Sylvan Learning Centers

[KT27]

My DH's ex wants to send our daughter to Sylvan Learning for some writing & math workshops. I do not know anything about this company. The prices seem very high to me. Their budget rate is $38.00 per hour & that is only if you prepay. I was wondering if anyone else has used them or if anyone has anymore information before my DH pays for this. Thanks!

 

[jstbcuz]

I know there are some that think it doesnt help and that a tutor is just as good. However, my personal opinion is that it depends on the child. Our DD 13 goes to Sylvan 4 hours a week during the school year and 8 hours during the summer. She has been going for a year now. She LOVES it and has never once complained she had to get up and go.She has struggled since kdg but she doesnt qualify for help at school. Yes there prices are a bit steep. However, my philosophy on it was this: if she goes and it doesnt help, atleast we tried and we can think of something else to help her, but if we never tried and it could have helped her she was losing out. That wouldnt be fair to her. I only wish we would have done it when I first thought about it, but prices kept me away. But the longer I waited, the further she got behind and now as a result the longer we have to catch up.

 

[AllyCatTapia]

maybe try it, but I used to work there, and unfortunately it is a lot of book work, workbooks (at the lower levels). Nothing special and certainly not worth THAT much!

 

[Nancyg56]

My nephew went to Sylvan and did very well. It was expensive, but he was really struggling, and tutoring was not helping. The center tested him to determine where he needed the attention, and he went twice a week. He was failing in school prior to going to Sylvan, and was exceeding goals after. My sis thought that it was money well spent.

 

[bethyg]

DS went there for 1-2 months a few summers back for math help. What I noticed was Sylvan "tests" the kids. Although my son scores average/above average during testing at school, Sylvan had him 2-3 grades BELOW and said it would take them 9 months (at roughly $500/month) to get him to the current grade level (which of course would be 9 months behind by the time they finished). He enjoyed going, but didn't seem to make the progress I was hoping for for $500 a month. Sylvan says the kids go at their own pace and that they have to take the kids to the "beginning" and start teaching them from scratch. We felt Sylvan was taking advantage and could tell us whatever they wanted about his progress and could keep us "behind" for as long as we paid them. We asked his teacher for assistance and she gave us the numbers of student teachers she had worked with and had visited the school. Most are anxiously looking for any extra income. DS started seeing a student teacher 1-2x/week for 30 minutes at a time. Since the teacher was well aware of homework (since he student taught at the school) my son only needed 1-2 months of help and he remains above average in math.

I'm sure many have had wonderful and positive experiences at Sylvan. For us, he did better with a private tutor. Our son spent less time "catching up from Sylvans perspective" and more time focusing on his current assignments. We saved money, he got 1:1 attention, and his math grade improved immediately, compared to GETTING WORSE after 2 months at Sylvan (since they didn't focus on his current math, but math he learned 2-3 years earlier). If we would've stayed and done it Sylvan's way, he'd still be behind.

 

[Carrie Ellis]

I did not work at Sylvan but did work at Huntington (same concept). I was paid $12/hr. Usually, I had 3 students but if another teacher did not show then I might have 5 or 6 that I would go around and help. They charged $38/hr when I was there so they made $114/hr off the 3 and paid me $12. Of course the center has directors and overhead to pay for. I am sure that it is better than nothing but I think most parents could help their children with the basics and get a private tutor for more difficult subjects such as algebra, etc... The kids did a lot of worksheets in reading comprehension and most of the time they were required to read outloud. That way you can see how your child is reading. Alot of worksheets! Many kids brought their homework to do. It had a library feel to it. I think I even learned better and more, in college, if I went and sat in a library!!

Anyway, it is alot of $$.

 

[MeggerasMa]

My DS went to a Sylvan Learning Center many years ago when he was in elementary school. He always struggled with school and in our area the public school system was of no help at all. (I could go on about that issue at length, but it would not be pretty). We had him tested and enrolled him at the closest Sylvan Center, which was one hour away from where we lived. What a difference it made for him. Yes, it was expensive, but to this day we don't regret spending the money. He stayed in their program for about one year when the travelling along with other obligations just became overwhelming. However, the benefits were long lasting and it frightens me to think what would have been the outcome if we had only relied on our public school. Can't say enough great stuff about Sylvan!

 

[formernyer]

I was blessed with two brainiac kids, so I have no personal experience, but I have two separate neighbors who used Sylvan. Both had tried private titors first with very little progress. Both had huge success with Sylvan.

It seems incredibly expensive to me, but it does seem to produce positive results from everything I've heard.

 

[JerseyGirl84]

Do you have any Kumon Centers near you? I just started my daughter at Kumon 2 months ago in Math. It is also alot of worksheets. You do about 10 minutes of work a day at home (2nd grade level) and go to the center once or twice a week. It only costs $102 a month. They test you to see your current level (what you are confident at), they start you there and slowly increase day by day. It is great for enrichment or students slightly behind. I like it and the price is just right.

 

[gobledygook]

We used Sylvan when youngest DD was in elementary school. We paid over $30.00 an hour and she was never in a group of less than 3 kids. Basically, we were paying over $30.00 an hour for 20 minutes maximum. They also tested her and started her several grades back from where she was at. We didn't stay there long, she really wasn't getting much out of it. Fortunately, her motivation improved when we changed schools, and now she's an A student!

 

[patsal]

When my students use it I don't see a dramatic change in their work. I don't think it is worth that rate and because they do start at lower levels to show the child success (too easy) when kids are brought to their Zone of Proximal Development they begin to struggle because the work prior was too easy. I would consider a tutor and check into the services that the district offers as well. Some have afterschool programs, many have reading programs that you may request your child be in (so long as there is room), etc.