The mission of the Literacy Council is to teach adults the basic skills of reading, writing, understanding, and speaking English. This is accomplished through specialized educational services. The Literacy Council's one-to-one instruction programs are unique because they allow the tutor to tailor the instruction to the needs and goals of the individual student. By teaching basic skills, the Literacy Council assists adults in pursuing their personal goals and in participating in the community more confidently and effectively.

History:
Since 1962, the Literacy Council has trained thousands of volunteers to provide one-on-one tutoring to adults in our community. The Literacy Council is the oldest nonprofit adult literacy program in Virginia, serving the counties of Arlington and Fairfax and the cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, and Fairfax. It is an affiliate of ProLiteracy International, a national literacy organization that certifies trainers and provides instructional materials and support.

Contact person: Belle Peñaranda, Director Of Community Outreach, (703) 237-0866 x111, (email)
Main office number: (703) 237-0866
Office fax number: (703) 237-2863

Address:

2855 Annandale Road Falls Church, VA 22042 (See a map)

Directions:

Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: East Falls Church

Overall Experience   
Both students and staff are very committed to learning.

I am tutoring both an ESOL student (from Morocco) and a Basic Lit student (dyslexic). They are both extremely pleasant to work with, hungry for learning and for communication skills. I am challenged to come up with lessons that are interesting and helpful for them. As an editor, I am personally more aware of the meaning of language and all of its nuances when I meet with my students; grammar, idiom and even cultural matters figure into our lessons. Helping another person to understand English enhances my own appreciation of the language that we all take so for granted. posted by sharonleereads on May 7, 2006