A Hopkinsville woman who established and ran the Dyslexia Association of the Pennyrile for 45 years has been recognized by the Kentucky Retired Teachers Association as the Frank R. Hatfield Volunteer of the Year.
Ruth Lature was nominated for the state recognition after being named the 2020 Volunteer of the Year for the Christian County Retired Teachers Association.
“Mrs. Lature has been called a pioneer in Kentucky’s efforts to meet the needs of at risk students. She has a true servant’s heart, and through her diligence, no one need be left behind in reading, writing or math skills,” Sharon Suddeath, president of the Christian County association, wrote.
Lature was responsible for creating the dyslexia group in response to parents who recognized a need to help their children who had academic problems in school. Dyslexia is a learning disorder that stems from the way a student’s brain processes language.
“When approached by a group of local parents seeking a different method for reading instruction, Ruth Lature attended a summer training session at Berea College which focused on a new multi sensory approach to teaching vital reading skills,” Suddeath wrote. “She then returned to her hometown and organized the Dyslexia Association of the Pennyrile. From 1970 until 2015, a total of 45 years, Ruth Lature served as the volunteer director of the program while also teaching in the Christian County Public Schools.”
Lature, who wrote the book “Dyslexia: A Teacher’s Journey,” is regarded as a pioneer in Kentucky’s response to helping students with learning disorders.
The state award is named for a former Bullitt County Public Schools superintendent who is recognized as an exemplary school leader. He also led the Kentucky Retired Teachers Association.
A ceremony to recognize Lature for the state award had been planned next week; however, it was canceled because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Suddeath said the Christian County Retired Teachers Association hopes to have a ceremony to honor Lature in August.
(Jennifer P. Brown is the editor and founder of Hoptown Chronicle. Reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org.)
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
