Read what others are saying about Sylvan Learning in Lillington!

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Brandon is a Sylvan Star!

"Being a military family, we move around a lot. Our son is now in his 5th school, and only in 7th grade. When we came to NC this past year, our son started struggling in school more than he ever had before. I decided to have him tested at Sylvan when he scored low on his reading standardized test. We found out he was 2 years behind in comprehension and 3 years behind in vocabulary. After hearing from teachers he was "not far enough behind" to receive help from the school, we took matters into our own hands. When he started at Sylvan, not only was he behind in these two areas, but he lacked confidence in himself and his school work.

We signed him up for the full program, with the expectation he would be caught up to grade level by the end of the program. What we did not know, was how much his confidence level would improve, along with his reading. He completed his program and finished almost an entire grade above grade level in reading comprehension, and brought his vocabulary up to grade level. When he started 7th grade this fall, his teachers noted he lacked confidence and encouraged him to go with his gut and he would usually be right. His confidence level has increased tremendously over the past few months, and he now feels confident when raising his hand in class and suggesting an answer. His teachers have noticed quite an improvement since the beginning of the year in his class work, homework, tests AND confidence, and we give this credit to Sylvan.
We walked into Sylvan with the hopes that our son would find the tools he needed to catch up and we left with him ahead of where he needs to be in school, along with the confidence his tutors from Sylvan instilled in him. We couldn't be more proud of his accomplishments, and Sylvan will be our first choice if he starts slipping again."

- Lisa-Brandon's mom

Lydia is a Sylvan Star!

"Dear Sylvan,
Thank you so much for all the help and all the confidence you have given Lydia. She loved all of you and she really misses you so much, now that she has graduated. I am so proud of all she accomplished while at Sylvan. She said her favorite part was seeing Miss Jessica. Thank you for treating Lydia like she was your own! She made a B in math on her report card and it has been a long time since I have seen that! She also make the honor roll and for that I am so very proud. Thank you again for everything you did to make Lydia a more confident student and child!"

- Cathy

Meet Our Star Student, Joey!

"Our son, Joey, needed help with Math. He is a bright, young man who has faced many challenges from birth. He has multiple special needs making learning in the typical classroom setting especially difficult. Joey has a Nonverbal Learning Disorder, so one on one instruction works best for him. For a couple of years Joey attended public school to help him with social skills. Last year, we homeschooled and enrolled Joey in Sylvan Learning. We expected him to gain much in the Math lessons he so eagerly participated in, but were pleased and amazed at the level of self confidence he quickly began to show. The smile on his face was worth everything. The instructors at the Lillington Sylvan Center have shown love, respect, and acceptance of Joey and addressed his needs accordingly. Joey loves learning Math now and faces it with confidence. He loves those at Sylvan and so do we. After this school year, we plan to have him back with everyone at Sylvan Learning for the summer months. Thanks Sylvan for helping our son!"

- Naoma, Joey's mom

Sylvan Spotlight on Kaidyn!

"Dear Sylvan,
A little timid girl that has been through a lot in the past couple of years walked through the front doors of your Lillington branch a few short months ago. She had been placed into a classroom that housed two separate grades, with her being in the younger group of the two. She quickly fell behind in some areas mainly because of a lack of confidence. The older students in the class knew more, were able to read “chapter books”, and were actually instructed to help this shy little girl learn to read. As time went on, this child grew reclusive when it came to being faced with reading anything. She wanted her parents to read everything to her and showed no interest in attempting to read.
She began her studies at Sylvan and within three weeks of the start of this attempt at creating a miniature bookworm, her father noticed her being uncommonly quiet in the back seat after leaving the school. He calmly asking if she was ok and she replied,” Yeah, I’m fine just doing my homework.” As a tear scaled this man’s face, he knew that he could only owe the credit for this tiny miracle to two contributing factor’s, God’s protective hand and Sylvan Learning Center’s staff in Lillington North Carolina.
Kaidyn has confidence now, which is priceless. She can read! My daughter still is very timid, shy, and thankfully has a humble spirit, but through the experience at Sylvan, she knows in her heart that she can do what other kids can. She doesn’t feel out of place in school anymore. I am forever grateful for the changes that staff at Sylvan have made in my precious daughter. She is my little angel, but those women in that little building at the edge of Lillington are angels as well.
Thank you to all of you that have made an impact on the life of a little timid girl that has been through a lot in the past couple of years. May God Bless you all for your service to our children!
I thank you with all my heart!"

- Kevin

Another Sylvan Star!

"Griffin and his family joined Sylvan in February 2010 after investigating many resources through the public school system and community. Griffin was diagnosed with auditory processing disorder in 2008. Auditory processing disorder (APD) is a complex problem affecting about 5% of school-aged children. These kids can’t process the information they hear in the same way as others because their ears and brain don’t fully coordinate. Something adversely affects the way the brain recognizes and interprets sounds, most notably the sounds composing speech. Kids with APD often do not recognize subtle differences between sounds in words, even when the sounds are loud and clear enough to be heard. These kinds of problems usually occur in background noise, which is a natural listening environment. So kids with APD have the basic difficulty of understanding any speech signal presented under less optimal conditions.
Some of the skills a child needs to be evaluated for auditory processing disorder don’t develop until age 7 or 8, so by the time Griffin was old enough to be tested and diagnosed, he had fallen behind in reading when he needed to be developing a good foundation of basic reading skills.
Treatment of APD is highly individualized. There is no one treatment approach that is appropriate for all children with APD; however, Sylvan’s skills assessment helped to identify and address his specific needs and areas of difficulty while keeping us informed of his progress. The Sylvan staff helped Griffin improve his reading skills and language-building skills, which was increased his ability to learn new words and increased his language base/vocabulary. As a result, he has become a more confident reader and student.
Griffin has shown significant growth and improvement over the past year, and we hope he will maintain his level of confidence and success that Sylvan has helped develop. It has been so encouraging to see Griffin blossom socially and academically since attending Sylvan. Griffin’s increased self-confidence and improved reading/language skills reflect favorably on Sylvan and the warm, caring instructors who worked with him.
It is important to know that much research is still needed to understand auditory processing problems and the best interventions for each child. All the strategies undertaken need to be suited to the needs of the individual child, and their effectiveness will need to be continuously evaluated. The standard of determining if a treatment is effective is if a child can reasonably expect to benefit from it. Sylvan has consistently been able to effectively identify Griffin’s individual needs and provide instruction that has proved beneficial.
We hope to have Griffin return to Sylvan during the summer for help with math and writing. We are so thankful to Sylvan for providing such a proven valuable service that offers a variety of opportunities to invest in a child’s future academic successes."

Star Student: Cameron

"Let me start by saying that sylvan has helped my family more than I could have ever imagined. Cameron started Sylvan in February of 2010. At that time he was on a kindergarten reading level and he was 7 years old in the 2nd grade. He is now in the third grade and on a third grade reading level. He has made the honor roll twice since he started Sylvan!

He enjoyed going to Sylvan and learning with all his wonderful teachers there, and I enjoyed watching him excel in school and become confident in his reading.
Sylvan gave my son the boost that he needed and the confidence and success he strived for everyday!!! At any given moment I would recommend Sylvan to any parent. Cameron will enter back into the program shortly for preparation of end of grade tests this year. I want to thank everyone at Sylvan for everything they have done for my son. It feels good to see him happily do his homework and read to me that it brings tears to my eyes. Thank you for everything."

- Kelly-Cameron's Mom

Carrianne's Sylvan Story

"Our daughter Carrianne was in the first grade when we became concerned about her math skills. Her confidence was low and we were concerned that if she had problems this early in her school career that she would continue to have problems. We decided to contact Sylvan because we had heard great things about the program. On the day we went for testing Mrs. Tracy and Mrs. Brandi made us feel very comfortable.

Carrianne began the program in January and as the year progressed we saw big changes in her math skills and her confidence. She graduated from her program in June and her end of grade test scores were wonderful. We appreciate all the wonderful teachers at Sylvan who helped us get through this tough time and we will definitely return to Sylvan if Carrianne has problems in the future.

Thanks for everything!"

- Anthony and Crystal

Sylvan Spotlight on Rebecca!

"Really was struggling in her sophomore year at school, and at the rate she was going she would probably have failed for the year. She has always been a special ed. child and until here freshman year was getting through with ok grades then this year she was having a really hard time.

We took her to Sylvan Learning and they really listened to what our concerns were and what we thought her needs might be. They then tested Rebecca to see where she was at. They talked with us and told us what they could do to get her back to the grade level she was in school.

The first ongoing conference was impressive on how far she had already gotten on the things that she needed help with. She had really taken to the teachers and how they really took the time to give her that one on one to help bring her along. The 2nd conference was even better; she was actually ahead on some items. By the time she was ready to finish with Sylvan, she was ahead on all topics that Sylvan Learning had worked on with her.

All the staff was very in tune to her needs and took the time she needed to bring all her grades up for the year. The best part of it all really is just seeing her happy about school again. Her mother and I are very happy we took the time to take our daughter to Sylvan Learning since both of us were lost on how and what to do to help her.

Thanks to all the staff for their understanding and patience in working with our little girl. Her grades have improved and if she stays on pace, she will pass all of her classes."

- Rebecca's Parents

Kahlil

"Dear Sylvan,
Thanks to you, my son Kahlil is now a better reader. When he first started September 16, 2009, I was a worried mom wondering, “What am I going to do?” As a parent you want the best for your child and will go to any measure to make sure your child succeeds. We had tried everything to help Kahlil with his reading, but nothing seemed to work. I asked around about places that I could take my son for help, but none of these options were what I was looking for. I remembered my step brother going to Sylvan and how well it helped him, so I decided to call your Lillington center.

When I called I was greeted by a joyful and warm hello by Tracy. She explained to me the program with confidence in her voice that gave me more assurance. Without Sylvan I think it would still be a struggle for Kahlil and his ability to read.

Sylvan has made a big impact in Kahlil’s life. When I would call, Brandi always took the time to answer any questions or concerns I had, not seeming rushed for time. At our meetings she would explain to me Kahlil’s progress and let us know how proud she was of him. The smile on her face, the enthusiasm in her voice, and her sweet spirit made it a welcoming place.

I thank you all for your time, support, and care."

- Mr. and Mrs. Lee (Kahlil’s parents)

Shaquan-Sylvan's Spotlight Student

"My son, Shaquan was struggling his second grade year. He missed some school the beginning of the year and he had trouble keeping focus in class. With one month left to finish the year, he was diagnosed with ADHD. My son’s pediatrician prescribed him a medicine for this condition, and I let the teacher know what was going on. After a conference, the principal had decided she was going to retain him.
My family and I were extremely unhappy with the outcome because we knew his ADHD and time missed was what affected his ability to learn to his full potential and pass his grade. We checked out the Sylvan website and gave them a call.

Shaquan started coming for math and reading in June of 2009. He is currently finishing up his program with a few months more to go. He began the program in the second grade level with several elements lacking, and he is now finishing up the third grade level going into fourth. In only a few months he has made stellar progress thanks to the excellent material, confidence, and teaching efforts at the Sylvan Learning Center. My family and I are forever grateful as this has been a pleasant experience for us all. My son has obtained quite a healthy education at Sylvan that he can keep and use the rest of his life.
--From the Ayala family to the Sylvan family in Lillington, a GREAT BIG THANK YOU!!"

Thomas

"We became part of Sylvan in Feb 2009. My son, Thomas, had always struggled with school. From the beginning of Kindergarten, he was labeled with a behavior problem. He seemed to always be behind. After many different doctors and testing, we discovered he had symptoms of ADHD and ADD. His behavior was keeping him from learning. I maintained contact with his teachers and tried working with him at home. He seemed to be doing better, but once he stepped into second grade, he seemed to be regressing. He started having bad attitudes all the time and would say that he was ‘dumb.’
Thomas is receiving extra help at school, but I did not feel that he was academically where he should be. I finally decided to give Sylvan a try. I noticed that his attitude started improving from the very start. He had more confidence and for a child who hated to read, he was actually wanting to read. Within several months of attending Sylvan, we all noticed a big change in Thomas. We still have a ways to go, but we will stick with it. He enjoys going to Sylvan and he does not give us a hard time going. He is now on the right track, and with continued support from Sylvan, his family and school, he will be achieving his academic goals.
I am so proud of Thomas. If it were not for Tracy and Brandi from the Lillington office, we would not be where we are today. Everyone in that office is always full of smiles and ready to listen. They are willing to communicate with the teachers, which is great. I cannot thank them enough for what they have done. Sylvan is a great program, and I am so glad we found them. Thank you for all your help and guidance!"

- Lisa

Justin

"Words cannot express how proud we are with Justin's faithfulness and perseverance because of the Sylvan staff.
Justin first became a part of Sylvan in the spring of last year. He enrolled in SAT Prep. It was soon discovered that we was 2 years behind in Algebra. All through school, Justin has struggled with math and reading. We would get tutors and he would do a little better, however, he always felt like he was the lowest person in his class.
Ms. Brandi began teaching him at Sylvan and tapping into his learning style. With her patience and determination, his grades in math and reading have gone up dramatically. More importantly, we saw a dramatic change in his self-confidence in the classroom and out. As a parent, this is priceless. Justin made the honor-roll for the first time in 6 years!
One year later, Justin is a self-confident, young man, and he is looking forward to going to college in the fall!
We know we made the right decision with Sylvan. Nothing is more important than investing in your child's education. A parent only has one chance to educate his or her child-they grow up so quickly. The only regret we have is that I wish we had found Sylvan sooner!
"

- Curtis and Beverly

Spotlight Student: Matthew

"We are honored to be a part of the Sylvan Learning Center Family!

We became part of the Sylvan family in April 2009. Our son Matthew struggled with reading throughout the first grade, resulting in below grade levels. After a full day of class; he would bring home unfinished class work and his homework assignment, causing him to spend 3 or 4 hours after school finishing work, while other children played outside. My wife and I kept in contact with his teacher, and attended numerous conferences, but we got the same response each time; Matthew’s not focusing in class, and she didn’t have the time to spend with him, due to class size. We understood!

My wife went out and purchased first grade books and software, designed to improve first grade reading, but nothing changed. By the time he received his third semester progress report, the school recommended he repeat the first grade. This didn’t sit well with our family, so we decided to find Matthew help he needed. So we contacted Sylvan Learning Center in Lillington NC, explained Matthew’s situation; and it was the best help and support we could have gotten for our son! The Sylvan put together a reading program; structured to instill the necessary tools to improve his reading and confidence level.

Since joining Sylvan, our son has made tremendous improvement. He passed the first grade, worked over the summer; and is doing better than we could imagine in the second grade. Not only did his reading improve, all his grades elevated to grade level, and in some areas above grade level. We’re extremely proud of his accomplishments!

Today, Matthew enjoys reading. He’s not afraid to read out-loud, and we owe it all to the dedicated and caring staff at the Sylvan Learning Center, Lillington, NC. We’d like to give a special thanks to Brandi and Tracy, for orchestrating and overseeing the program; and for continuously communicating with us and our son’s teacher! He truly loves his Sylvan experience, more so, he loves the results!"

- Matthew's Parents

"My 14-year-old daughter has ADD and when she completed middle school, I realized she did not know how to study. I knew I needed to get her help and a friend suggested Sylvan.

From the initial phone call, to the last day my daughter attended, everyone at the center was very nice, professional, and always helpful.

My daughter’s grades went up soon after she started and she is more organized than before. She just completed her exams and she was well prepared and confident going into each test. We can’t wait to get her scores!

I highly recommend any parent that has a child struggling in school to seek help at Sylvan. The help my daughter has gotten, the confidence she has gained, means the difference between her being a OK student, to her being an accomplished student. And the skills she learned she will use through life."

- Debra Yaczko