Adult Learner - Story Writing Contest
| First Place | Second Place | Third Place |

Literacy is very important to me. My husband and I are both diabetics. It is important to know how to fill the needles and be able to read the instructions on medicine bottles. Because of our special diet, I have to be able to read the labels on cans and packages. Knowing how to buy the right food and cook it is a big help for me.

I am very active in my church. I enjoy reading the Bible at the Bible study classes. I am also a Beaver Leader. I like to be able to read the opening at the meetings. At Beavers we play different games. I have to read and understand the rules of the games so I can teach the children.

Since learning to read I can write letters to my sister. I enjoy getting letters from her and being able to read them by myself. I love to read. I am a member of our library and visit there often. The librarian knows me and has books that I like to read.

I can pick out birthday, Christmas and special cards by myself. I am learning to drive and have passed the written test.

I have always wanted to read the lesson in church. This year I was asked to read at the special service for Beavers. I felt very proud and everyone told me that I did a really good job. I was able to read it even though I was just given the lesson a few minutes before the service started and did no have time to study it.

Literacy is important to me because I can do things for myself without help and that makes me feel very good.

My name is Bernice Joyce. I am an adult learner in one-to-one tutoring. We are almost finished the level 4 Laubach Way to Reading. I am also doing Level I Spelling, Level 2 Math and Level 4 Phonics. Last week we started the Level 1 Science. I enjoy my classes. My tutor is Dorothy Childs. We both live in Lark Harbour, Newfoundland.

There's no such word as "I can't". It doesn't mean anything. It just means you won't try.

That's the way it was for me in all my years of schooling.

In almost everything I was asked to do, I would always answer with I can't.

Now, so many years has passed me by. I decided to go to our Community Centre to take upgrading. Not confident that I could do it, but I went anyway.

Talking one day with my classmates, my teacher heard what I was saying when I said "I can't, and I couldn't" he was reminded of a video he had. He asked me if I would like to watch it, and I said Yes, I would love to.

As I watched the video, so many of the things that I saw reminded me, of me! I would hide behind the student in front of me when the teacher began to ask questions, so afraid he would ask me and I would have to answer "I don't know" or he would ask me to do something and I would say PI can't". He would tell me to think about it and I would still say "I can't. I would be shaking, wishing he would just go to the next student and leave me alone.

After watching the video, I knew it wasn't because I couldn't, it was just because I didn't have any time to think about the answer so I would say "I can't" to get out of even trying to answer the question.

I went home and right there and then I decided I would never say "I can't" again.

For the first time in my life I have the confidence to know that I can do something with my work in school, that is why I value literacy in my life.

We know how to write sentences.

We can cook now because we can read a cook book.

We can get our driver's licence because we can read the Road User's Guide.

Ski-dooing is fun because we can read a ski-doo book and look at the parts to fix it.

We can make joke books.

We know the school rules because we know how to read.

Reading is important to us to do science experiments.

We can write letters to our special friends.

We can buy our clothes from Sears.

We can design cars on the computer and send messages.

We are Innu students and we are learning English. It makes us feel smart and important.

We didn't think we would ever learn to read. It feels good.