Here is what our parents are saying about Sylvan!

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From Struggling to Honor Society

"Delaney Gilder was in 3rd grade when she started at Sylvan of Northwest Houston. She was very far behind in reading and math skills at that time. She was enrolled in our Beginning Reading program and our Math Essentials program. Delaney attended Sylvan throughout 4th and most of 5th grade. At this time she had made so much progress that she was doing well on her own. She came back before TAKS testing in her 6th grade year for a refresher course in Reading and Math and recently did a Writing refresher course this school year. Delaney is now in 7th grade and has recently been nominated for the National Junior Honor Society at her school. It is clear that Delaney will be a Sylvan advocate for life. Sylvan has made an incredible difference for her!

“Since going to Sylvan, not only has Delaney excelled at Reading, but now she is an honor roll student. Sylvan has given her the confidence to try new things at school and to do her best.” "

- Terra Gilder, Delaney's Mother

Much More Confidence

"When Gayland Freeman came to Sylvan of Northwest Houston he was extremely frustrated with school. He was not having a positive experience with learning and his family was desperate to get some help. Gayland’s reading level was below his grade level, so he was enrolled in Sylvan Academic Reading. After 3 1/2 months of reading instruction, Gayland was testing at his grade level and had made remarkable improvement in school. His family is clearly happy with the decision to enroll at Sylvan. The following is a letter, written by Gayland’s grandmother, Betty Ames:

“My grandson, Gayland was in fifth grade and was not doing very well. At the time, he had very little confidence and was struggling with his grades. His grades started dropping and it made his confidence even less. He was always saying he was stupid and getting very frustrated, when really, he was smart. The teachers either did not teach or did not take the time he needed to understand.

We decided to enroll him in a Sylvan Reading class. Within just a few weeks, we were amazed at how much he had improved in everything, including his confidence. By the end of the reading program, he was a totally different child; happier and more confident. Sylvan not only gave him the confidence he needed, but they taught him how to comprehend what he is learning. Gayland’s school teachers were even impressed with his change. This helped bring his grades up tremendously by the end of the school year and helped him with the TAKS test. Sylvan was a life saver to him and was well worth the money it cost. Making the Sylvan decision was the best investment we made on his behalf.

I would truly recommend Sylvan to anyone who is struggling. We thank everyone so much for their help. They are a caring and professional group of people who are great with children. My grandson, when finished with his Sylvan program, said that he misses all of his friends at Sylvan.""

- Beth Freeman Ames, Gayland's Grandmother

From Frustration to Motivation

"When Pricilla Delgadillo-Miller was in 2nd grade, she was placed in an accelerated class at her school. The teacher identified her as a student who was not being challenged enough so she was given the same homework as the Gifted and Talented students, yet she was not placed in a different class. Priscilla and her family were frustrated because the instruction she was receiving was not the same as the homework. They brought her to Sylvan of Northwest Houston so her skills could be strengthened to be successful in school. We tested her in reading and math and, while Priscilla did not test far below grade level, we discovered that she had some gaps in her skills that were causing her difficulties in school. Priscilla was enrolled in our Sylvan Academic Reading and Sylvan Math Essentials programs. She has made incredible progress and is much better prepared for the challenges that await her in 3rd grade. Her mother, Fran Miller had this to say about the Sylvan experience:

“My daughter had always been an excellent student until she reached the second semester of her second grade year. I had begun to notice that she was having difficulty decoding familiar words, thereby causing her comprehension to diminish. The professionals at Sylvan Learning Center were able to teach and reinforce the concepts that she missed in her regular school instruction. This has ultimately heightened her confidence in reading. She is now able to channel her academic frustration into motivation and has the confidence to enter third grade with the skills needed for a successful year.”"

- Fran Miller, Pricilla's Mom

MORE Than Expected!

"Sean May came to Sylvan of Northwest Houston when he did not pass his TAKS test in 4th grade. His family wanted to make sure he was successful and ready to move into 5th grade. Sean’s issues were primarily evident with Language Arts, but this was also causing problems with Math. Sean and his parents knew that a huge part of the problem was focus so the goal was to give him extra practice so that he didn’t fall further behind. After initial testing, Sean was enrolled in Language Arts and Math. His progress was astounding as his post testing showed growth of 5 grade levels for Reading. Clearly, some skill practice and opportunities to develop focus have made a huge difference for Sean. Sean and his family are looking forward to the new school year. Sean can approach it with more confidence and an assurance that he is capable of achieving. Sean’s father, David May, says the following about his experience:

“We brought Sean to Sylvan to not have an ADHD kid with summer learning loss and we got more than we expected. Sean has proved to himself that he can do it.”
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- David May, Sean's Father

Confidence to Pass 3rd Grade and the TAKS Test!

"Isabel Munoz was a student who lacked confidence and independence. When she arrived at Sylvan in the middle of her 3rd grade year, her family was very concerned that she would not pass the TAKS test and therefore not make it through 3rd grade. Her goals were to develop confidence, a level of independence, and the skills to make her more successful. Isabel’s primary problem area was reading comprehension, so we immediately enrolled her in our Academic Reading program to help her develop the skills needed to pass the TAKS test. Isabel is now (very proudly) in 4th grade. She passed the TAKS test and 3rd grade! She has also graduated from the Academic Reading program and is now focusing on math gaps and developing writing skills. Isabel’s Aunt Donna is determined to give her the skills to be successful with everything that she encounters.

Aunt Donna has this to say about Isabel’s story:

“We had a student who was in danger of failing. We were looking for a life raft and found one. We didn’t realize how big her gaps were, but she accomplished the goals of passing TAKS and 3rd grade. She would not have passed 3rd grade without going to Sylvan. She now has much more confidence and realizes that she can do it.”"

Sincere Gratitude to Sylvan

"When Samantha Rico came to us at the end of first grade, her grades had been declining and she was having quite a few struggles, particularly with math. After testing Samantha, we recognized she had challenges with reading as well. Samantha, like many kids, was just missing some things. In addition to skills gaps, Samantha was also losing focus due to the lack of understanding. We enrolled Samantha in our Beginning Reading program and our Math Essentials program. Samantha spent the summer at Sylvan and entered 2nd grade as a much stronger student. Samantha and her mother are now both very happy and Samantha is prepared for 2nd grade.

Below is a letter that Samantha’s mom, Elva Rico, wrote to the Sylvan of Northwest Houston’s staff.

To Sylvan Learning Center:

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to your center for tutoring my daughter Samantha Rico over the summer months. My daughter Samantha finished 1st grade with great difficulty, especially with her math skills, and so my husband and I decided to look into having her tutored at your center over the summer, which also extended a little into her 2nd grade school year.

With all of the help and support my daughter was given by your staff, she entered 2nd grade a much better student skill wise, as well as confident that she could do well in 2nd grade.

I would like to thank all of the staff and tutors that worked with my daughter Samantha. I am sure all of the help my daughter received at Sylvan will greatly impact the rest of her school years.

Sincerely Yours,

Mrs. Elva Rico"

Ready for Fourth Grade

"Jon`nea Walker came to us at the beginning of 3rd grade. Her mom was concerned about the TAKS test and she also wanted to see Jon`nea develop more focus and confidence, particularly in math. They had tried many different things and had attended different places for help, but nothing seemed to do the work. According to her mother, learning seemed like it was hit or miss. They enrolled Jon`nea in our Sylvan Math Essentials program and started filling in skill gaps she had with math, while supplementing the instruction she was receiving in 3rd grade. It was a race against time to get Jon`nea ready for the TAKS test and 4th grade. The good news is we were successful in getting her there in time. Jon`nea is now a 4th grader. She still is attending Sylvan in order to get further ahead. She is so much more confident in math. The realization has hit that all kids learn differently. Jon`chea Walker, Jon`nea’s mother, said we finally brought that home for her. Jon`nea needed someone to teach for her specifically! Mrs. Walker has this to say about the experience at Sylvan:

“Sylvan has helped Jon`nea close the learning gaps and also gave her a positive way of looking at math."

100% Understanding

"Blanca Curtis originally came to us experiencing frustration with Math and English skills mostly due to not retaining the information. Her goal has been to take college courses and work toward a degree. As an English as a Second Language (ESL) learner, it is difficult for Blanca to understand everything she hears in English. This has caused her to have problems communicating her lack of understanding, which also caused her to miss some concepts completely. After learning of Blanca’s problems, we enrolled her in our Academic Reading program to help her refine her English skills and give her more confidence in being able to communicate any lack of understanding. Also, because of Blanca’s misunderstandings with math, we enrolled her in the Sylvan Advanced Math course. We knew Blanca needed the individualized attention so that she would be more successful. Blanca’s confidence has grown leaps and bounds and she now feels more able to tackle the English language and those more difficult math concepts.

Blanca says:

My experience at Sylvan has been more than I expected. I considered everything a plus. At first when I started taking the classes at Sylvan, I felt very insecure, but as time passed I started to feel better about my ability to learn. The teachers really gave me the time and focus so I could understand 100% of the material given to me. They really treated me like a real person; not just a number. I know I still have a ways to go, but I now know I can rely on Sylvan when I need them. It doesn’t matter what age you are. You are welcome and treated the same as everybody else!!!"

Thank You Sylvan, Thank You Sylvan Teachers

"Jasmine Man came to Sylvan because she wanted help with writing. As a student who is very concerned with her own learning, she asked her dad to bring her here. The day Jasmine took her initial assessment, she expressed how important it is for her to feel better about her writing and to get “fours” as a score instead of “ones” or “twos.” We enrolled Jasmine in our Academic Writing program to teach her the skills that would help her get those “fours.” Jasmine recently completed the writing program and now has the skills and the confidence to write papers without fear.

This is a letter from Jasmine to our Sylvan staff.

Sylvan,

Thanks. My writing before was never that great. It never was good enough. I got by with “twos,” but never with “threes” or “fours.” It was always difficult and frustrating to me. Especially to look at those around me who never had any problems with it. I really thought something was wrong with me. Then one day I saw a Sylvan commercial, and I thought I should probably give it a try. Sure enough, Sylvan knew what they were talking about.
The Sylvan Advantage introduced new techniques to me. Sylvan made my writing actually sound good. It actually came out right! One of the most important things is it gave me was the confidence to write! To know that I can write a paper and not get frustrated, but can actually enjoy it!
Also, Sylvan would be nothing without their amazing teachers. Sylvan’s teachers are so wonderful. They were patient with me, were nice, and understanding of my learning condition. I just have to say thanks to all you who have helped me these past five months. Sylvan knew what they were doing when they hired you because you gave me the Sylvan Advantage.
In a final analysis, I just want to say thank you, Sylvan, and thank you, Sylvan teachers. I appreciate all of what you taught me and I promise I will use all of the techniques. I never thought it would be possible to enjoy writing, but clearly, with you, it is. Thank you, and may God bless you all.

Love, your former student,

Jasmine Man"

Confident and Ready for School

"When Annakate Long came to Sylvan, she was struggling with reading. She had a lack of confidence and was extremely frustrated. We enrolled her in our Beginning Reading program and her mom stared seeing a noticeable difference in her attitude toward reading. She actually wanted to read a book to her mother; this had never happened before. Annakate has completed the Beginning Reading program, moving from a kindergarten to a first grade level, and now she’s a more confident reader. She has the tools she needs to be a great reader and now she believes that she can accomplish anything.

Annakate’s mother, Cassandra Long, has this to say about the experience:

“I feel Sylvan has been the best decision I have made regarding her education. This program works! She has entered 1st grade prepared and confident. Thank you, Sylvan!"

Comforts My Soul...

"Victor Gonzalez is a great kid who came to Sylvan needing some help with being more organized and attentive to his school work. Before coming to Sylvan, his mother often felt she had to keep track of his work for him. She felt tired and stressed because of having to keep track of Victor’s school work along with all of her other responsibilities.

After learning of Victor’s needs, we immediately enrolled him in the Study Skills program to teach him how to take responsibility for his own work and help him to apply the skills he learns to his daily habits. His school teachers have mentioned seeing a marked improvement.

His mother recently noticed he was starting to have trouble with Algebra in school, so we also enrolled him in our Algebra 1 course. After just a couple of weeks, Victor’s grades improved dramatically and his Algebra teacher at school is impressed, She recently sent an e-mail to Victor’s mother stating how happy she was with Victor’s progress. His mother says, “It comforts my soul.”

Victor continues to improve in school and his mother is able to relax knowing he is taking the responsibility for himself.

“The most important thing we see in Victor is that he’s willing to come to Sylvan and it makes him feel better,” says Victor’s mom, Veronica Reese. “He doesn’t always want to admit that it helps, but he knows it does. Whether with Algebra or Study Skills, he knows he can carry those skills to his daily school habits.”"

- Veronica Reese

Feeling Frustrated

"Shari Postel came to us feeling frustrated with her math skills. As an accomplished real estate agent, it is her desire to better herself at every turn. Math seemed to be the area she struggled with most. When she came to us, she was unsure of herself and felt that she could not do it. She was often a skeptic about trying it. We tested her to find her weaknesses and immediately started working through the skill gaps she had. As she progressed, we started helping her with Algebra; the ultimate goal being to take Algebra college courses and feel successful. Shari now feels that her dream will be realized.

Shari says, “At 48 years old, it seemed like I would never be able to learn Algebra. It had kept me from earning my Bachelor’s degree and I had tried it on my own and with friends helping me. It just seemed impossible. I went to Sylvan and got the best teachers to finally break through my ‘phobias’…I had to go back and learn the basics, then was introduced to what I feared most in math: Algebra! They taught me with patience and it began to make sense. Thanks to Sylvan I was able to move ahead and will continue to practice and learn with the lessons and tools they provided.”

Shari’s story is inspiring. As she says it, “You are never too old to learn! I would recommend this system to anyone who needs ‘special attention’ and I greatly appreciate the staff and teachers at Sylvan; they were great!”"

Better Grades, Higher Confidence and Less Stress!

"As ESL students, Jocelyn and Christian Palomares often struggled with school and felt frustrated. They would even be reduced to tears at times. This put an enormous strain on them, so they came to Sylvan for help. Before coming to Sylvan, their mother actually tried a couple of other options and did not feel that any of them worked. She feels that the staff at Sylvan were they only ones who were able to “break through.”

In the beginning, Jocelyn and Christian were both hesitant to work independently. As time passed, they became more confident and now work independently on homework. Their mother now feels less stress because she does not have to help them constantly. Their grades have improved dramatically and school now comes more easily. Jocelyn just recently insisted on taking her report card and showing last year’s teachers how much she has improved. With reduced tears and more confidence, both kids are more successful in their daily lives.

Christian and Jocelyn’s mom says, “At the beginning, I knew that I had to get them help. I tried multiple sources and finally found what I was looking for at Sylvan. I could always see that they were interested in being at Sylvan. I now see how confident and positive they are. It is even evident on their faces. They actually like school now!”"

Growing by Leaps and Bounds

"Jayden and Caelan Moore are brothers who came to Sylvan at the end of first grade (for Jayden) and Kindergarten (for Caelan). At the time they were both working at the level of a beginning Kindergarten student. We knew then that Jayden would be with us longer since he had further to go. We enrolled them both in our Beginning Reading program and immediately began to see success.

Caelan is now in the middle of first grade and is doing very well in school. His mother feels he is ahead of the game. He no longer attends Sylvan because he is able to be successful on his own. Jayden, who is now in second grade, has progressed all the way from an early Kindergarten level to a second grade level. We are still working with him to prepare him to successfully move into the third grade. Both boys have come so far and their family is very happy with their progress.

Their mother, Tammy Moore, says, “Jayden loves coming to Sylvan. Without Sylvan he wouldn’t enjoy school and he would not be willing to sit and do his work. Caelan really misses coming to Sylvan. Sylvan allowed him to grow leaps and bounds. He’s really coming into his potential.”"

Time Worth Spending

"Having struggled since first grade, Dayton really needed a confidence boost when he came to the Sylvan in Northwest Houston in the summer before his third grade school year. His family has wanted to always be involved, but often felt the frustration of not knowing what was happening at school. Dayton’s main personal goal was simply to be able to read the Magic Treehouse books just like his classmates.

The original goal was to build foundations, ease the struggle, and foster confidence and independence. We are now happy to say, along with Dayton and his family, that these goals have been realized. Dayton now has a love for learning that should continue to take him through his life.

Here’s what Dayton’s mom has to say about their experience at Sylvan:

“The main thing is that the time was well worth spending. It doesn’t matter about rush hour traffic, being out on a school night, or whatever. At this point, this (Sylvan) is more important than the things we miss such as open house or family nights at the school. He just LOVES the Sylvan teachers and has learned SO MUCH!”"

Confident and Independent Student

"Adrienne Agana came to Sylvan when she was struggling with knowing what her teachers wanted and knowing how to effectively do her work and prepare for tests. As an ‘A’ student, her mother was shocked when her grades started to decline. It seemed that Adrienne would give all of her attention to one subject and the other subjects would suffer. One of her major problems at the time was with her writing skills. She wanted to write the way she speaks and she quickly discovered this was not effective.

We immediately enrolled her in our writing program to help her learn how to put her thoughts on paper and teach her the skills to turn her writing into quality work. At the beginning of her 7th grade school year we added Study Skills so that she would learn how to study effectively and manage her time so all subjects would get her attention.

Adrienne is now much more confident and independent with her work. Her mom does not feel like she has to “hold her hand” through it anymore.

Her mom Maria says, “Adrienne loves coming to Sylvan. There’s never a fight about it. She has been learning a lot about writing and she actually feels she’s been making an improvement with writing papers, no matter what the subject is. She is doing much better in school. I no longer feel like I have to do it for her because she takes the responsibility for herself. I don’t have to ‘control’ her school work now because of her independence.”"

Cheyne Sims

"Cheyne came to Sylvan during the summer after third grade. He had not been successful with the TAKS test and our goal was to catch him up for the retest to be administered during the summer as well as fill in any skill gaps to help him be successful in fourth grade.
Cheyne had become the class clown, acting out rather than allowing anyone to realize that he was struggling in school. During previous tutoring sessions and summer school, it was not uncommon for Cheyne to become frustrated and walk away from the instructional situation.
Cheyne enrolled in the Sylvan Reading program and within a month we began to see a change, the change was in his attitude. Bit by bit, his confidence began to improve. By the end of the month, a twinkle returned to his eye, and the frustrated class clown became a happy student. Cheyne passed the TAKS retest, but more importantly he is making A’s and B’s in his fourth grade classes and thoroughly enjoying school. What an incredible transformation, both academically and emotionally.
Now that Cheyne successfully completed his reading program at Sylvan, his younger brother is anxious to attend Sylvan and become a better reader."

- “School is really fun and I really like reading books…all kinds of books!” Cheyne S.

Measurable Results

"I watched Sylvan design and implement a customized program for both of my sons that had impressive measurable results. My elder son went from two years behind his class to 10 months ahead in 18 months. Meanwhile, they have gone the extra mile helping us with our younger, special needs son. My wife and I are enthusiastic in recommending the Sylvan Learning Center of Champions for others."

- Mr & Mrs. Richard Marsh

John

"When John first came to Sylvan in Northwest Houston, he was two years behind in reading comprehension. After 72 hours of instruction, John not only completed his program, but he also made five years growth on his progress test. John also passed his exit TAKS on the first try.

“Sylvan designed and implemented a customized program that resulted in impressive measurable results. We are enthusiastic in recommending Sylvan to others."

- Richard and Nancy M.

WELL WORTH THE MONEY!

"When Euate Clay originally tested at Sylvan Learning center of Northwest Houston, he was extremely behind in reading, specifically comprehension. After seeing his needs, his mother, Kimberly Louden, set up an extensive Language Arts program over the course of the summer. The goal was to get his comprehension skills in place to be successfully promoted to the 5th grade. Euate’s final test after summer instruction showed him at an early 5th grade level. This was up from an original score of early 2nd grade. Euate and his family had an incredible summer at Sylvan that was well worth the hard work.

Euate's mother had this to say about the Sylvan in Northwest Houston:

“The experience that my family and I had at Sylvan was great. I was very impressed with the progress they made with my son. I have had family members that have gone to Sylvan as well and they also said that it helped them a lot. I would recommend Sylvan to anyone. It was well worth the money.”
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- Kimberly Louden, Euate's Mother