Basic Adult Literacy (BAL)

Our Basic Adult Literacy (BAL) program helps adults gain basic literacy skills by providing free, confidential instruction. We work with adults of all skill levels – whether they are occasional readers, or need to start right at the beginning. When a student signs up for the Basic Adult Literacy program, they set their own goals, whatever they may be. Perhaps they want to read a bedtime story to their child, or read a driver’s manual, or become confident in communicating with members of the community. We also help adults in getting to grips with numeracy (basic math) and critical thinking.

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Students new to the Basic Adult Literacy program are given a simple assessment to determine their current reading level. Following this, the student is paired with a trained tutor, works with Literacy Center staff, and is free to work in our Literacy Lab. Our Literacy Library is also available to all students, completely for free.

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Our volunteer tutors are trained to provide reading instruction for all adult learners, and the program is also suitable for adults with additional needs such as dyslexia. In most cases, tutoring sessions will be scheduled at times that work for the student, and sessions always take place in public locations accessible to the student. 

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By participating in programs such as our Basic Adult Literacy program, an adult learner can expect increases in literacy levels, potentially leading to an increase in high school equivalency attainment, post secondary education, income, improved health, and improved civic participation.  These outcomes impact everyone in the community in that they contribute to a healthier economy, increased employment, reduction in public assistance, and lower healthcare costs.