70-Year-Old 1st Grader

Kansas Missouri Man never learned to read so he finally enrolled in school at 70.

by WKRG Staff/KSHB

Published: Thu, April 03, 2008 - 10:02 am CST Last Updated: Thu, April 03, 2008 - 2:25 pm CST

A Kansas City man is proof that you're never too old to learn how to read.
Alferd Williams was born in the 1930's, the son of a sharecropper. He never got the chance to go to school. Instead, he spent his childhood working in the fields with his family.
But Williams made a promise to his mother. One day he would learn how to read. That one day is finally here.
Williams enrolled in the first grade and is learning to read. He's also earned the respect of his much younger classmates and his teacher, who's less than half his age.

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KxVx Says:

Thu, Apr 03, 2008 at 12:53 pm

“(Alferd) Williams, who lives in a friend’s laundry room, has traveled a lot by Greyhound bus and says he never knew why passengers stood in different lines until he could read the names of the destination cities at each line.

The school has set up a fund to help Williams financially.

To help him out, call Edison Elementary School at (816) 671-4110.”

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BamaBob Says:

Thu, Apr 03, 2008 at 12:52 pm

Oh brother…... This world has become so wicked I guess some people see the dark side of everything.

Seniors and children are a very good mix most of the time.

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amber-marie Says:

Thu, Apr 03, 2008 at 12:43 pm

Oh my gosh you guys are ridiculous. This man deserves to be applauded not condemned. He is trying to learn, he deserves just as much a chance as everyone else. Its attitudes like that that cause problems. He is not an inmate, he does not need to be “monitered”. And I am sure that someone like you guys would be the one to have your kid say “he touched me” in order to get him out of the class. Seriously. Let him have the same chance we all did.

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KxVx Says:

Thu, Apr 03, 2008 at 11:54 am

With things such as Hooked On Phonics, and private tutors, I think this is highly inappropriate, and I would feel very uncomfortable to know that a grown man was in my little boy or little girls class. Did they do a background check on this guy? Is he CONSTANTLY supervised while around the children? What does he do at nap time?

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Mercedes Says:

Thu, Apr 03, 2008 at 11:50 am

This guy may be harmless, however, parents should object to this! Look what it does to the dynamics of the class. Can’t kids just be kids any more. I wouldn’t have wanted him in my 1st grade class. This guy is just asking for trouble. All it takes is for one kid to say he touched him/her and he will be put behind bars so fast.

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BamaBob Says:

Thu, Apr 03, 2008 at 11:30 am

Now this is a man that should be applauded! I bet he doesn’t spend a lot of negative energy ranting about the woulda, coulda, shoulda aspects of life.

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Future Editor Says:

Thu, Apr 03, 2008 at 10:53 am

Much better.