Blog : guest author


A tutor helps an evening GED student.

5 Best Study Tips for the GED® Test

By Lena Kelly, Seeds of Literacy volunteer If you’re looking into taking the GED® test, congratulations! You’re taking your life into your own hands and are ready to work hard. Passing the GED test is a big achievement and something to be very proud of, but you won’t get there
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“Retirement is Overrated!”

By George Miller, Seeds of Literacy volunteer In 2008 I sold my company and retired. I found myself thinking, “Now what?!?” I needed a reason to get up in the morning; otherwise, I’d just be lying around waiting to die! Bill Litzler, a good friend who tutored at Seeds of
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Tips for Success from a GED Grad

5 Tips for Success from a GED® Graduate

By Margo Hudson, 2012 Seeds of Literacy GED® graduate and current volunteer tutor     1. Everyone starts somewhere. Tell yourself that everyone took that first step. You can, too. You are never too old. Remember that what you put into it is what you’ll get out of it. You’ll
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Why Didn’t They Finish School? It’s More than Meets the Eye

By Diane Vogel Ferri, Seeds of Literacy volunteer tutor   When I retired from teaching, I wanted to do something worthwhile, to reciprocate for my good fortune and to use my teaching skills. I spent my career teaching children with learning disabilities and wanted to work with adults—people who had
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Adults with undiagnosed dyslexia struggle to read

Judging a Fish: Learning with Undiagnosed Dyslexia

By Daniel Hinman, former Director of Income, United Way of Greater Cleveland “Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” ~ Einstein When I was 16 years old, I was
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A student works in the evening class at Seeds of Literacy.

Learning Disabilities: Silent Barriers to Success

By Holly Roe, Executive Director of the LD Edge Network You may know the stereotypes that stigmatize adults in poverty: He’s just lazy. She’s always giving up – how can she succeed if she keeps doing that? He’s just not motivated. They should’ve stayed in high school and finished. His
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Johnny Shackelford attends GED classes at Seeds of Literacy Kinsman site on Cleveland's east side.

For My Kids

By Cassie O’Shea Johnnie Shackelford describes his experience at Seeds of Literacy in one word: comfortable. He feels at ease in the classroom, with his fellow students, the staff, and volunteers. “They’ve got great tutors here. The people here are nice,” he says. The Seeds East location is also really
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A learning aid in Seeds' GED classroom

Putting Health Literacy into (Your) Practice

MaryAnn Nicolay, MEd, NDTR is a health educator with years of experience in diabetes and chronic disease management.  This led to an interest in health literacy as an integral component of helping people self-manage their health. She has volunteered with Seeds of Literacy’s Program Planning & Impact Committee since 2014.
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A learning aid in Seeds' GED classroom

Literacy, a Prescription for Good Health

For Health Literacy Month, Seeds of Literacy asked guest author MaryAnn Nicolay to shine a light on this often overlooked form of literacy. MaryAnn Nicolay, MEd, NDTR is a health educator with years of experience in diabetes and chronic disease management.  This led to an interest in health literacy as
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