See what Sylvan parents are saying about us!

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Priscila is a Star Sylvan Student

"We are proud of Priscila’s achievements. This is due to the help she has received at Sylvan. She feels more confident at school. She has been able to raise her grades, and it was noticed when she did not have to take final exams this past semester. She always looks forward to go to the Sylvan Learning Center and has high remarks about the quality of instruction she receives at Sylvan."

- Priscilla's Parents

Sylvan Spotlight on Monica!

"We wanted to personally Thank You for the lessons and work Sylvan provided
in improving our daughter's reading skills. Because of her reading level
Monica was enrolled in an on-going special reading enrichment class which
removed her time after time from her classroom. We were just informed that she
will be removed from the reading enrichment class when she starts school
this week! Our daughter is reading more, at a higher level and is very
excited about the books she reads. Monica is constantly Reading...she will
even sneak a book to bed some nights! When it comes to school and classes
Monica has become an independent person with her homework. She still is a
little nervous on taking tests, but what an improvement since starting your
course. Monica's reading has advanced tremendously due to her enrollment
this summer in Sylvan. We are sure she will do just fine this
school year. This year when school starts our daughter will be reading
slightly above her grade level.

My husband and I are very proud of Monica's progress and are very
appreciative of Sylvan's work and support."
"

- Veronica-Monica's Mom

Sylvan's Spotlight Student: Michael

"Michael was born prematurely at 26 weeks, weighing 2lbs 5oz, and he was given a 50/50 chance of surviving. Ever since birth Michael has been a fighter. He has overcome so many obstacles with learning. When Michael started the 1st grade we noticed that he was struggling in reading and phonics. He was below grade level with his reading, which, by the way, was a level 2. His phonics grade wasn’t the best either. And, at home he would whine and cry for hours because he had to do his homework. The teachers told me that I should have him tested for a learning disability, but my husband and I felt differently.

We talked to a friend of ours who sent her daughter to Sylvan. She told us how much of a difference she saw in her. After hearing her story, there was no doubt that we were going to give Sylvan a try, although the school was against it. Michael began on November 1, 2009, going three timers per week. By the time report cards came out again in January, Michael had brought his reading up to above grade level (level 12).

We have also seen the biggest change in Michael’s attitude toward school since he started Sylvan. At school, he would be quiet and keep to himself, now it’s totally different. He is involved at school during discussions and homework is a breeze – no more whining and crying. He just sits down and does it with no questions. The teachers tell me how much of a difference they can see in him and his attitude. We feel that Sylvan has really helped Michael, and we would do the same thing all over again if we had to."

- Michael's Parents

Sylvan Spotlight Student: RaShaan

"RaShaan is a mild-mannered kid that has struggled in math since entering high school. We always knew he could perform the work, but for some reason he just didn't seem to actually understand what he was expected to know. As parents, we were concerned but not overly worried.

We thought he would be fine once he settled into the "routine" of studying and classes. At some point in his junior year of high school we did become extremely concerned because he was beginning to hate math and even dislike attending school altogether. His confidence was gone and we felt helpless. One night while watching television my wife and I saw a commercial about Sylvan. Instantly, we decided to call for information about the program. We made an appointment at the Goldsboro location and spoke to the manager. It didn't take long for us to be sold on the program, but frankly, the cost was a concern. Not that we placed a monetary value on RaShaan's well being, but with only one income we had to be sure we could afford the program. The staff at Sylvan worked with us and we eventually decided to enroll RaShaan in the program. The return on our investment is absolutely priceless! RaShaan is not only doing well in math, his grades have improved in all his classes. We got much more than we had anticipated. RaShaan's confidence has dramatically increased and it is evident in virtually everything he does.
He finally believes in himself and we are so very proud of him. To say that Sylvan has delivered what it promised would be an understatement. The program has greatly impacted RaShaan's life and the lives of everyone in the family. We recommend Sylvan with absolutely no reservations!"

- RaShaan's Parents

Matthew's Story

"Less than a year ago, I knew a boy who could, at times, be short-tempered, easily frustrated, negative, and easily willing to give up on tasks that would initially be a source of excitement. Too quickly he would lose that excitement and my heart would break as I saw the child I believe so much in feel let down. Sometimes, it seemed as if there was nothing I could do or say to lift his spirits up again. So, the frustration echoed throughout the home. All the while, I could see my bright and clever little boy fall further and further behind. As the chapter of elementary school was ending, the middle school chapter was on the horizon and I was very discouraged about how my only son’s book would end. I found myself looking back on a time when even teachers would tell me that making honor roll was too high of an expectation for my son. I was also told that at the current rate, my son would never be college material. As harsh as it sounded, I could feel fear in my heart that it may be true. But it didn’t have to be. I reached out to Sylvan at a time when I truly felt as if it was my last hope. Sylvan recognized traits in my son after only one assessment that I had always seen, but had never been able to articulate. It was truly an “a-ha” moment. In recognizing those traits, they could appreciate that the frustrated and negative attitude was not who my son really was. I immediately loved them for that alone. But the work was definitely cut out for the instructors at Sylvan. My son was 2 grade levels behind in Reading and middle school was quickly approaching. I knew that if he didn’t catch up, not only would he carry a heavy burden of performing below average, but his feelings of failure would lead to social problems among his peers or worse, within himself. I wanted my son to see in himself what I see in him every day. Sylvan outlined a plan for him and committed to his success by the time middle school arrived, but it required a huge commitment from my son as well. I knew that would be my first challenge. Work, during the summer break? There should be a “how to” book on explaining that to an 11 year old. All the while, the instructors at Sylvan intuitively expected this challenge and made each day an exciting and positive one for my son. Sometimes, he would go stomping all the way. But, as I waited for him to come out, all I ever noticed was a smile and some type of reward that he received for his hard work that day. Each progress report was more amazing than the previous one. Then came the real test, the first day of a new middle school. I held my breath as I waited to hear how it went. Wow! It was great! Every day seemed to be a good day for him. Then one day, out of the blue, a letter from his new teacher comes home. It’s a STAR Reading Assessment and I had no idea his teacher gave this assessment. I read through it and found that my son, my baby, my future engineer, my future soccer champion had performed better than 52% of his peers on a 6th grade reading assessment!!! He was reading at a level that is exactly where he needed to be! From reading at a beginning 3rd grade level to reading at a 6th grade level has and will open doors for my son that I can’t even adequately quantify right now. Not only has he succeeded in reading, but more importantly, I have seen him recognize and take pride in his personal growth and success. This was something I never had the luxury of witnessing before Sylvan. And now my son amazes me every day with his hopes and aspirations for his future. He already knows what colleges he would like to consider! He has made some of the most mature realizations that I have ever seen from him, such as knowing how hard he has worked and how far he has come. It’s not every day that an 11 year old takes the time to think about such a mature concept, but he contemplates it and makes comments to me that send my heart into a flutter of joy. And to the teacher who told me that honor roll was too high of an expectation for Matthew…..
GUESS WHO MADE HONOR ROLL?!?!
I am forever in debt to the teachers at Sylvan in Goldsboro, NC. Every time I see my son succeed, every time I see my son achieve, every time my son sees in himself what I see in him, I will quietly in my heart thank them no matter where I am."

- Matthew's Mom

Our September Spotlight Student: Ethan

"Ethan enjoys Sylvan, and the teachers make learning fun and interesting for him. I can see his confidence grow with each level of accomplishment. Ethan works very hard and is greatly encouraged by his success and the teachers’ responses. Ethan has made enormous progress in a short time due to his dedication and the excellent program Sylvan has developed for him."

- Dorothy-Ethan's Mom

Jenny- A Sylvan Star Student!

"Jenny is a loving, bright and intelligent child. She has always demonstrated a high degree of aptitude and a general desire to learn. She had always demonstrated a willingness to learn and study. She had achieved ‘A’ honor roll and was in the gifted program. This year, when we moved to a new area, she showed a high degree of apathy and a general decline in her attitude towards school. Her grades did not reflect or reveal any problems.
Towards the end of the school year, she was identified with the state’s EOG preliminary tests as
deficient in key mathematical areas and was in jeopardy of not successfully completing those
benchmarks. She struggled with various skills in arithmetic. We sought out professional help from Sylvan to ensure our daughter’s continued progress. Sylvan identified several areas for improvement where she had missed basic skills and the public school system had not identified any issues. In fact, the deficiencies tracked back several years where she missed some second, several third, and numerous fourth grade skills. To be fair, we had not observed a problem, but we are not formal educators. I did see a problem and general decline with the overall level of difficulty and quantity of the homework she brought home this year.
In just a few weeks with Sylvan’s help, Jenny blossomed and did exceedingly well on the state
benchmarks. They were able to save her from academic disaster. Her confidence has grown and her
desire to learn at school has returned. In fact, she is eager to get up early on mornings to attend her
sessions with Sylvan, even during her summer vacation. Sylvan has been an excellent experience for our daughter Jenny."

- Jenny's parents

Miquel-A Sylvan Star Student!

"Miquel was struggling in math and was below grade level in reading comprehension. We had tried several things to help him overcome these obstacles; but nothing seemed to work. He was completely overwhelmed with the pace of his classroom and school in general and this hampered his ability to learn. So, we decided to try Sylvan. We didn’t know what to expect. But we are very pleased with what we have seen.

Miquel has become more confident and unafraid to try and answer questions. He has become a more independent student and it’s very apparent to all of his teachers. He’s actually excited about completing homework and other school assignments. I don’t know how they do it; but, since he’s been attending Sylvan, Miquel approaches school and learning with an enthusiasm we didn’t expect. But, more importantly, he understands the material!

Miquel started Sylvan in October 2008, and since then, he has been doing better on tests in all of his subjects. His reading comprehension has improved a full grade level. He has also been able to retain more math skills. Miquel loves the Sylvan experience so much that he asked if he could go to Sylvan instead of his “real” school.

Thank you for helping Miquel find his love of learning again. It’s very evident, not just in an academic setting; but in all areas of his life!"

Matthew's Mom says:

"My son really enjoys going to Sylvan. The positive reinforcement that he gets there is wonderful."

- Lisa

Alex

"My nephew, Alex, went to Sylvan and today was inducted into the National Honor Society. Thank you for all of your help and support. Your work and dedication is a major contributor to Alex's success and I want you to know how much I appreciate it. Melisa"

Tayler

"I'm so glad that we took the chance and trusted Sylvan."

- Vickie

Amber

"We were truly blessed that you were there for us, and all the teachers at Sylvan can feel sure that they've forever made a difference in a person's life."

- Debbie