Source: Ruth Johnson Colvin, LVA founder
From Faith at Work
Summer 1995, pp. 16-17
The Rev. Frank Sampson walked quietly to the pulpit. He picked up the worn black Bible, leafed through a few pages, then began: "The Lord is my Shepherd..." I stared at him, not believing what I saw and heard.
When I founded literacy Volunteers of America (LVA) in 1962, Frank was my basic literacy student. He told me he’d never been to school because he worked long hours in the cotton fields as a youngster. I knew he couldn’t read at all. Others didn’t know. He even signed his name with an "X."
He’d been clever enough to bluff his way through life.
As Frank confidently continued with "He restoreth my soul," I reminisced. How had I learned the
23rd Psalm? I recalled it had not been by reading it. Someone coached me in memorizing it.
There was my answer, Frank had memorized the 23rd Psalm as he had many other passages of the
Bible. Granted, knowing how to read does not automatically make one wise nor does an education alone make one a leader. After all, Frank was wise and he was a leader of the people in his congregation. But how much wiser and better leader he could be by knowing how to read! I did what I could for him then.
Using the Bible to Teach Reading
All of us at LVA take great pride in the fact that we are learner-centered, that the students themselves decide their own reading materials. That’s how we learned that many wanted to learn to read better so they could read the Bible. Surely God had tried to tell me this through the years, but I wasn’t listening!
In 1991, I started my research and found that there is ample, simply written biblical material, but there was no book telling one how to teach reading and writing through the Bible. Then God led me in my search to fulfill this need.
I recruited two small groups, one of women and another of men, from inner city churches - adults with low reading levels who wanted to read the Bible. I found that while I could teach reading and writing, they often knew more about the Bible stories than I did. I used their knowledge, their goals, as the basis for the lessons.
I came home after each lesson to put examples into my computer. A pattern was emerging. I began sharing what I was learning through local and national workshops.
In 1993, I was invited to Swaziland by the International Executive Service Corps to work with
Sebenta National Institute, Swaziland’s literacy program. How could my work in Africa open doors to help solve problems in my biblical project? I found God isn’t limited by boundaries; more doors opened.
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At an elegant embassy party, I met Carol Gilley, who was teaching reading in rural areas of neighboring Mozambique for the United Church of Christ. Carol had colorful pictures of a "black Jesus" in African settings. I coveted those pictures, for while many of my African-American students knew the stories and parables of Jesus, I felt they might identify more with Him if He was portrayed as black.
Months later, Carol sent an address in France.
The pictures portraying Jesus as an African as well as the classical pictures of a white Jesus led me to pursue other artist’s conceptions. Chinese paper-cuts depict Jesus as oriental, while other artists portray him as brown. Because there were no cameras in those days, artists are free to envisage Jesus within each race, encouraging each of us to identify more easily with Him.
As the manuscript progressed, I began to think of illustrations for my finished book. I had no idea where
I’d find an artist who could simply but effectively put some of the ideas into picture form, not limiting the views to any one race or culture.
It was at an LVA Board meeting that I was assigned to room with a new board member, Elinor
Swain. Our closeness gave us opportunities to learn more of each other. When she heard of this new
"Bible project," her first question was,
“What version of the Bible are you using?"
"The Good News Bible," I answered.
"Why?"
"Because it’s simply written and I like those simple line drawings."
"Do you know who did those line drawings?"
"I haven’t the foggiest idea." (And I’ve found that while everyone recognizes those wonderfully simple line drawings, few know who drew them.)
"It’s Annie Vollotton. She lives in France and is a friend of mine."
That opened another door, I wrote to Annie Vollotton, explaining the "Bible project," and she agreed to do the illustrations and to design the cover as a volunteerpro bono!
Now I had a near-final draft of the book and a world-known illustrator. But would it be accepted by those in the religious field? I had sent the manuscript to reading people and had approval. People within the Protestant and Catholic sectors of Christianity gave endorsements by a member of the Governing
Board of the Presbyterians and the former president of a Jesuit College.
But a big stamp of approval was when the President of the Rabbinical Council wrote that, while it was written from a Christian perspective, it certainly could be adapted to other religions as I had promised. God had indeed led me this far.
Funding Follows
Then we needed funding for printing. A bare-bones minimum amount was set and the Snow
Foundation gave the major part in a grant as several friends who believed in my work wrote personal checks. I was thankful indeed.
But I have leared to be very careful when you ask for something, for God often foresees what really is needed and opens more doors to fulfill those needs.
As we neared the date for the final printing, I received a call from a former neighbor who knew of someone who was interested in my work. Would I describe any new projects that needed funding? I quickly wrote up a description of this project together with others I’m working on and dismissed the matter. After all, I had the basics that I needed.
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Just two days before the book went to press, I got a call from a former neighbor. His friend had decided to give a sizable grant for the "Bible project." I was stunned, for I knew we already had the required amount.
The LVA staff brought me back to reality. They reminded me that I hadn’t even thought of costs beyond the printing. What about paying for costs of telephone, postage, sending out the manuscripts, costs that had been set aside temporarily? What about marketing? What about brochures, complimentary copies for reviewers?
Without these the books could just sit on our shelves. We needed a channel to get these books to the people who needed them.
I had done what I could to help Frank with his reading in 1962. Now there are many "Franks" whom others can help to learn to read their Bibles. It had taken a long time-over thirty years. But this book, In the Beginning Was the Word: Teaching, Reading and Writing Through the Bible, seemed my answer.
I hadn’t looked one day beyond getting the book printed. I had done the job step by step as I saw the need and the opportunity. But God saw the total picture. This was indeed "God’s project," but I saw, too, that He needed me to get it on its way. How fortunate to have God as Leader!
Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc.
IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD:
Teaching Reading and Writing Through the Bible by Ruth J. Colvin
Obiective - To give trainees practical and usable tools, techniques and suggestions for teaching reading and writing through the Bible, based on the handbook, In the Beginning Was the Word: Teaching
Reading and Writing Through the Bible , by Ruth J. Colvin, founder of Literacy Volunteers of
America, Inc.
At the end of this training, trainees will have:
 Become acquainted with LVA’s learner-centered philosophy
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Recognized that the Bible is available in a variety of reading levels
 Met actual students, via film, who worked on reading/writing biblical materials
Examined the five techniques - language experience, sight words, phonics, patterned words,
 process writing - focusing on biblical material
 Used pictures, discussion, key words, and first written drafts
Examined the importance of and practiced phrase reading
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Recognized how to help students make their own family trees
Explored other Bible helps to find books of Bible, Lord’s Prayer
 Explored ways to help students apply techniques learned to other parts of their lives
Prerequisite : To be most effective, trainees should have had the LVA Basic Literacy Training or other literacy training, or have read TUTOR (Cheatham, Colvin, Laminack - LVA 1993). It is assumed that those without the above training will read carefully the sections in In the Beginning on the five techniques - Language Experience, Sight Words, Phonics, Patterned Words, Process Writing - and practice them before teaching.
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STEPS FOR REWRITING A BIBLICAL STORY
(Tutor and students interact in this exercise)
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S
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T&S 1. Select a biblical story , having a simplified version available, with illustrations, noting its location in the Bible.
T&S 2. Look at the pictures together and discuss them.
T&S 3. Read together the simplified story and discuss it.
S 4. Look up this same story in Bible .
S&T 5. Read together or individually the Bible version and discuss it.
S 6. Retell the story, writing key words .
7. Write individual versions of the story, using key words as outline.
8. Read the student’s story, getting feedback.
9. Revise, rewrite .
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CASE HISTORIES
CASE HISTORY #1
Martha sings in her church choir. She wants help in reading because she can’t read the words for music. She has to listen as the other choir members sing and remember the words. She tries to memorize the words as quickly as possible, but it’s difficult and embarrassing. She wishes she could read the words to new hymns herself.
Martha is a low-level reader - approximately 4th grade. She’d like to write words to music - words and poetry are "in her head" she says, but she feels she can’t write the words.
How could you help Martha?
CASE HISTORY #2
Joseph is a deacon in his small church. He knows many of the stories in the Bible and sometimes is asked to tell the stories to the children. His pastor often asks him to read passages of the Bible before the congregation. He always makes excuses because not only does he have trouble reading, but when he does, he reads word by word. Joseph is a low-level reader - approximately 2nd grade.
Joseph would like help in finding known passages in the Bible as well as reading them. He’d like to write the stories he knows, for he sometimes forgets them and would like them down on paper.
How could you help Joseph?
CASE HISTORY #3
Louise is active in her church, an usher, a leader of the missionary society. She’s been asked to help write the bulletin for her church, but she’s made excuses because she feels she can’t write. Her missionary group gets letters from a group in Africa that they help. She wishes she could read the letters.
She must wait until the next society meeting when she asks another member to read it aloud to the group. She’d like to write back to them, but she feels that is impossible.
Louise went to the 9th grade but reads at approximately the 2nd grade level.
How could you help Louise?
SMALL GROUP - including #1, #2, #3
Give some suggestions for Lesson Plans if these three were in your Small Group. What would you have them do alone? What could they do together?
RESOURCE MATERIAL FOR TEACHING, READING AND WRITING THROUGH THE BIBLE
For Tutors
Bible - Good News Bible (1992) New York, NY., American Bible Society, PO Box 5656, Grand Central
Station, NY, NY 10164-0851
Bible - New International Readers Version - (1995) Grand Rapids, MI, Zondervan Publishing House,
(Available through Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc.)
Biblical Posters and Postcards in African Settings, Life of Jesus Mafa, 24 rue du Marechal-Joffre, 78000
Versailles, France.
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Cheatham, J.B., Colvin, R.J., Laminack, L.L. ( 1993), TUTOR, a Collaborative Approach to Literacy
Instruction, Syracuse, NY, Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc, (LVA)
Colvin, R.J., (1994), In the Beginning Was the Word: Teaching Reading and Writing Through the Bible,
Syracuse, NY, Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc.
Colvin, R.J., Root, J. (1998 revision by Hinchman, Kathleen and Schoultz, Rebecca) READ, Reading
Evaluation Adult Diagnosis, Syracuse, NY, Literacy, Volunteers of America, Inc.
Penner, L. (1992) Make It Simple, Please: How to Simplify the Bible. Yreka, CA: New Words Digest.
Story Line Videos (VHS videocassettes) - American Bible Society
For Students
Bible - Good News Bible (see above)
Bible - New International Readers Version (see above)
The Bible for Beginning Readers (1993) Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
Bible for Today’s Family: New Testament (1993), New York, NY: American Bible Society
Bible Readings for Life: Favorite Stories and Verses From the Bible (1990), Wheaton, IL: Tyndale
House (Available through LVA)
Good News for New Readers, Series A and B, New York, NY: , American Bible Society.
Life Stories (1991), CRC Publications, Grand Rapid, MI (Available through LVA)
Penner, L. (1992), Bible Terms Made Easy. Yreka, CA: New Words Digest.
Penner, (1992), Favorite Psalms, Yreka, CA, New Words Digest.
Selected Books of the Bible, simplified. Yreka, CA. New Words Digest.
11-04.In the Beginning PP
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