Center for the Advancement of Language and Literacy (CALL)

What is CALL and why is it important?
The sustaining vision for Chartwell includes a long standing commitment to provide information about how individuals learn, and in particular about how they learn language and apply it successfully to acquire literacy skills.

While the acquisition of spoken language is a natural quality of human genetics, the ability to transfer spoken language into the various skills we call literacy – reading, writing, spelling, comprehension – is not natural.  Becoming literate is made harder when children or adults have innate attentional or language-based learning challenges like dyslexia, or are simply struggling with how to become literate in a non-native language.

For many individuals this process of acquiring independent literacy skills is one of the hardest learning tasks they will ever attempt.  If they are unsuccessful, they may never realize valuable individual or community potential, withdraw from the process of education altogether, or even become burdens in the communities that have not been able to reach them successfully.  The more educators, employers and policy makers understand these issues, the better a community will prepare for and benefit from healthy schools, a literate work force and a vibrant economy.

CALL exists to help schools, public and private agencies, and any interested community-minded organizations or individuals access, understand or improve opportunities that promote language and literacy development.

How does the Center for the Advancement of Language and Literacy make a difference?
CALL draws on a strong base of language, literacy, educational system research and over 25 years of direct experience investigating and improving the models of how children and adults learn best.  CALL staff members are trained to effectively engage individuals of all ages and from all walks of life.  CALL supports educational systems and community organizations that can make the most difference for literacy learners along the entire lifespan of activities.  CALL works with educators, employers and policy makers to develop opportunities for generations of literate and productive citizens.

Some of the ways that CALL engages organizations and individuals include:

•   Free educational community workshops for parents and educators
•   Staff training for schools and youth-serving organizations, from preschool through adult
•   A summer Teacher Training Institute that shares successful practices and the latest research on learning
•   Learning Support advisory services for schools

Please contact CALL Director, Kristen Atkins, with questions or suggestions about our community programs at 831.394.3486 ext 1012 or katkins@chartwell.org.