Adult Basic Education
The Adult Literacy Center
offers free instruction in
adult basic education (ABE)
for adults who are
lower-level readers (grade
4—9). This class is a good
choice for students who want
to improve their reading
writing, language or math
skills. Classes are taught
by professional paid
instructors and one-on-one
instruction is available
through trained Volunteer
Tutors. Instruction is
designed around the needs
and interests of the
student. Some ABE students
hope to earn the GED® in the
future and can transition to
GED classes when they are
ready. Students should be
prepared to commit at least
3—6 hours per week to their
studies.
Please see our class
schedule for more
information on the time and
location of class. See our
Volunteer Page for more
information on becoming a Volunteer
Tutor.
General Educational
Development (GED®)
A GED can pave the way for
job opportunities, job
advancement, and entry into
vocational and college
programs. The Adult Literacy
Center offers free classes,
led by professional paid
instructors and trained
volunteers, to prepare GED
candidates to take and pass
each of the five subject
areas of the GED
test—writing, language arts
reading, math, social
studies, and science. Before
a student actually takes the
GED exam, the Adult Literacy
Center administers GED
Practice Tests, which are
strong predictors of actual
test scores.
Practice-testing continues
until students feel
confident and comfortable
about taking the real test.
To accommodate adult
learners’ varying schedules,
classes are offered during
the day and in the evening.
Students should be prepared
to commit at least 4 ˝ hours
each week to their studies,
but can also opt to spend up
to 15 hours each week in
class to expedite their
studies. Average class size
for GED is 12—18 students.
Prior to enrollment in
class, students are tested
to assure that instruction
is offered at a level
appropriate to their needs.
Please see our class
schedule for times and
locations of classes and
call to register at (610)
435-0680.
English for Speakers of
Other Languages (ESL)
The Adult Literacy Center
offers non-native English
speakers a friendly,
supportive learning
environment. Small class
instruction, taught by
professional paid
instructors, or one-on-one
tutoring, provided by
trained volunteer tutors,
emphasize English speaking
and listening skills,
English vocabulary and
cultural understanding. We
offer three levels of
English classes--Beginner,
Intermediate and
Advanced--during the day and
evening at various locations
to best meet individual
schedules. An average class
size is 15—20 students.
Classes meet two, three or
five times a week for one
and a half to two hours.
The Center’s ESL students
represent more than 61
countries, contributing to a
multicultural environment.
Our instructors help to
create a respectful and
friendly environment in
their classrooms, where
learners share their
experiences from their
native countries as well as
the challenges they face as
they adjust to life in the
United States.
To help our students succeed
in learning English, we
carefully evaluate their
needs and skills before they
begin classes. Students take
a placement test to enter
the program at the
appropriate level. We care
about the progress our
students make, so we assess
them every two months and
advise them of their
progress. Also, students who
want to gain U.S.
citizenship can opt to
participate in special
learning opportunities that
will assist them in their
efforts.
See our class schedule to
find a convenient English as
a Second Language class and
call (610) 435-0680 to
register.
Youth in Adult Education
Program
The Adult Literacy Center
offers a special program to
help younger individuals
(aged 16—21 and out of
school) pursue the GED® and
learn important life skills.
This program combines GED
instruction with counseling
and services that
concentrate on building
self-esteem, anger
management, time management,
decision making and goal
setting skills. The Adult
Literacy Center also pays
the cost of the GED exam for
participants in this program
through funding from the
City of Allentown Weed and
Seed program.
Computer-Assisted
Instruction
The Adult Literacy Center
offers students the
opportunity to participate
in instruction in its
special literacy computer
center. Equipped with 16
computer systems for use by
students, the center is
available to students as
part of their class
activities, for self-study,
and for special
computer-topic classes.
There is no cost to
participate in these
programs. The Adult Literacy Center
will also assist certain
students in obtaining a
refurbished or donated
computer system for home
study activities.
For more information on any
of our free services and
programs please call us at
(610) 435-0680.
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