Acosta’s

simple

newspaper is a

success Ss

tory

Joan Acosta, a Capilano-area resident, is one of 56 Greater Vancouver
women nominated for a YWCA Woman of Distinction Award, in the

category of Health and Education.
featured in the Sunday, May 14 West

West Vancouver nominees will be
Vaacouver Villager. Award winners

in each of the seven categories will be announced on May 11.

THE ARRIVAL, eight times

a year, of The Westcoast

Reader is a happy moment fer British Columbians who are

learning how to read.

And that’s something that is sat-
isfying for Joan Acosta, editor-
et-al of The Westcoast Reader, a
newspaper full of current articles
that have been rewritten for
youngsters and adults with reading
problems.

Acosta pores over a variety of
publications and then rewrites
them for her readers, who include
ESL (English as a Second Lan-
guage) adults and students, as well
as the mentally handicapped, deaf
children, stroke victims and upper
elementary school pupils.

“It is especially hard for ESL
adults te find material that is adult
oriented,’” says Acosta, who
believes her publication provides a
bridge to the world of regular
newspapers.

The Reader, which is designed to

interest people with a variety of
reading difficulties, is laid out in
short, readable blocks displayed
with photographs, graphs and
diagrams in an eye-catching man-
ner.
“The secret is to keep it simple
and varied,’’ explains Acosta, who
fills the reader with everything
from news stories to recipes and
human interest pieces.

Acosta has the unique problem
(in the newspaper world) of not
wanting her publication, with its
circulation of 80,000, to grow any
jarger. Distributed free and
without backing from advertising,
funding has often been a problem
for the Westcoast Reader, which is
now funded through the provincia.

But she has been heartened by
the response from readers and
teachers.

“It amazes me how creative
teachers have been in their use of
the newspaper,’’ says Acosta.

One interesting classroom exer-
cise is for students to read the
Reader’s version of an article, and
then compare it to the original
from the regular press.

A teacher's guide, with plenty of
exercises utilizing the newspaper, is
provided.

The concept has spread to other
provinces, in some cases with
Acosta helping to set up a similar
newspaper — such as the East
Coast Reader which has offices in
the Halifax Herald building.

Family Circle magazine featured
Acosta in its January issue, which
has brought further inquiries from
gvoups interested in starting easy-
reading publications in the U.S.

Acosta is also the author of
Coast to Coast Reader, a book
about Canadians, and she was the
1987 recipient of the Leaders of
Readers award.

An ESL teacher at Capilano
College, Acosta is aware of the
enormous numbers of people (one
out of five Canadian born adults
can’t read at a Grade 4 level)
struggling with poor reading skills
for a variety of reasons.

She has observed that it is easier

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5 - Wednesday, May 3, 1989 - Capilano Chronicle

photo Nell Tocante

NOMINATED FOR a YWCA Women of Distinction award for her work with the Westcoast Reader, Joan
Acosta admits that one of her best helpers in getting the B.C. newspaper together is her eight-year-old daughter

Erin.

for a new Canadian ESL adult to
say ‘I don’t know how to read”
than for someone who is born here
— the person who has ‘fallen
through the cracks’’ of the educa-
tion system and has learned other
ways to get by.

“There is a stigma that makes it
difficult for these adults to come
forward,’’ notes Acosta.

And even if they do, adults
don’t — as a rule — Jearn to read
quickly, which contributes to a
high drop-out rate in adult reading
classes.

A group of teachers at Capilano
college concerned about adults
learning to read came up with the
proposal for the Westcoast
Reader.

Acosta, who began developing
her teaching skills 20 years ago as a
Peace Corp volunteer, works on
the newspaper practically full time,
both at the college and at an office
in her home, where she often in-
volves her eight-year-old daughter
Erin as a proofreader.

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