Thank you for participating in our fifth-annual book fair in all the ways that you did — as a donor, supporter, volunteer, shopper, partner, or sponsor! The event was a tremendous community success, with the highest turnout we’ve ever seen.
Every person who supported the book fair had a positive impact on our ability to provide free assessments, materials, and tutoring for adults in Anne Arundel County. We will transform more lives because of you.
Please see essential updates on the GED test and the U.S. Citizenship test.
We’re also sharing the inspiring story of long-term Literacy Council student, Ida, who has been empowered to read as an adult, see the post.
Many thanks for all you do,
Jane
On October 20, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services implemented a new naturalization civics test with more possible questions and a higher standard for correct answers. The new test will be administered to anyone who applied for citizenship starting October 20, 2025. Those who had an application in process before then will take the 2008 version of the test. For more information, read ProLiteracy’s news update or visit the USCIS website’s Citizenship Resource Center*.
*As of October 10, study guides on the USCIS website are for the 2008 version of the test. In January 2026, ProLiteracy expects to publish updated test study materials. The Literacy Council will provide citizenship test materials for students and tutors on request.
El GED en español
The GED now offers all four subject tests in Spanish, including Reasoning through Language Arts (RLA).
While our tutors do not typically tutor in Spanish, if a student wants to study on their own in their first language, we can provide a Spanish GED prep book.
GED pricing and discounts
The price for one subject test is $36 in Maryland. However, there are ways to pay less! Maryland offers a Discount Voucher Code for the first attempt of each subject test, so a student would pay only $14.25 for each first attempt.
If a student needs to take a retest at a test center, the first retest will be discounted to $10, the second will cost the full price of $36, and the third will be discounted to $10 (from the Maryland Dept of Labor website). There are no discounts for retests of the Online Proctored (OP) Exam.
4th & Goal for students who have one test to go
Maryland offers a program called 4th and Goal, which applies to GED test-takers who have completed three of the GED subject tests and just have the fourth one remaining. This program offers short-term assistance for classes and tutoring, and it also covers the costs of a practice test and the exam fee for the final subject test. A test-taker must apply online for 4th and Goal benefits.
Want to know more?
Please feel free to contact us for information and guidance regarding the GED. You may also explore these resources:
The best starting point for GED information is the GED.com website.
Check here for more specific GED information relevant to Maryland.
Find valuable online GED information through the Maryland Department of Labor website.
AACPL.net offers online GED resources. Go to the library’s Student Center to access the Brainfuse Adult Learning Center and Peterson’s Test and Career Prep.
Ida’s Unwavering Commitment to Learning
Ida Gross, an 83-year-old Baltimore native, embarked on her literacy journey nine years ago with the Literacy Council. For the first two years, she worked with tutor Karen Lehmkuhl weekly to enhance her reading skills. Beth Henry later joined, focusing on math, as Ida prepared for her GED tests over the next two years.
When the National External Diploma Program (NEDP) became available, both tutors encouraged Ida to pursue it. As Karen’s availability dwindled, Beth guided Ida through the NEDP. Ida passed two of the three entrance tests just before the onset of COVID-19, leading to a transition to holding sessions over the phone. They completed all NEDP workbooks, provided by the Literacy Council. However, health and transportation issues soon made continuing the NEDP impractical.
Instead, Ida and Beth chose to focus on reading, stemming from their enjoyable sessions together. Ida recalled how she used to glance at Reader’s Digest in the grocery store and think, “I’ll never be able to read that.” With Beth’s support, she soon tackled the magazine, eventually finishing issues well before the next ones arrived.
Ida then discovered her grandson’s old American history textbook, expressing a desire to read it. After Beth found a used copy online, they dedicated a year to finishing the entire book. Their next challenge is the Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr., which they are close to completing.
Beth is continually amazed at Ida’s remarkable improvement in reading comprehension and fluency, especially given her own lack of formal training as a reading instructor and the challenges posed by their inability to meet in person. She credits much of this progress to Ida’s unwavering commitment to learning.
Ida now spends much time with her nose in a book, sharing her newfound knowledge, and staunchly advocating reading for all family members (especially the younger ones). Reflecting on her journey, she beautifully states: “When you can read, you can see the world.”
Comprehensive Report on Community Needs Now Available
The Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County (CFAAC) has released its 2025 community needs assessment report, Poverty Amidst Plenty VIII: Building Community Together.
From CFAAC’s website: the report “is intended to increase knowledge, raise awareness, and frame informed discussions about persistent local trends and needs. It serves as both a tool and a call to action—designed to support all who are committed to strengthening Anne Arundel County through continuous improvement.”
Dr. Pamela Brown, the report’s author, will present her findings in public presentations this fall. Download the report and sign up to attend a presentation in Annapolis on October 1 or at Anne Arundel Community College on November 5.
CFAAC funds local grants and workshops that benefit the Literacy Council and other nonprofits. AACLC’s endowment fund is managed by the Community Foundation.
Refer a Friend to Train With Us
Our fall tutor training session will happen on October 18 at Woods Church in Severna Park!
We’re always looking for new, dedicated tutors and especially need help in northern Anne Arundel County (Glen Burnie and Brooklyn Park). In addition, there are always students from Annapolis and the Severn area on our waiting list. Please consider referring neighbors or friends you think could be committed AACLC tutors.
We’re training new tutors for each of our programs: basic literacy, math, English language learning, and high school diploma preparation.
Interested trainees should contact Jane at director@aaclc.org. Space is limited.
The Power of We: ESL Tutors Share Ideas & Resources
Thanks to the ESL tutors who joined us at our collaboration meetup in Eastport earlier this month.
We couldn’t have held this gathering without the support of our Annapolis partner Seeds 4 Success. Thank you, Seeds Team!
Stay tuned for more opportunities for tutors to gather and collaborate. We are planning to grow this offering.
We’re just days away from our fifth-annual book fair on September 27. Please share with students, neighbors, and friends — we’ll be inside the mall, outside Crate & Barrel and the Discoveries Library with thousands of gently used books of all genres.
Don’t miss our raffle baskets, filled with prizes such as delicious wines, restaurant gift cards, and other local treats (see this post).
This year, we’ve partnered with Discoveries Library and local author J. Lynwood Holmes, owner of Old Fox Books, to host a reading and a local author’s fair inside the library.
Thank you to all our reading enthusiasts for their donations from throughout Anne Arundel County, and to the local businesses that are supporting the book fair with their sponsorships and gifts. We couldn’t do this without such generosity.
All proceeds will benefit our free adult tutoring programs.
I hope to see you there. Please invite your students and their families.
Many thanks for all you do,
Jane
