Sylvan Learning Center....need info!

[Poohbear123]

I have 2 friends that are interested in this program, and want to know how much it costs, and if any of you have had any of your kids in this program, and how they improved, thanks Faith.

 

[Mercy]

My son when through the reading program the summer before entering 5th grade. It was expensive, about $3,000. The reason I think it was good for my son was he didn't take the summer "off" he was reading and doing work the whole time, and for him that is what he needed. You do not get one on one tutoring, you sit at at table with 2-3 other students and the teacher works with each one in tandem. They might all be working on different skills. I think all in all my son benefitted from it, there are probably better options out there. My MIL paid for it so that was a blessing also.

 

[lsyorke]

Ds went to Sylvan after failing Math. I can't remember offhand how much money it was. It wasn't cheap but sooooo worth it!! The teacher he had was a high school level math teacher for 30 years(ds was in 8th grade at this time) Brought DS's grade from failing to a B and thats where it has stayed. Each Sylvan is run by a director so I'm sure it can depend on who you get, but the were wonderful for my son!!

 

[Pembo]

I've worked for Sylvan for almost 4 years.

It is expensive. In our area, NE Ohio, the initial testing is about $150 and then about $40/instruction hour. Most kids need at least 72 hours. Our center tries to get them in 3-4 hours/week.

It does work, if the student tries. For those few kids who truly don't care, it won't work. There is a guarantee for most of the programs.

If you have any questions, ask away.

 

[RitaZ.]

Faith, do a search on Sylvan Learning centers reviews.

Another option that your friends may want to check out is a private tutor. My neighbor's DD has one (she is also a teacher locally) and it has helped her DD tremendously (her tutor comes to their home). It will be cheaper than the learning centers and the child gets one-on- one time with a teacher. One way of finding a private tutor is to go to the child's school and ask if there are any reliable private tutors that the school recommends.

Good luck!

 

[Pam]

I don't know about Sylvan - but I also would recommend the private tutor - or if you are near a college or university - some of the upper college students make great tutors - at an affordable price!

 

[ebaynut31]

My daughter 10 hates to read and she has a book report every other month. She doesn't read the whole question when doing homework etc. How do I encourage her? Could Sylvan help with something like that?

 

[Pembo]

ebaynut - A lot of the kids that I've met at Sylvan have the same problem. Sylvan could definitely help.

The advantage to Sylvan over a private tutor - Sylvan, like the commercials say, isolates the students problem areas and works on them specifically. The testing shows what grade equivalent the child is at ie. a 7th grader with a 3rd grade comprehension level. Then when they get ther "specialized program" (a la the tv) it starts them out at that level. It is a pretty neat program.

A private tutor is good if the student needs some help with a certain skill or 2. I don't have experience with what a tutor can do if a child is considerably behind. So I can't speak for that. But it is a definitely a cheaper way to go.

 

[Poohbear123]

I will send this on to my friends.

 

[kadaten]

Poohbear--

Just so you have one ballpark for the private tutoring....I have a friend who taught special ed until she had her kids. From then on she did private tutoring after school hours in her home. She tutored some of her old students and the school recommended her to parents who were looking. I believe she charged $25/hour for one-on-one instruction.

Have never had any contact with Sylvan, so can't offer opinions there. It can all get very expensive, depending on how much the student needs. Private tutoring is cheaper, and offers one-on-one. Maybe your school can recommend teachers, current, former, or retired, who do this and have qualifications. If the problem is not too serious, college students are also a great resource!

 

[Cindy B]

Care to hire a special education teaching student who specializes in reading/ learning disabled children?... Am I near you?

Seriously, if the student already has an IEP the school districit info (if the parents utilize that resource to the tutor) you can have acesst to that info.

There are a lot of resources out there. Some of my students do go to Sylvan on the "side". They do have a lot of special resources within the school district, ie pull out classes, speech classes, IEP, resource teacher, etc...

Sylvan was a small piece. They (the students) are saying that they dont "need" to do Sylvan as much because of all the special education support they receive. (Of course this is an 11 year old perspective)

 

[AMClvsMKY]

I also work for Sylvan, for about 1 year now. I work in the Prometric part of the center, not with the kids directly, but I have a pretty good idea how it works. The assessment exam is $150 for the first then $75 for the next ones, if necessary. ( if the child needs assistance in both math and reading, for example). Then the parents sit down with a director to discuss the results and determine if Sylvan is what the parent wants. If so, it's $35 registration fee and the hourly rate depends on how you pay. Monthly is $38/ per hour, Going on the direct debit plan ( Sylvan automatically charging your credit card at the beginning of each month) is $37 and then prepaying, like 36 hours at a time, is $36 an hour. Most kids come 2 times a week for 1 or 2 hours at a time. ( it's called hours but it's actually 50 minutes ). I will honestly say that at least 95% of the parents are very pleased with the progress their children make and we are always getting calls from perple saying they were refered by someone that had a child that attended the program. The other thing is that every 36 hours your child takes a progess test to rate the growth and the parents sit down with their "program manager" to discuss the results. So, you are kept informed on progress.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask!

 

[Kallison]

I think you would do much better to find a private tutor. Also depending on what age or what you need help in, you could always contact the high school and see if there are any kids in the gifted programs who would like to tutor. Student teachers and teachers just starting out are usually willing and looking for extra money too.

 

[Kallison]

Also want to say as someone who works with LD kids, a lot of parents get caught up on seeing straight A's on their kids report cards, as if this is a reflection on them as parents. We don't like it when the parents heavily rely on tutoring, what you eventually want is your child to take responsiblity and be an independent thinker and learner. If it is just one problem area, fine, but some parents just do non-stop tutoring in every subject. Year after year. That is not good.