My daughter utilized the Bellevue, NE Sylvan Learning Center for 15 months during the 2006-2007 for reading comprehension difficulties.
The third grade teacher we had here in Bellevue was in his second year teaching and failed to teach grade-level english and reading skills. This was experienced not only by my daughter but other children in the third grade class. We heard about Sylvan through several friends who used Sylvan in the past with complete success and gave it a try.
The folks at Sylvan used the California Achievement Test (CAT) to test my daughters overall Math, English, and Reading Comprehension skills. The CATs were the same achievement tests I grew up using on the East Coast, so I knew their results would be comparable to national standards. These tests identified reading comprehension and vocabulary issues. We approached our daughter's fourth grade teacher and asked if she was seeing the same things Sylvan and the CATs identified and she was 100% in agreement. Our daughter had went from straight A's in english to B- to C+ work over the summer.
The Sylvan team recommended 40-50 hours to get her on-or-above grade level in the areas identified above. We invested nearly $3000 in Sylvan and was completely satisfied with the results when she was done with her recommended program. My daughter's fifth and sixth grade teachers applauded her efforts and hard work. Our fourth and fifth grade teachers worked diligently with Sylvan to identify weak areas and areas they thought she could use more work.
Our daughter is beginning the Sylvan Learning Centers Study Skills program this year in preparation for high school. Though the cost per hour may seem steep ($43/hour) my family has benefited greatly from the assistance and tutoring that Sylvan has provided.
To refute the lady's claims about "they will make something wrong with your son/daughter", "if they don't, they don't get paid" is very inaccurate. We had our youngest child tested in the second & third grade and they found nothing wrong with her. As a matter of fact they recommended that we have her tested for placement in the High Ability Learning program here in Nebraska. So that negates the ladies testimony.
To hear that our Bellevue Sylvan Learning Center misdiagnosed a child as illiterate is very surprising. From our experiences and observations working with Sylvan Learning Center here in Bellevue, NE we cannot see the staff making any child feel like they were "retarded and a special education needs child". The staff of this Bellevue Nebraska Center has always been courteous, respectful, and kind to our children, my wife and I, and the others that we know who have attended classes there.
The cost of a child's educational needs, if not provided in the school itself, cannot equate to monetary values. This my wife's and I beliefs. If you cannot afford the $43 per hour rate, your second choice may be to find a high school student in the National Honor Society to tutor your child for a smaller price. However, Sylvan has lived up to the price we've paid to recuperate the inadequate education my daughter received in third grade.
Do your research before considering to go or not to go with Sylvan Learning Center. Pay attention to the test results your local school district produces from tests such as Terra Nova or CAT testing. If you notice low scores, then pay the money to have them tested at places such as Sylvan or Huntington Learning Centers. If the results are comparable then try those centers out, but don't just take one lady's bad experience and make a judgment call from there.
Ferris
Bellevue, Nebraska
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