Adult Basic Literacy
One-on-one tutoring for English-speaking adults and older teens who want help with reading, writing, and more
Participants who receive Adult Basic literacy tutoring meet with their tutors for a minimum of an hour a week, year-round.
Our volunteer tutors work with adults and older teens who want help pursuing goals such as:
- taking high school equivalency exams
- preparing for driver education tests
- reading their childrenโs papers from school
- preparing to get a job
- preparing to take adult education courses
- improving functional life skills
Students in this program are empowered to direct their own learning and take practical steps to improve their lives.
โI read pretty well now. I donโt know how many words, but probably like a thousand words or something like that. And my tutor helped me learn where to put the punctuation, and what is the right word to use in certain situations.โ
Adult Basic Literacy Program Details
Each student is paired with a tutor. The student and tutor meet for a minimum of an hour, once a week throughout the year, including the summer. Sessions are scheduled to accommodate school, work, short vacations, and family commitments. They are usually held at public places such as libraries. The tutoring sessions are designed by each tutor to specifically address the individual goals, needs, abilities, learning style, and personal interests of each student. The tutor plans the sessions to include materials, activities, and exercises that relate directly to the learnerโs individual reasons for seeking tutoring. Midcoast Literacy has a library filled with a wide variety of books and workbooks suitable for adults, educational games, and other materials that tutors can use during their sessions.
Adult learners and volunteer tutors are expected to commit to meeting for a minimum of an hour once a week, for 12 months. The learner and tutor can decide to meet more than once a week. Students and tutors can also continue in the program beyond the initial 12-month period.
In 2025, 50% of Basic Literacy participants enrolled for 12 months or more achieved their individual goals and completed tutoring.
