by D'Arcy Rhyno, its coordinator in Reading The Museum, Vol. II. No. 1.

4. Clear and Plain Language
In the projects described above, the museum was an educational and cultural resource for learners. Yet each learner also contributed something through oral and written observations. In other projects, learners were involved in developing exhibitions. For example, the Reading The Museum provided some support to the Youth Curator Project, undertaken by the Glenbow Museum and several local museums in Alberta.

There are also projects in which learners make specific contributions based on their own expertise and experience. This was nowhere more evident than at Woodside National Historic Site, the boyhood home of Canadian Prime Minister MacKenzie King. Learners from Core Literacy in Kitchener were hired as consultants and assisted in developing a plain language brochure about the site. The brochure is now available to all visitors. The process and the product were equally impressive. Learners worked with site staff on the content, wording and design of the brochure. What resulted was a standardized 8 1/2" x 11" color fold out. One side consists of three panels that correspond to the home's three floors. The other includes the cover and general information about the site, such as visiting hours and its location.

VALUE AND IMPACT OF LITERACY PROJECTS

The value of a demonstration project is multi-faceted. Museums provide learners with resources, knowledge and activities that assist in building their confidence, in giving them a voice and in improving several literacy skills. Working with literacy groups and learners heightens a museum's awareness of the need for clear language for all visitors and the importance of providing greater access to many individuals and groups. For museums interested in finding out more about clear and plain language, there are many sources that the CMA program can recommend. For now, Jenifer McVaugh, of Storylinks, provides a brief list of fundamentals in the adjacent sidebar.

Projects usually have spin-off effects and generate interest in the wider community. For example, the project in Edmonton captured the attention of other literacy programs and community organizations that are now working with the gallery. Often projects will attract local media attention and this is a plus for museums, for learners, and for the cause of literacy. In a project now under way in Fredericton at the York-Sunbury Historical Museum, a workshop on oral history given by Jenifer McVaugh was covered by the "Daily Gleaner", the local newspaper. It is

reprinted in this newsletter to provide an illustration of how a project can be promoted.

I hope these ideas and examples will prove useful to museums that want to initiate literacy projects. Several museums were fortunate and successful in receiving grants to support their particular projects but there is a range of activities that can be undertaken at minimal cost. Cooperation is the key. If you would like more information, advise or just want to chat about literacy in the museum please contact me c/o the Canadian Museums Association or in Montreal at: Tel: (514) 489-0571, Fax: (514) 489-5442.

-Lon Dubinsky,
Coordinator, Reading the Museum

How to Write in Clear Language

1. Think before you write.

  • Who is going to read this?
  • What do you want to tell them?
  • What is the most important part?
  • Can you leave anything out? Please Do!

2. Organize,

  • Say at the beginning why you are writing.
  • Say at the beginning what you want the reader to do.

3. Use short or medium-long sentences. Stick to one idea in each sentence.

4. Use big enough type.
Use plenty of space around your sentences.

5. Stick to ordinary punctuation like commas, periods and question marks.

6. Use pictures, or lists, or diagrams to show what you mean.

7. Break up what you write into small sections. These, are easier to read.

8. Go back over your work the next day to make it clearer.

Source: "Choices and Changes". Literacy for Social Change Learners Group. Ontario Literacy Coalition. 1992. (facilitated by Jenifer McVaugh)

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