what the parts of the car were – the hood, the trunk, the bumper, wheels. After about eight items, she wrote the names of the parts with arrows to the drawing of the car. Then she had him make up a large drawing for a book. Each time he and the tutors met, he would learn more words that went with the parts of the car he knew. About two months after this all started, I was present when Gary was able to put together about ten words into a sentence. Not only could he retain the words, but he was beginning to relearn how visualization could help him learn. It was the beginning of retraining the wounded brain. By the time the program ended, Gary had a vocabulary of about 30-50 words.

Many of the other students made remarkable progress as well. At the start of the program, one other inmate was adamant, no one could help him to read. He not only became a model student (less disruptive) at the prison school, but became an advocate of the lab and started helping other students increase their reading ability. Within two months, twenty-six men were reading at least 2-3 grades, if not more, above the ABE tested level when they started working with Laws.

There has been much research on visual and brain cognition, and software from many agencies has helped. Not all the software out there allows for color background or varying text color. Many computer programs in the assistive technology arena are for reading comprehension, not for help with vision. One program which includes adaptive facility for vision and colors, Easy Reader, is now available via Dolphin.

Libraries that aren’t yet involved need to get on board with assistive software for reading. With the visual and brain training techniques we now know of, I believe crime and disruptive behavior in schools and cities could decrease. Having worked ten years with inmates, I believe the frustrations, lack of achievement and concurrent disruptive or unacceptable behavior in adults are more likely to be directly related to the lack of reading ability than any other outside event or condition.¹ Even though reading may not solve all behavioral problems, we can strengthen the whole country through a focus on correcting reading problems through the newest technologies and machinery we already have available.

References

1. Are Reading and Behavior Problems Risk Factors for Each Other? Paul L. Morgan, George Farkas, Paula A. Tufis, and Rayne A. Sperling.

The post Reading With Colors first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

It appears that this came to fruition when there was a complaint from an owner of a nearby tutoring company at a Board meeting. The owner had issue with a rival tutoring company using the Park Ridge Public Library as the meetup for its tutors and their tutees. He threatened to end his lease and send his own tutors to the library to save money on rent.[3] The Board then considered this issue for over six months and looked into other Illinois libraries and what their policies are in regards to tutors. (Read more about this case using the Resources below.) Interestingly, there are other Illinois libraries that do have policies that prohibit tutoring. For example, the Winnetka-Northfield Public Library stipulates on its patron behavior page that conducting for-profit business involving two or more people is prohibited, but the Park Ridge Public Library does not have a distinction between for-profit or not. This means that high school students that tutor peers or school teachers that tutor in their free time are also required to pay $10 for every hour they spend assisting a student.

This is not the first fee requirement from PRPL, as they charge reciprocal borrowers to use their computers as well as for attending their programs. And the idea of charging patrons at a public library for services certainly isn’t new, as most of us charge patrons for printing, overdue items, and using materials in Maker Spaces. It makes sense to do this particularly when budgets are lean; but what about the idea that the public library is meant for the public? As the newest ALA public awareness campaign states, libraries transform and we as a profession are trying to make libraries more accessible and even more a function of the community. We want to build public awareness about all the great things that the library has to offer and to get more people in the door. With business centers cropping up in other libraries like the Skokie Public Library that encourage people to come in for help to start, manage, or grow a business, the idea of restricting someone’s livelihood seems to also decrease public trust.

And beyond that, how will a rule like this be enforced? The task of policing what people are doing will fall directly onto the librarians at PRPL. And according to the PRPL policy, they will only accept cash or check because the reference desk does not have a credit card reader. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Add your thoughts in the comments.

References:

[1] Jennifer Johnson. “Businesses offer space, money to Park Ridge tutors after library announces fees,” Chicago Tribune, January 26, 2016.

[2] “Use of Library Facilities: Business Organizations in the Library,” Park Ridge Public Library, January 19, 2016.

[3] Anne Lunde. “$10-An-Hour Library Fee…How Park Ridge Got Here,” Journal Online, January 25, 2016.

Resources:

Park Ridge Public Library Adopts New Policy for Conducting Business On its Premises 1/19/2016

Patrons Conducting Business in the Library – FAQs

Tutors’ free use of Park Ridge library up for debate

Park Ridge City officials speak out on library fee controversy

Unenforceable Fees

A Valedictory Address Worth Watching

Edited 3/10/16

The post To Charge or Not to Charge? A Tutoring Story first appeared on Public Libraries Online.