Newspaper Page Text
Hometown
. Herod
Sharing
- a Love, of
Learning
Alferd Williams, 69, joins two
dozen first-graders huddled around teacher Alesia
Hamilton's rocking chair at
Edison Elementary School in
St. Joseph, Mo. As she points
to words in an Its) Bits) Spider
book, Williams sounds out
each one along with the other
students.
“Reading is awesome," he
says, his grin lighting up the
room. "It's a new world to
me.”
Though designated a
II First-grade teacher
I Alesia Hamilton
volunteer parent by the school, Williams has a
special place in the classroom where he keeps his
backpack, journal and his favorite books. On the
wall, behind him, is his framed motto, 'I think
anyone could learn to read it they wanted to.”
Williams, who missed out on school as a
youngster to help work his family's rural Tennessee
farm, has become part of the class. During their
morning ritual, he and his classmates greet each
other with hugs and handshakes. In the circle
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Williams has inspired his
classmates and community.
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Hamilton teaches her morning reading class as Alferd Williams (right) takes part, fulfilling his dream of learning to read.
when they sing the “Hokey Pokey," he "shakes it
all about,” too.
When the class divides into pairs to practice
reading books, kids run to be his partner. “We sat
by each other and read books together,” says fellow
student Leah Bauer. “It he said a word wrong, I
said what it was; then he says it the right way.”
Williams has attended
Hamilton's morning
reading classes since
2006, at last fulfilling
his mother’s dream. “She
prayed. ‘Lord, enable all
my children to go to
school,’" he says.
He was first drawn to
Hamilton's class when he
walked a friend's children 12 blocks
to and from the school. Waiting for
dismissal, Williams stood outside
Hamilton's classroom, hearing her call
each child “my friend” as they went through their
lessons. “In two years. I never heard her treat a
kid bad,” Williams says. “I thought. This is a
person who could teach me to read. ”
In May 2005, he worked up the courage to
ask for her help, and Hamilton began tutoring
him afternoons during summer vacation. “We
read picture books with one word on each page,”
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recalls Hamilton, of Savannah, Mo. (pop. 4,762).
“By the time school started, he was feeling pretty
confident. I asked him if he would be interested
in coming to school."
He agreed, and according to Hamilton, his
presence has added much to the class. Hes a
huge role model,” she says. “He brings to us that
love for learning everybody
needs to have.”
Will iams’ life experiences
[ also are helpful when the
class relates their reading to
: real life. After the class read
| a story’ on migrant farm
workers, he told them what
it was like to be a farmer
and shared stories of harvesting
crops as a youngster to help his family
make ends meet.
Although he still has much to learn,
Williams delights in his new basic reading
skills. Lm the biggest person in the world now
that I know Walk’ and ‘Do Not Walk. " he says,
referring to lighted instructions on pedestration
crosswalk signs.
Hamilton's devotion to her elder pupil extends
beyond phonics. In 2006, she read that Sc.
Joseph resident Tiffany Tanc had attended Oprah
Winfrey’s TV show and was given SI,OOO to give
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Photoi by Vicki Cox