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Literacy Support Center Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center
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Important Sites

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Civics and Government

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  • Civics Online: Students: This gateway portal, designed for children, will lead you to many American heritage sites. Find original U.S. documents, information about American history, archives, collections, history museums, and more.
  • Commonwealth of Virginia: Find information on Virginia communities, family & education, business and employment, and government services.
  • Cultural Orientation Resource Center: Find materials on housing, community services, transportation, health, employment, and cultural adjustment in several Asian, European, African, and Middle Eastern languages. Other orientation materials include bilingual phrasebooks, health resources guides, and a website devoted to cultural orientation.
  • Government Guide: Government Services Made Easy: As you move through this site, you will be able to find federal, state, and local resources for officials and agencies, consumer services, health and safety, benefits and assistance, and more.
  • Tax Center: Yahoo: Find information about state and federal tax forms, tax tools, basic tax tips, and tax resources, such as the Internal Revenue Service website.
  • Congress.org: Find information about state and national elected officials, bills in Congress, elections, agencies, and more.
  • Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles: Find online transactions, such as a driver's license renewal, and citizen services, such as driver services, fee, and identification cards.
  • Voting in Virginia: This Virginia State Board of Elections website includes information on voter registration, absentee voting, voting systems, and a schedule of elections.

ESL/ESOL

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  • Activities for ESL Students: This project of the Internet TESL Journal has more than 1,000 contributions by many teachers.
  • Dave's ESL Café: The Internet's meeting place for ESL and EFL teachers and students from around the world.
  • English Channel: Listening: The listening exercises on this site are integrated in writing and reading exercises. Sound files can be played with Real Audio Player, which can be downloaded for free.
  • English Grammar Links for ESL Students: Do you have a question about prepositions? Do you need to find out how to use the future tense? Do you want to practice for a grammar test? On this page you will find links to grammar references, exercises, and quizzes that can help!
  • General Listening Quizzes: Randall's ESL listening lab offers easy, medium, and hard listening exercises.
  • Global Update: Collection of Articles Around the World: Find a collection of articles for ESL students at intermediate/upper intermediate level. The material is authentic and exercises are added regularly. Some of the exercises contain audio and video fragments. They can be played with the Real Audio Player.
  • Internet Sites for Adult Learners: Official student site on the Illinois LINCS website. Find numerous student resources and websites listed by category.
  • Karin's ESL Party Land: Student pages have over 75 interactive quizzes, 15 discussion forums, interactive lessons on a variety of topics, a chat room, and lots of great links.
  • Multilingual Dictionaries: Find an online dictionary in almost any language. (Dutch, English, Finnish, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Polish, Ukranian, Bantu, and more.)
  • Self Study Quizzes for ESL Students: Find grammar, vocabulary, and word quizzes on this Internet TESL Journal website.
  • Speaking: This English Channel site offers practices in pronunciation, introductions, and telephoning.

Family

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  • Family Fundamentals: These PDF documents from the Michican Department of Education are designed to be printed, copied, and given to parents to use with their children. Specific skill activities are based on student need.
  • Family Links for Kids and Parents: Find resources for parents, caregivers, and children on this LINCS site.
  • Family Literacy Activities: This Pennsylvania Center for the Book website offers family literacy activity ideas for helping adults read to their children.
  • Intergenerational Literacy Activities: The Intergenerational Literacy Notebook, from the Colorado Department of Education, is a collection of thematically based activities for adults and their children to complete together. A majority of these activities are designed for English language learners and are life skills based. Science and social studies activities primarily target the ABE/GED learner.
  • Literacy is Fun for the Family: These family literacy activities from the Indiana University School of Education focus on instructions for writers. Activities include: Write Me a Story; Make a Biography; Can You Make Me Buy It?; and more.
  • My Child's Academic Success: Free “Helping Your Child” booklets from Ed.gov website include helping your child in history, science, math, reading, homework, school, and more.
  • Reading is a Family Affair: Tips from the Illinois State Library Literacy Office on what parents can do to help children read.
  • Reading is Fundamental: This site provides tips on simple things families can do to help their children become good readers.
  • Parenting and Families: Resources for parents and families from the Virginia Cooperative Extension.

Finances/Consumer

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  • Financial Management: The Virginia Cooperative Extension offers advice in the following: credit, taking charge of finances, health care, home business management, insurance, loss of income, and estate and retirement planning.
  • Family Resource Center: Budget: Find information on how to keep a budget and track your credit report. Also find money-saving tips, a printable budget form, online banking, saving on purchases, and more.
  • Learn About Buying a Computer: This Virtual Visit was made by students and teachers at the East Boston Harborside Community Center. This site is easy to read and navigate.

GED

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  • Adult Education Resources on the Web: Resources from the Maryland Literacy Adult Resource Center for adult learners on ABE, computer-assisted instruction, employability skills, family literacy, GED, life skills, math, pre-GED, reading, school-to-work, workplace literacy, and more.
  • GED: This is the official GED test site provided by the American Council on Education.
  • General Educational Development: Find resources on test-taking strategies, test facts, test preparation, free practice tests, GED scoring, skill games, grammar guides, and more.
  • GED Practice.Com: This is a free service provided by Steck-Vaughn to familiarize you with the types of items you will see on the actual GED test. By answering the GED practice questions and getting feedback, you will develop a feel for the kind of reading, thinking, and problem-solving skills you will need to pass the GED test.
  • Improve Your Studying Skills: Find study tips from the Counseling and Psychological Service (CAPS) website at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Division of Student Affairs.
  • Lesson Plans: Use of the Casio Calculator: Lessons and practice exercises from the Missouri Valley Adult Education Association for teaching use of the Casio fx-260 calculator. The lessons are in Adobe PDF format or text version for instructors' use.
  • Study Guides and Strategies: An extensive study site provided in the interest of helping learners worldwide in the following subjects: preparing to learn, studying, learning with others, classroom participation, project management, reading, writing, and math skills, and test-taking strategies. ESL learners can find numerous language translations.
  • Study Skills: HowToStudy.com is a free study skills resource site.
  • The Virginia GED: Learn about getting a GED in Virginia and how to join the Race to GED. Includes information on regional testing centers, test questions, registration, and contact numbers.

Health

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  • Bilingual Brochures from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Brochures in Spanish and English on a variety of topics, such as eating for a healthy heart, coping with bladder problems, and feeding babies, can be viewed in HTML or PDF format.
  • Bilingual Patient Education Materials: The National Center for Farmworker Health, Inc. offers a portfolio of low-literacy, bilingual patient education materials in Spanish and English in topics such as high blood pressure, work injuries, diabetes, stress reduction, and more.
  • Dental Resource Net: Find information in English, Spanish, French, and Chinese on the care of teeth, flossing, periodontal disease, sensitive teeth, tooth decay, and more.
  • Family Doctor: FamilyDoctor.org lists family health information in a user-friendly format.
  • Health and Literacy Resources from Eastern LINCS Student/Learner Resources: Find health information and dictionaries and glossaries.
  • Health InformationThis National Institutes of Health (NIH) site lists information alphabetically or categorically.
  • Managed Care and You: A Simple Guide to Choosing and Using a Managed Care Health Plan: Listed here are health education materials and websites appropriate for use with people from different cultures and adults with limited literacy skills. Each material listed has a description of how it can be used, along with information on how to order it, and how much it costs. Each website includes the web address and a description of what you can find there.
  • Picture Stories for Adult ESOL Health Literacy: Find health-related activities for ESOL students from the National Center for ESL Literacy Education. Featured topics include: “Emergency,” “A Doctor's Appointment,” “Stressed Out.” Also find a picture story on domestic violence.
  • Pocket Guide to Minority Health Resources: The Office of Minority Health sponsors this site. Click “Health Links” on the left and find resources in Spanish, for African minorities, and for Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and native Hawaiians.

History and Geography

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Jobs and Work

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  • Applying for a Job: The Occupational Outlook Handbook from the Department of U.S. Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics provides information about resumes and applications forms.
  • Career Connect: Find employment and career-related information for all of Virginia's workforce regions.
  • Career Finder: America's Career Info.net provides information and statistics on employment, career prospects, career tools, the labor market, and more.
  • Career Services: Career Services at Virginia Tech offers a one-stop shop for writing a resume, job searches, cover letters, finding employers, meeting employers, and more.
  • Example of an Online Job Application: The Job Application Center at About.com provides examples of several job application forms. Print out an application and practice filling one out.
  • PBS LiteracyLink: Build basic skills online in the following subject areas: Workplace Essential Skills, Pre-GED Connection, and GED Connection.
  • Tips for Job Hunters: The Displaced Homemaker's Program offers tips in the following categories: Resume and Cover Letter, Job Fairs, Interviewing, Applications, Finding a Company, and more.
  • Virginia Employment Commission: Find easy access to Virginia employment services and opportunities.
  • What is Work Keys?: This Central Virginia Community College website offers an overview of Work Keys.

Learning Disability

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  • Literacy and Learning Disabilities Special Collection: This important and comprehensive collection from LINCS is designed for adults with learning disabilities and LD teachers.
  • National Center for Learning Disabilities: Being an adult with LD is about taking charge of your life. You'll have to find resources and make decisions that are right for you. But that doesn't mean that it has to be a difficult process. The “For Adults” section will help you find the help you're looking for.
  • Reading and Learning Disabilities: Problems with reading are often accompanied by problems with writing, listening, or speaking. Each person having trouble in any or all of these areas should know that help is available. Find information for children and adults in this publication from the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities.
  • LD In Depth - Adult Issues Online: Research has shown that learning disabilities do not disappear when one leaves school and that they can occur across an individual's lifespan. This assortment of articles examines adult issues in the field of learning disabilities.
  • Learning Disorders: This extensive site from MedlinePlus is a service of the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.
  • Parenting Issues for Adults with Learning Disabilities: With some effort and careful planning, being a parent with LD can be an enriching and rewarding experience. Find tips in this site prepared by the LDA Adult Issues Committee.
  • America's Disability Bookstore: The Special Needs Project in Santa Barbara, California offers online disability-related information.

Math

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  • Change Maker: This online game from funbrain.com will help you figure out how to make change and how much money you can expect to get back when you pay for something. Several levels of expertise (easy, medium, hard, etc.) are provided.
  • Consumer Math: Learn about consumer math normally covered in K8 math courses. Each page provides an explanation, interactive practice, and challenge games.
  • Math in Daily Life: How do numbers affect everyday decisions? When you buy a car, follow a recipe, or decorate your home, you're using math principles. People have been using these same principles for thousands of years, across countries and continents. Find many practical math resources on this site.
  • Determine the True Cost of Interest: Bankrate.com has assembled one of the most complete sets of financial calculators on the web. Choices include: calculators, autos, CD/savings, credit cards, currency, home equity, investing, retirement, insurance, managing your money, mortgages and loans, moving, small business, and spending power.
  • Everyday Math: Cooking, Newspapers, Surveys, and Trips: Find a variety of sites on this University of Michigan website that use math in real life situations. Grade levels are K-12.
  • Instructional Materials for Adult Learners: Find interactive math sites for adult students on this LINCS website.
  • Math Goodies: Math Goodies has over 400 pages of activities for students, educators, and parents.
  • Math in Daily Life: How do numbers affect everyday decisions? When you buy a car, follow a recipe, or decorate your home, you're using math principles. People have been using these same principles for thousands of years, across countries and continents. Find many practical math resources on this site.
  • Math Land: The Grocery Store: The grocery store is one of the best examples of of a place where math is real. Since trips to the grocery store usually affect everyone in the family, the following activities can take place over many visits to the store.
  • Measuring With A Ruler: Learn to use a ruler to find the length, width, and perimeter of something. You can print out an answer sheet and do the activities.
  • Pot of Gold Math Game: This online game provides a fun, visual way to add and subtract change.
  • Practical Money Skills for Life: PracticalMoneySkills.com is a free website designed by VISA to help educators, parents, and students practice better money management for life.
  • Savings Bonds: Learn All About Them: This Bureau of the Public Debt website discusses savings bonds, what bonds look like, why people buy bonds, where to buy bonds, who can own a bond, and more.

Organizations

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  • ProLiteracy Worldwide: This worldwide literacy organization pursues a mission of sponsoring educational programs that help adults and their families acquire the literacy practices and skills they need to function more effectively in their daily lives.
  • Value: Voices for Adult Literacy United in Education: VALUE’s mission is to expand the role of adult learners in adult literacy efforts in the United States.

Reading

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References and Fast Search

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Technology

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Writing

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Other Web Sites

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This document was last modified on Thursday, 16-Dec-2004 14:42:30 EST.