Sylvan for High School?

I don't have any answers, I'm wanting the advice as well for my children, seem to have the same trouble, is it self confidence? I never seemed to test well either!!

I put my son in Sylvan to learn study habits, how to take tests, and how to write English papers. He felt if he told you what the paper was about and how it worked in one paragraph, there was no need to expound for five more pages. They were great with him! He was a senior in high school when we did this and is now in college doing great! I agree with some of the others too... keep encouraging her! Good luck, mom :)

I am not sure what area you live in, but there used to be a program called Study Smart in Sugar Land that a lot of high schoolers used. There is also a new place called LearningRX that deals more with specific study skills. Sylvan works on building weak skills, but they do not focus on study skills as much as the above two places.

Some kids test badly. I was one of them. I made it through college and now a working professional. I even took the AP classes to get a head but knew I wouldn't pass the final test. My mom and dad tried everything and well the support was what I needed. Give Sylvan a try but just keep encouraging your daughter to try her hardest. Having my parents support helped.

If your daughter needs any help with high school math, I'd get "Chalkdust Math" DVDs. You can get the full info. online. The instructor is fantastic and has a specific course for the big exams. If you look at homeschoolclassifieds.com you can purchase the various sets at a great price from other parents who are done using them. You can also get online or DVD sets from other companies at very good prices through the homeschoolbuyersco-op.com Even though you're not homeschooling, there is a treasure trove of supplementary materials and test-prep resources through this hsbc website. I wish I'd had these resources in high school, even though I credited with AP exams. I know there's many different options, and in-person is very good as long as you get a superb instructor, but also consider some non-traditional tutoring. It's going to take time. And make sure that your daughter knows that if she doesn't test out of college classes with her AP exam scores, it's not the end of the world. (The private univ. I went to accepted my scores and passed me through classes, but I found out later that I could have just tested-out on them at the univ. and saved a ton of money!)

My son did Sylvan in high school in Ohio. He was/is a very smart child, but due in part to his awful study habits and organization, he was getting Cs and Ds. Sylvan did a wonderful job accessing his skills and put him in the study/organizational skills program. His grades went to As and Bs. It is expensive, but it was worth it. One note, we did not put my son in til he said he was willing to do it. I know one parent who put their high schooler in, and the child would not cooperate with Sylvan, and her grades did not improve. Make sure your child is willing to work with the tutors before you spend that much money.

Your previous poster is exactly right about your child's attitude being the key. I was the assistant director of a tutoring center (not a Sylvan) in the Chicago area years ago. If the student is interested in getting help and is willing to apply the techniques taught, you will see improvement. If they are not interested, there is nothing the tutors can do to make them learn and use the techniques in school.

Good luck!
K.

K.

I teach study skills based on learning style. My website is www.pathwaystolearning.us If you have any questions contact me and I will be happy to answer them for you.

I personally have not used Sylvan, but I have a friend who put their 11 yr old child in Sylvan. She has made a complete turn around with her grades. She was failing BIG TIME & now she not only is making good grades but it has given her confidence in herself. Its expensive but well worth it from what this parent told me.

Have heard good things about Sylan. My kids' former babysitter worked as a tutor for Sylan to help put herself thru med. school. She loved their program.

Also know that many school districts have lists of tutors posted on websites or in print. The tutors are usually retired teachers who still want to work a bit. They are less expensive that a center, and may even come to your house.
A counselor at your child's school can help guide you toward retired teachers, if you want to go that route.