The Adult Literacy Center is located on the first floor of the library.
Our mission is to provide adults in the greater Plymouth area the opportunity to develop and improve the life skills and literacy skills needed to achieve personal growth, to further their education, to seek better employment, and to benefit their overall quality of life.
We offer classes for adults who are working towards earning their GED. We also provide tutoring for adults learning English as a second language (ESOL). Our tutors are volunteers from the community who have completed our tutor training program.
For more information about all of our programs, please call the Literacy Learning Center during scheduled hours at (508) 830-4250 x223.
You can also contact the Adult Literacy Coordinator, Jeanne Annino, by phone 508-830-4260 or email PlymouthLit@comcast.net.
GED preparation – our classes
We offer three different types of courses: skills review, pre-GED, and GED classes. This adult education program is funded by the Massachusetts Department of Education, and instructional services are free. Any adult resident of Massachusetts who is no longer enrolled in school is eligible.
Students meet in small groups, working to improve their reading, writing, and math skills. As students improve their skills, they are promoted to the next class. When the practice tests and assessments indicate that they are ready, students are encouraged to sign up for the test at a local GED test center.
ESOL study – sign up to work with a tutor
The adult tutoring program provides Plymouth residents “one on one” tutoring in basic reading, math, writing, and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). Tutoring takes place in the Plymouth Public Library. To enroll, please call us to make an appointment. A short test will be given to determine English skills, and we will match you with a volunteer tutor.
Volunteer to become a tutor
Tutor training is available to any adult who has a high school diploma and who is interested in helping others. The 15-hour training course is offered spring and fall each year, in the Plymouth Public Library. For course details, please click here.
After study – the Next Steps
One of the important parts of the Literacy Program is helping our adult learners plan for the “Next Steps” after improving their literacy skills or getting a GED. The mission of our program encourages lifelong learning, and we also want our students to achieve success and self-sufficiency in their career choices. Our Educational Counselor and staff spend time talking to students about their short and long-term goals. One of the tools introduced by our Educational Advisor and available to our students is Career Cruising.
Our newsletter, Literacy News, also provides information about the program. If you would like to be added to our mailing list, please phone Jeanne Annino at 508-830-4260 or email her at: PlymouthLit@comcast.net
Click here to see more details about the “Next Steps.”
How we are funded
The Literacy Learning Center receives funding from the Massachusetts Department of Education, the Plymouth Public Library Corporation, and the Town of Plymouth. We have also been the recipient of charitable donations and gifts from entities including Entergy Charitable Foundation, Duane Morris, LLP., Plymouth Rotary, WalMart, and BJ’s Wholesale.
We also gratefully acknowledge donations and support from Curry College Plymouth Campus, South Shore Head Start, and JFYNetWorks.
The Literacy Learning Center on the first floor of the library was started with funds from the Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund. The center houses 7 computers with a variety of software to supplement classroom and tutor instruction.
Our resources
The computers in the Literacy Learning Center have access to the Internet as well as many educational programs for students to use. The following is a partial list of software currently installed:
FOR LEARNING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE
The Rosetta Stone (Volumes 1, 2 & 3), Ellis (Pronunciation, Intro, Middle Mastery, Senior Mastery), and the New Oxford Picture Dictionary
READING & LANGUAGE ARTS
Lexia (Strategies for Older Students), LocuTour Literacy, New Reader Bookstore, Vocabulary Connections (Levels A-H), WordSmart (Levels B-E), The Start-to-Finish Library Collection
ABE/GED PREPARATION
Plato, McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Pre-GED and GED Interactive, and Matematiko
GENERAL PROGRAMS
MicroSoft Office (WORD, Excel, PowerPoint) Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing Keystrokes to Literacy (not really a program, but files based on the book)
Also see our list of suggested website sources.
