Adult Literacy Program

The WLC Adult Basic Education Literacy Program improves basic reading skills for adults who struggle to read by providing small group instruction using the Wilson Reading System. The WLC is committed to providing students with direct instruction in reading and spelling skills so learners can enter a GED program, job-training program, or obtain or improve employment.

Our Program
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The Challenge
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How To Enroll

Our Program

The WLC program is the re-entry point into education for adults who struggle to read. The program is designed for adults who need to improve their basic reading skills to enter a GED program, job training program or who need to read better to enter or improve employment. Adults attend two-hour classes three times each week. All program participants must maintain a 75 percent attendance rate to remain in the program. Individual tutoring to support classroom instruction is available to WLC students with good class attendance. WLC students and alumni can also participate in classes and enrichment opportunities in workforce skills, basic computer skills, and financial literacy skills when sessions are offered.

Who We Serve

  • The WLC serves native English speakers. This is not an ESL program. If you want to learn to speak and read English please call the Adult Literacy Hotline: 202-727-2431 or view the DC Public Library Adult Resource Online Directory.
  • The WLC serves District of Columbia adults: If you live in Maryland, please call the Literacy Council of Prince George’s County at 301-699-9770 or the Literacy Council of Montgomery County at 301-610-0030. If you live in Virginia, please call the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia at 703-237-0866.
  • The WLC serves District of Columbia adults 18 years and older.   For students in grades 1-12, please call For Love of Children (FLOC) at 202-349-3512.  For a youth between the ages of 16 and 24 years old who is seeking a GED program, please call the Adult Literacy Helpline at 202-727-2431 or view the DC Public Library Adult Resource Online Directory.
  • The WLC serves adults with average to above average intelligence. The student may have a learning disability but not an intellectual disability. We use the Wilson Reading System which requires an overall cognitive ability in average range (minimum IQ = 80). To find services for an adult with an intellectual disability, please call the L.T. Kennedy Institute of Catholic Charities DC Employment and Adult Education Services at 202-281-2728. The best way to help an adult with an intellectual disability obtain educational and employment services is to contact the Department on Disability Services.
  • The WLC serves adults who want to improve their basic reading skills so they can enter a GED or job training program, or enter or improve employment. If you want to join a program to read with someone or to be part of a group reading together, please call the Adult Literacy Helpline at 202-727-2431 or view the DC Public Library Adult Resource Online Directory.

The Challenge

Adult literacy in the United States is an acute and persistent problem. This is especially true for the District of Columbia. As of 2007, a study by the State Education Office (OSSE) found that DC’s overall functional illiteracy rate was 36 percent. In some neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River the number of struggling readers is even higher.

Low-literacy is a multi-generational phenomenon. Parents who read poorly tend to raise children who read poorly. It is a pillar of poverty. The DC Chamber of Commerce estimates that between 2000 and 2005, the city lost up to $535 million in tax revenue because businesses had to recruit job applicants from outside the city. The area of Washington with the highest rate of functional illiteracy, Ward 8, has also suffered the most from the poor economy. In 2011, Ward 8 had a 35 percent poverty rate and a 25.2 percent unemployment rate.

How To Enroll

District of Columbia adults over the age of 18 who struggle with reading can apply to enter the WLC program by calling 202-387-9029 X 13. You will be asked to leave your name and a phone number on the Intake Voicemail. You can expect a return call the following Friday. The WLC is not the best program for all adults, so we offer referrals to other community reading programs. Our goal is to find the best program to meet your needs.