Survey Of Tutoring Programs

Sylvan, Huntington, Kumon, Score: where do they stand with remediating specific learning disablities like dyslexia?

The Sylvan Promise:

Sylvan offers personal tutoring programs to meet every need – from essential skills such as reading, math and writing – to ACT™ and SAT® prep classes as well as state-mandated tests. Whether your child needs to improve reading skills, math tutoring or help with homework, Sylvan Learning Center can help.

What if your child has a specific learning disability, such as dyslexia?  Is Sylvan competent to diagnose and remediate the problem?  The parents on this board don't think so:

I know everyone has opinions-but Sylvan is an absolute waste of money. While it may work for some children-the consensus in this area is few. It was not until we put our son in a private 3 hour a day school where we saw success. They used the Orton Gillingham method. We have the end of grade scores to prove it 94%.

I know tons of parents who have wasted money at Sylvan and Kumon trying to get their dyslexic children to read. It is basically for children who were not taught properly the first time or who need personalized attention.

I try to dissuade anyone from Sylvan. It did NOTHING for us, except take money. At the time we took our son, we did not know he had Dyslexia. They are supposed to be experts but having him tested for an LD was never a recommendation from them. They stated he made great progress, but in reality he did not. I do not know of anyone with a Dyslexic child who has a good experience with Sylvan. I would think it better to take the money and put it into a known program, Wilson, OG, anything that has proven to help LD kids.

From a board for parents of ADHD kids:

Something everyone should know, as I found out the hard (and expensive) way, Sylvan doesn't test for learning disorders. 69% of people with ADHD have some form of dyslexia. Ask your school to test for dyslexia before you go drop, as I did, $3,500.00 to get absolutely no where!

Dyslexia Institutes of America:  Elaine Jett was a Sylvan franchisor and saw a lack in the Sylvan program.

Dr. Jett, author of three basic reading programs for Sylvan Learning Systems, recognized a problem in the clients she observed as owner of her three Sylvan Learning Centers. These students, in spite of the outstanding educational programs offered by Sylvan, were not successful. These students did not match the growth of others in the program and often failed to achieve even minimal success with their academic plan.

She started her own chain of franchise opportunities, Dyslexia Institutes of America.  I have some reservations about the effectiveness of the DIA approach.

So do some of the parents on the discussion board of the International Dyslexia Association:

This franchise is advertising that there are 3 subtypes of dyslexia: dyseidetic, dysphonetic and dysphoneidetic and that it is necessary to know which type your child is because tutoring is tailored for each type. This is based on old research by Boder from the 1980's and there has never been any research to support differential teaching for different subtypes. It seems that this comes from the main office and the founder and I wonder how much the franchise owners realy know about dyslexia research. No where in Sally Shaywitz's book "Overcoming Dyslexia" does she refer to these subtypes.

I will also add that nowhere in the over 30 years of research (conducted and overseen by the national institute of child health) are these terms used to describe dyslexia either.

Kumon Math and Reading Program

Kumon Reading is a balanced program representing the best documented practices in reading instruction. It covers skills from understanding the sounds that make up words to the summary and critique of complex reading passages.

So Kumon does not pretend to address dyslexia as a specific learning disability.  The program is more oriented toward pushing kids from average to excellent, or to providing effective reading instruction when the school district has adopted an ineffective reading program.

Brian Mickelthwaite wrote a moving post about Kumon and the transformation it made in one child

Regular school maths usually seems to involve the children working through only a few rather hard problems. Kumon makes them do many more much easier ones. Instead of hoping that they get, say, about half to two thirds of their stuff right, Kumon says they must get nearly everything right. At the heart of the Kumon method is the difference between a child painfully working out that seven plus six equals, er, thirteen? (anxious glance at face of teacher), and knowing with real certainty that seven plus six equals thirteen, with no doubts or hesitations. The usual educational emphasis is on "understanding". The Kumon literature talks of "mastery"....


It worked. Almost all children made steady progress, and in some cases - and in more than just maths by the way – progress was truly astonishing. Kumon sometimes seemed to administer nothing less than a psychological transformation.

The rest of the post describes how Mickelthwaite helped one child overcome a severe case of misunderstanding the goal.  Go read it and come back.

This experienced educator was very enthusiastic about the Kumon program in math:

I am a fifth grade teacher and  I have also worked at a place called Kumon.  It is a totally different approach but you have to be willing to give it a chance. I love it and wish I could do it in my classroom with my students. They don't "tutor" but they work on basic skills which in turn help with the school work.  They start on your child's lowest level and work forward from there. ...  In education you find that everything links to each other in some way.  If you skip over things, you don't reenforce along the way to get ready for more difficult things.  You can't multiply if you can't add for example.

Huntington Learning Center is also a franchise business opportunity.

Year after year we continue to offer children, ages 5 - 17, supplemental instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, study skills, phonics, and related areas. The positive encouragement of our staff and certified teachers combined with individualized instruction based on our diagnostic testing, is what we believe sets us apart and continues to make our program a successs

Ericka Rasmussen Janes wrote an article for Smart Money called "10 Things Your Child's Tutoring Service Won't Tell You" (it was published in the July 11, 2004 edition.

8. "We can't handle learning disabilities."
Few tutoring centers are equipped to handle students with actual disabilities such as dyslexia or even mild developmental disorders, but parents may seek them out anyway, to diagnose or even "fix" problems the child is experiencing at school. While certain tutors may be adept at recognizing blocks in a child's learning process, it's not a tutor's place to diagnose a disability. If you suspect a problem exists, ask your pediatrician to refer you to a specialist.

If your child has already been diagnosed with a learning disability, look for a tutor who is a credentialed special-education teacher. "You have to ask the company if they actually have an academic tutor who's a learning specialist with degrees, and they usually don't," Jacobson says. Beyond that, says Lynda Covey, a private tutor in Redwood City, Calif., who specializes in disabilities, ask the tutor or center director how he approaches learning disabilities; she says she likes to point out examples of famous people with learning disabilities, such as Albert Einstein, to her students. "If it's handled in a negative fashion, it can be damaging and hurt their self-esteem," she says. When you ask the center for references, be sure to ask that they come from parents whose children have faced similar hurdles.

For my money, I'd go with:

• Scottish Rite Masonic Childrens' Learing Centers
• Buy a  copy of  Susan Barton's Barton System of tutoring and do it myself

The Barton Reading & Spelling System teaches people from all walks of life exactly how to tutor people with dyslexia.

Parents of dyslexic children can learn to become tutors, as can professionals like Reading and Resource Specialists, Speech-Language Therapists, Educational Therapists, and Private Tutors.

Comments

[John Lloyd]

Ms. Ditz, I found your notes about tutoring centers' benefits for students with Learning Disabilities valuable, so I added an entry about it to my blog on LD. Thanks!

[Ruth Lature]

I am a reading specialist and certified by IMSLEC, the accrediting group of the International Dyslexia Association, to teach dyslexics. I don't like to criticize others, especially to parents who may be thinking I am just trying to get their business. However, a number of parents have brought their children to me after first trying Sylvan. The parents did not know their children were dyslexic. The students had inappropriately planned programs to meet their needs. A colleague, trained in teaching dyslexics, recently worked for Sylvan in another state. She reported to me that Sylvan did not work for children whom she suspected to be dyslexic.

[Reg Adkins]

As you know, I am by nature and trade a specialist in behavior and temperament. However, I have also worked for tutorial programs, specifically, Huntington. I will say I believe the hearts of most of these people really are in the right places. But, we must not forget they are "conditioned" to show parents records of growth. No growth, no returning customers. That being said, I agree that none of them have good program for addressing any kind of learning disability. I am planning to open a learning center of my own very soon, and I plan to make it very clear that although I have many years experience in exceptional child education and counseling, my program is not optimum for every single child. Often (I know you do not necessarily agree) the temperament of the child must be evaluated and a program the capitalizes on those characteristics must be developed. (Wow, that kind of got away from me didn't it).

[Steph Swalwell]

I do not hold a special ed certification, but with several years in the classroom as a math teacher, I feel like I have as much grasp on many of the problems affecting mainstream students as their special ed teachers do. For the most part, unfortunately, the special ed teachers in my school are so bogged down in paperwork that, if they have any special insights, they are too busy to offer them.

That said, I have taken post bac training courses on learning disabilities and pride my fledgling tutoring service's reputation for dealing with dyslexic and cognitively impaired kids.

[brian + The book of bible]

ok i do not get it yet well this help a child that is ld or was label wrong mental retardation to improve his education i have speech and language so what do i do to improve my education i need help on math and spelling what do i do ? please contact me back i need to get into a privet school for free becouse the school abueses my education badly

[Liz]

This is the email I sent to brian + the book of bible:

You could go to Sparktop.org, a site for kids with learning disabilities.

Or, you could call The Learning Disabilities Association of America and find a chapter near you.

Learning Disabilities Association of America
4156 Library Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15234-1349
Phone (412) 341-1515 Fax (412) 344-0224

If you are in or near Tennessee, you could contact

Center for Dyslexia
200 N. Baird Lane - MTSU Box 397
Murfreesboro, TN 37132

Phone:
(615) 494-8880

Fax:
(615) 494-8881

E-mail:
[email protected]

[auben elliott]

My son is a bright 8 year old, who probably has mild adhd. He's easily bored, hates repetition, loves novelty, a bit imature for his age. He is also the youngest boy in his class cohort (we didn't hold him back--- so al the boys are at least 8 months to a year older than him)

He tests high, but academics are mediocre. He reads, but not very fast. He does math, but the addition/subtraction has not become automatic for him yet. He can do it, but he's slow. He's a happy boy, but cries when he is faced with a page with a 100 problems that he has to do in 5 minutes.

I'm thinking of getting a tutor for him to help him out build his confidence and support his mastery.

I looked into Sylvan and was turned off by the hard sell. Also, I don't trust their "assessments" and I have question about how effective they realy are --- in addition to all the other "learning center shops"

Does anyone have any advice for me?

Does this Kumon approach make any sense?

Please advise.

thanks.
A

[Hayley]

If you are in Michigan and don't mind driving or are near Rockford, I suggest chekcing out Integrative Educational Partners (IEP). Even if you can't visit their building check out their website http://www.ieptherapy.com or contact IEP at 616-874-7490 or by e-mail [email protected]

I found them to be a tremendous help with my brother. They helped his Dyslexia and ADHD, and he really began to learn in school. They work to integrate therapy, education and play into one session. The big thing with my brother with his dyslexia was his handwriting and they worked on his fine motor skills so he could write better.

I would deffinetly recemmond this place to everyone. Check it out. It helped my brother a lot.

[ron]

I’ve come across a number of online tutoring websites (e.g. tutor.com, homeworkhelp.com, tutoreasy.com, www.schooltrainer.com, etc.). Has anyone prepared a comparison of the various companies (pricing, quality, etc.)?

[Mathalida]

I am a NYS elementary and special Ed certified teacher who works at a Huntington Learning Center. I am appalled that this program takes advantage of parents with students of needs. They sell the parents on the fact they have certified special ed teachers, however, they do not inform the parents that they don’t allow the special ed teacher on staff to modify the program, nor let them look at their child's IEP. That is privilege information only accessible to center directors who have no background in academia. How do these tutoring business legally get way with this? They all should be sued!

[Tina Gallagher]

My great nephew has trouble with schoolwork. I do not know the specific diagnosis, ADHD, Dyslexia, etc. His family moved from Virginia where the teachers were prepared to help him with his specific problems, but he has moved to rural Tennessee and his father said his grades are plummeting because the teachers do not know how to work with his learning problems. I thought possibly we could find a type of tutoring service over the internet to help him. Is there any type of help out there for children that live in small towns?

[Maria]

I sent my child, who was diagnosed with adhd, to a private tutor, after Sylvan did not work. It made all of the difference. I found it hard to find the perfect one at first, but when I did WOW!

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