Sally Belgum-Blad This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. Announcements

   www.marshalladulteducation.org - [Cached]

   Published on: 6/16/2006   Last Visited: 11/17/2007

   7. Sally Belgum-Blad is representing SW - ABE Marshall Region at the National Head Start Family Literacy Center's 2006 Curriculum Advisory Committee meeting in Washington D.C. on Thursday.

2. 2. www.marshallindependent.com

   www.marshallindependent.com/Ne - [Cached]

   Published on: 4/11/2007   Last Visited: 4/11/2007

   Marshall ABE employee Sally Belgum-Blad has now written 20 stories for five levels of adult readers, and readers throughout the U.S. are using those stories through the Marshall ABE Web site. The readers are native-born Americans and immigrants, she said.
   
   The program is also being highlighted at national conferences as part of the Family Literacy Program at the National Head Start Family Literacy Center at Sonoma State University in California. Belgum-Blad recently returned from a California conference and will present at a Head Start conference on the East Coast soon.
   
   "I'm just thrilled and excited," Belgum-Blad said. "It's neat to see how it's grown.
   
   "It's been crazy what's happened since we started," Belgum-Blad added.
   ...
   About four years ago, Belgum-Blad was thinking of how adult readers liked using a method geared toward younger users but didn't really like the topics.
   
   "They kept saying, ‘circuses, what's the value in knowing about circuses? How will that help me with a job interview tomorrow, how will this help me get a job...?'" Belgum-Blad said.
   
   She didn't disagree that adults needed to improve their reading skills by reading material that interested them.
   
   Belgum-Blad adapted the method from the Reading Naturally program geared toward children. The research and the method of Reading Naturally were sound, but adults didn't want to read about circuses or sharks, she said. As Belgum-Blad was working on an adult literacy program, the local turkey plant closed in Marshall.
   ...
   A plant closure and a search by Belgum-Blad for photos to match her stories mushroomed into a program and partnership that took the program to a national showcase.
   
   Belgum-Blad connected with an official working on adult literacy at Sonoma State who immediately wanted input on Belgum-Blad's work.
   
   The university received a $3 million grant for each of the five years, and Belgum-Blad's adult literacy program was included as part of Sonoma State's National Head Start Family Literacy Center's push on adult and family literacy.
   
   Belgum-Blad has given presentations at conferences in the U.S. because of that partnership.
   
   The presentations are an opportunity to highlight the adult literacy program but also the Marshall ABE program and the work being done in Marshall, Belgum-Blad said.
   
   "People are thrilled with it. We've gotten a lot of positive feedback," Belgum-Blad said of the adult literacy program.
   ...
   It's a supplement to classroom instruction, Belgum-Blad said.
   
   Readers can chart their progress and note their improvement, she said.
   
   "The bottom line is that adults are finding it valuable," Belgum-Blad said.
   
   Belgum-Blad said the growth in the reading program wouldn't have happened if Thomas hadn't supported the idea several years ago.
   ...
   Even when Belgum-Blad left Marshall in a family move to Atwater, Thomas said to bring the idea and work to Atwater.
   ...
   Thomas and the staff of ABE have made the program work, Belgum-Blad said.

3. 3. Ditch Cleaning Article

   www.marshalladulteducation.org - [Cached]

   Published on: 5/8/2003   Last Visited: 11/17/2007

   "I'm not surprised," said Sally Belgum-Blad, an ABE teacher.