Budget buster- tutoring

[stichy]

The tests they give just test what he knows/doesn't know, and not why. Then they start running him through material to teach him what he doesn't have mastered.

If you think he is behind simply because the teaching he had the last few years was poor, then this may be enough (but again, the hourly rate is high).

If you think he is behind because of an underlying LD, then knowing exactly what it is is critical to figure out HOW to teach him. The center-type tutoring probably won't help if this is the case.

And I hate to say, but don't put too much trust in what the teacher is telling you. I had teachers tell me for years that my daughter was "a little slow, but fine". She even made As and Bs in school, although they were hard fought battles with long nights stuggling over homework. The teachers told me they didn't see the need for testing (I asked several times), until she TOTALLY TANKED - really bad - on standardized testing the first year she took it. And then they still tried to tell me that they thought "the test wasn't a true reflection of her abilities". I had to tell them that while it might not have been a true reflection of her abilities, it definitely showed there was some sort of problem and I was getting her tested!!! While we like to think teachers will know all there is to know about learning, including learning disabilities, the truth is most regular classroom teachers know some but not much. They are NOT specialists in this area.

I asked for LD testing last year through the school. We got the oh he doesn't need it song and dance. So we are trying again this year. His ped has offered to write a letter to the school saying she recommends he be tested. We have a meeting at the school on Monday to talk to the intervention team. He's getting tested this year. If I can't get the school to do it then we'll just pay for private testing. Our insurance covers some of this cost. Also our doc is really careful about rxing meds. She requires additional testing above and beyond the norm. We are lucky to be in a position right now that we can afford all of this.

 

[stichy]

Please listen to the advice you are getting from everyone here. You were given a strong, professional sales pitch, as you would've from a time share presentation. The difference is, this is about your child, and now you feel you owe your son this experience. Mommy guilt. I sent my oldest to a center one summer after she got a B in math in the 4th grade. She HATED it, and she only went once a week! Her 5th grade math teacher discovered the problem - she didn't know her multiplication tables 100%.

I don't know what they told me about her test scores, but she's always scored high proficient on standardized math tests, was always in high math in elementary, vector for JH, honors in HS. She never came home with less than an A. They must've really given me a good pitch, and had a good laugh, since I'm sure her test was awesome.

How much did they charge you to test him?

It was $110 for the testing. There is no way I would be running to have him tutored it he got a B. The grading scale at his school is so strict that anything below a 70 is failing He has a lot of areas that he struggles in not just one. It is just too much for me to handle alone. DH works 70 hours a week. Most of the time he isn't home until about an hour before DS goes to work. I've been researching ADD online and it is starting to come together. He has a lot of red flags. Alot we thought we just because he was an only child but now I realize those things in addition of some other signs he's shown point towards a LD. He has a really hard time focusing. Once we can get on top of that I think things will progress speedily.

 

[cinnamon-sugah]

I have to agree other other posters on this. My sister worked for one of these place (not Huntington but a competitor) and she said that she had NEVER tested a student where they didn't tell her to recommend tutoring. Basically what she did with them was pass out worksheets and correct the ones the kids missed. She finally quit because she couldn't stand pressuring people to pay money when their kids just needed a few hours of one on one help not tons of hours doing worksheets.

 

[rileyroosmom]

I totally hear and understand the frustration you are having with your son. I am a certified teacher and the mother of a child with learning disabilities.

I wish you would listen to what others are saying here. The process to have your child tested and diagnosed takes a long time through the school, but it is necessary. In the mean time, talk to the teacher and ask her what other teachers in the school do private tutoring....that is who you need to help your son.

Please don't use Huntington. NO ONE can tell you how many hours it is going to take to get your child up to speed. Anyone who knows anything about children will tell you that 1.5-2 hours for tutoring for an 8 year old is WAY TOO LONG!!! 45 minutes is about the right time and I suspect that that will even be too long for him. Huntington is telling you what you want to hear and it's just not reality. When you pay money to have your child tutored, you want one on one the whole time, not part of a group setting.

Your best course of action is to talk to the school, over and over if that's what it takes. The school should have support staff that works with children who are struggling. My son always attended a small group setting for reading through out elementary school. Our school also had a group that met once a week after school. I'm sure your school also has some support - you need to ask. Ask the teacher what the the school can do for your son.

Please don't use this center. You are fortunate to have the money, but it would be better used somewhere else. This company is in the business to make money. They really aren't working for the best of your child. Also, your son is 8. Please don't say he won't get to college if he continues this way. I totally understand the frustration and fear you are feeling, but you must give positive statements and feelings only. I'm sure your son feels like a failure (Mine always says he isn't good enough)

Good luck to you. You are your child's best advocate, so keep going to the school and demand help and answers.

 

[amartinwagner]

We have recently started our son in Kumon Learning Center. It is 2 half hour sessions a week it is about $105 a month. It is more affordable than Hundington or Sylvan. So far it works for us. Hope this helps.

 

[DipsyDoodles]

Please be careful of Huntington.

I am a teacher and we had a parent that wanted her child to go to the local prep school. Now this school is hard to get into. You really need to be working a bit over grade level ... and have a lot of money for the tuition. Now, we didn't know this mother was pursuing this ....

Anyway, the mom kept telling us that her child was not doing well even though he showed not signs of struggling. (I am a teacher in a public school system.) However, we tested him with all of our local assessments, the special ed. teacher tested him along with the reading specialist. He came out average ... and even a bit above average in some of the testing. She took him to Huntington .... and he was just about failing everything! Our school psychologist (who has a PHD) called the center to talk to the testing administrator to discuss the tests, stanines, national averages, etc. and the administrator could not answer any of her questions.

Please be careful. Let the school test your child and see were there is a need. Good Luck.

And as a side note, the help you can provide at home, under the guidance of a specialist in school (like a sp.ed or remedial reading/math teacher) can make more of a difference than a tutor that comes to your home once a week. I hope this helps.

This is a great point.... I hope the OP considers a private tutor.

 

[hipchickie]

And I hate to say, but don't put too much trust in what the teacher is telling you.

ITA - we had a feeling something was wrong in K, but the teacher insisted everything was fine. Turns out he copied off others, and she never walked around to see what was gong on.
Next year we moved, and in a new school system it was immediately noticed there was a problem and he eventually was diagnosed dyslexic (they actually use a different term these days, but I can never remember it)

Get him tested first - I know you want to "fix" the problem asap, but you need to slow down and have it done the right way.

 

[rangermom]

I agree with PP's. Get him tested first and then see what the school can offer. My Dniece and Dnephew qualified for Scotish Rites and the services were free. Is there a local college near by? Mybe there is a college student that would be interested in tutoring him.

 

[mjkacmom]

It was $110 for the testing. There is no way I would be running to have him tutored it he got a B. The grading scale at his school is so strict that anything below a 70 is failing He has a lot of areas that he struggles in not just one. It is just too much for me to handle alone. DH works 70 hours a week. Most of the time he isn't home until about an hour before DS goes to work. I've been researching ADD online and it is starting to come together. He has a lot of red flags. Alot we thought we just because he was an only child but now I realize those things in addition of some other signs he's shown point towards a LD. He has a really hard time focusing. Once we can get on top of that I think things will progress speedily.

My point was they still offered dd tutoring, even though they must've known it wasn't needed (she was my first child - I was a little nutty). Anything below 70 is failing here, too. If he might have ADD, a center is not a good place for him (speaking as a mom of a child with ADD). I know what a great feeling it is to find a solution to a problem, but I don't think you've found it. It might feel like a quick fix, but he's 8 - it's not like this is going to be on his permanant record.

 

[MomToOne]

I asked for LD testing last year through the school. We got the oh he doesn't need it song and dance. So we are trying again this year. His ped has offered to write a letter to the school saying she recommends he be tested. We have a meeting at the school on Monday to talk to the intervention team. He's getting tested this year. If I can't get the school to do it then we'll just pay for private testing. Our insurance covers some of this cost. Also our doc is really careful about rxing meds. She requires additional testing above and beyond the norm. We are lucky to be in a position right now that we can afford all of this.

If you want testing the school system HAS to provide it. They can try and talk you out of it, but if you insist they have to do it.

There are some good websites out there about how to accomplish this - you need to send certified letters, etc. But they can't say they won't test because THEY don't think there is a problem. You have the right to have your child tested. I'll have to dig around and see if I can find them again...

ETA: My favorite site is ldonline.com

For your legal rights re. having your child tested, check out: http://www.ldonline.org/article/Knowing_Your_Child's_Rights

 

[princessmom29]

DS is having some trouble in school this year. We are in the process of having him tested for learning disabilities. We wanted to cover all the bases so we took him to Huntington Learning Center to be evaulated. I got the results back today. He needs 130 hours of tutoring. It's going to cost 7k. If we pay all up front we get a 10% discount. That comes to just a few hundred $ lower than the cruise vacation I was going to pitch to DH tonight. Scrap that plan. It looks like our plans for an out of country vacation may be scratched for next year. The closest we may be getting to a foreign country might be the world showcase. We would only needs a room and money for food. Luckily right now we have some extra money set aside for taxes so we can pay upfront. DH's bonus next year can replace the money. Last weekend the cars needed $800 of work to be able to pass inspection. When it rains it pours.

As a teacher, I say please consider waiting unitl you get the school's result back. I don't see how they can tell you exactly how many hours he is going to need without even having sat down with him. test can tell you how far behing a child is, but not how long it will take them to make it up. There is really no way to accurately perdict that. He may beign catching on rather quickly and need only a few help sessions, or he may need extensive help. Is sounds highly suspicious to me, nad more like an attempt ot gurantee they are going to get your money than a genuine attempt to help your child. Around here, many certifiedteachers tutor on the side (not thier own students of course) and few charge more than $30-40 an hour. You can probably find better help elsewhere.

 

[princessmom29]

If you want testing the school system HAS to provide it. They can try and talk you out of it, but if you insist they have to do it.

There are some good websites out there about how to accomplish this - you need to send certified letters, etc. But they can't say they won't test because THEY don't think there is a problem. You have the right to have your child tested. I'll have to dig around and see if I can find them again...

No they don't. They must respond to your resquest, but in my district students must spend a minimum of 45 days in and academic improvement plan and have no significant gains to be tested. Distriacts can and do require proff of and academic diffculty thyat is not responding to intervention before testing is done. It is a response to a national lawsuit alleging overidentification of studnets for special ed services. There now must be a demonstrated reason for testing for it to proceed. A school can choose to grant a parent request without gonig through this process, but they are NOT required to do so.

 

[janette]

I agree with the others here, get a full evaluation before spending any money. It would be better to put some of the money into an evaluation. The schools will do most of it but they don't do all tests, often they will only test to say whether or not they have an LD - sometimes kids have learning issues that don't qualify as LD.

Since he is doing poorly in all subjects it could be some kind of processing issue and unless Hunington's tailors the tutoring to accomadate the issues it won't be helpful. You have to know why he isn't learning before trying to fix it.

My 16yo DD is dyslexic; she's tested as LD since pre-school but it doesn't effect all classes really depends on the subject / learning methods.

If you have a Scottish-Rite near you some of them test for free, it takes about 6mths to get in but they do a very comprehensive evaluation.

 

[Noah]

I would suggest hiring a reliable and kind college-student to tutor him. Not only will this save you time, you can monitor them and provide help if needed or lessen the work if necessary. Also, there is a CD that helps students concentrate better especially with learning disabilities.

Check out Steven Halpern's website and look for the cd on learning.

 

[bumbershoot]

Lack of focus...have you had his eyes checked???

There was some bizarre battery of testing done when I was in 7th or 8th grade, and the strange conclusion was that I needed glasses for reading. Mom took me to a trusted optometrist, and it turns out they were right. As soon as I got the glasses (and was moved from the back of the room where 1. I got distracted by my friends and 2. couldn't see as well) I started doing better.

Could be a very simple solution.

 

[MomToOne]

No they don't. They must respond to your resquest, but in my district students must spend a minimum of 45 days in and academic improvement plan and have no significant gains to be tested. Distriacts can and do require proff of and academic diffculty thyat is not responding to intervention before testing is done. It is a response to a national lawsuit alleging overidentification of studnets for special ed services. There now must be a demonstrated reason for testing for it to proceed. A school can choose to grant a parent request without gonig through this process, but they are NOT required to do so.

I stand corrected. However, the school must written notice of the refusal to evaluate, as well as information on how to APPEAL that decision. Not all learning disabilities manifest themselves as poor grades or low test scores - at least not while they are still correctable or most easily overcome. Many learning disabilities are dismissed by teachers in lower grades because while the child is struggling, they do "good enough" and manage to get Bs. But the longer you take to diagnose a learning disability, the harder it is to overcome the problem. Schools should be actively listening to the parent's concerns, and not just looking at grades/test scores. An "academic difficulty" does not always appear first in the classroom - many early indications of problems are noticed by parents during homework time at home.

 

[princessmom29]

I stand corrected. However, the school must written notice of the refusal to evaluate, as well as information on how to APPEAL that decision. Not all learning disabilities manifest themselves as poor grades or low test scores - at least not while they are still correctable or most easily overcome. Many learning disabilities are dismissed by teachers in lower grades because while the child is struggling, they do "good enough" and manage to get Bs. But the longer you take to diagnose a learning disability, the harder it is to overcome the problem. Schools should be actively listening to the parent's concerns, and not just looking at grades/test scores. An "academic difficulty" does not always appear first in the classroom - many early indications of problems are noticed by parents during homework time at home.

You are correct, the reason for refusal has to be documented. The way the law reads in our state is that the student must demonstrate a need to be tested after a monitoring period in which several strategies are employed to help the student. They do not specify how. A child who gets good grades, but cannot seem to master a particular skill despite an intervention plan to help them still qualifies for testing. You just have to prove that what is being done to address the issue is not resolving it. It doesn't even have to be an academic issue. It could be a behavior issue that is effecting academics that cannot be resolved through a behavior modification plan.

 

[tinkabella627]

It was $110 for the testing. There is no way I would be running to have him tutored it he got a B. The grading scale at his school is so strict that anything below a 70 is failing He has a lot of areas that he struggles in not just one. It is just too much for me to handle alone. DH works 70 hours a week. Most of the time he isn't home until about an hour before DS goes to work. I've been researching ADD online and it is starting to come together. He has a lot of red flags. Alot we thought we just because he was an only child but now I realize those things in addition of some other signs he's shown point towards a LD. He has a really hard time focusing. Once we can get on top of that I think things will progress speedily.

Maybe I am interpreting this wrong... are you saying your son has signs of ADD? If that is the case 1.5-2 hours of tutoring is no way to solve the problem! He won't be able to focus that long on one subject. I teach 3rd grade and I am constantly changing what we do to keep my non LD kids focused. I have one with ADHD and one with ADD and geesh if I can keep them focused for 20 minutes that is a success. If I interpreted wrong, I apologize.

I do agree with PP that is a LOT of money to spend up front when there is no guarantee that amount of hours are needed, or if that amount will even work. If there truly is a LD services can be provided through school. Accommodations will need to be made in the classroom. Simple things can make a big difference. Maybe talk to the teacher and see if he can get seating closest to where the teacher is most times this way the teacher can watch if he is focusing. Politely ask the teacher to just monitor what he is doing when he is getting confused or what skills he is having a problem with. There are a lot of free resources online that can help. If you have any specific subject area questions (I apologize if any of this was mentioned, I just skimmed some posts) you can feel free to PM me and I can give you any online help I have.

 

[KKB]

I asked for LD testing last year through the school. We got the oh he doesn't need it song and dance. So we are trying again this year. His ped has offered to write a letter to the school saying she recommends he be tested. We have a meeting at the school on Monday to talk to the intervention team. He's getting tested this year. If I can't get the school to do it then we'll just pay for private testing. Our insurance covers some of this cost. Also our doc is really careful about rxing meds. She requires additional testing above and beyond the norm. We are lucky to be in a position right now that we can afford all of this.

DO NOT let them drag you out any longer. As a parent you have a RIGHT to have your student tested--JUST BY ASKING! Tell them you will go straight to the school board if the testing isn't done within a month. (those that say the district doesn't have to--you might want to research the federal sped law. If a parent requests, the school MUST comply...tho they may claim they can try other avenues before going there...)

$7K is insane. I would never commit to a scripted program. You are FAR better to hire a teacher or college student who will create an INDIVIDUALIZED program.

You are justifying it that he is an only child...you can afford it...but do NOT justify what doesn't need justifying. Eight year olds are NOT terribly independent learners, especially boys (I have taught elementary students for over 20 years) and 1.5-2 hours is WAY too much for one sitting after a full day of school!!!!! 30-45 min. max for a child of this age--even less if he truly is ADD or ADHD

PLEASE PLEASE listen to the sound advice here...this is a foolish waste of money.

I do have a question...if the school wasn't terribly interested in testing, why are you? Schools are EXPERTS at seeing the signs of students with issues. Eight year old boys do NOT have the world's longest attention span. You mention ADD--this is NOT something that a school or a learning center can test for, and it is not a learning disability. It can ONLY be diagnosed by an MD.

I am all about meeting a child's needs. But the sound advice here to be patient, let the school do it's testing is spot on. And REALLY think before spending an enormous chunk of money (possibly unnecessarily) Do NOT rush into the decision to spend so much--especially when it really seems that it would NOT be a good fit--too long of sessions (for ANY 8 year old boy, much less if he IS ADD), a scripted (not individualized) curriculum.

PLEASE PLEASE think of your son (and your budget)--WAIT. (you can always sign up later...)

 

[JeffreyY]

Huntington Learning Centers was one of the biggest mistakes we made.

When my son was in 3rd grade he scored poorly on his state test. I ran to Huntington Learning Center, they tested him for $150 and decided he also needed 130 hours of tutoring (this must be their magic number) even in math where he scored 2 grades above level. We paid for 100 hrs in advance and he was was supposed to have 3:1 but most times it was 6:1. I wanted them to work on writing as that was a big focus of the forth grade test. They said they would do writing but never did. He did slightly better on the 4th grade test but not $3000 worth (what I paid) and I stopped after the 100 hours.

I should have Known better. I am a teacher and the test they used to determine what he needed was an end of 4th grade test even though he was only end of 3rd grade. This made him look lower then he really was.

The following year I put him in Score (I don't know if they are still around) it was much cheaper and less personal (everything was done on a computer) but he did really well with them. That year he got almost a perfect score on the reading test and a perfect score on math.

My son does not have a learning disability and Huntington waste a big was of time and money.

PS. DS in now in college and doing great so please learn my my mistake and save the $$$$ for college.