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Our Sylvan Story
"I have decided to write this story, just in an effort to reach somebody in a similar situation and who is wondering if Sylvan will work for them. I hope my story convinces you that you have to try. You owe it to your child, to your self and to your family. Having a struggling student is challenging, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
We started off with a beautiful and sweet little girl. She had many remarkable strengths but there was that speech delay. We learned along the way that she had a thyroid condition that made her have behavior characteristics similar to a child with ADD/ADHD. What do you do? Do you believe she is special because she is yours? Should you listen to the school that tells you she has fallen behind the other children and should go to resource (missing more classroom time). When that only makes her fall further behind, do you believe the school again when they explain that it isn’t their program, but that she has limited capabilities. She should be put in a less challenging, easier environment. School will be too hard for her otherwise and too stressful, they said. You could push her too hard, beyond her capabilities and ruin her self-esteem. I am embarrassed to say I chose the latter. I even had a very close friend who referred me to Sylvan based on her close friend’s experience. Well, it’s probably expensive, I thought. I asked the teacher what she thought and was told “Sylvan probably doesn’t have the same curriculum, it is a waste of money”. So we believed them. We allowed our child to be moved to the “Special Day class”. It was true, she no longer had to struggle in school to keep up with the curriculum. Instead she stagnated. She was lost in the “smaller classroom size” with higher need children. In the 17 months that she was in the program, she made no progress. She was in her second month of second grade at that time. Her skill level entering the SDC program consisted of a Kindergarten math level and a mid-second grade reading level. I questioned her lack of progress and asked the school for a skills assessment. The results showed a Kindergarten math level and a mid-second grade reading level. The school personnel explained that was all she was capable of, that was why she never improved – see, they were right, she really does need to be in this Special Day Class program. At that point, we pulled her out of the program. Sadly, by now, she was in her 8th month of third grade and farther behind than ever before. I knew she had potential and I wanted her to be supported by others that believed in her, as well.
I had finally listened to my friend and checked it out. I met Vivian, my daughter’s case worker. Vivian made me feel comfortable asking even the tough questions. She said there was a “Sylvan Guarantee”. They promised “one grade level in 36 hours”. I pressed her – “Every kid?” I asked. She smiled knowingly and calmly said “Every kid. You would be surprised what we can do.” Honestly, I worried that maybe mine was too far behind and had too many difficulties paying attention and staying focused. “Well,” I thought to myself, “at least I’ll get more hours for free. Any progress will be better than nothing.” Then came the cost – it was actually manageable. The cost of doing nothing at this point was unthinkable. We needed someplace with a tested and practiced method, a strategic plan, structure, small goals and traceable milestones. We needed to know that others had been there and been successful. We needed a place that was accountable and systematic, but most of all we needed someone who would believe in our daughter’s potential as much as we do. She needed someplace that could make her learning fun. She needed to be re-motivated, but with positive feedback and patience.
How does our story end? We don’t know yet, but I think it’s going to be great! She jumped two levels on her CA State Standard STAR test after only 5 months at Sylvan. This earned her one of her lifelong goals – a trophy presented to her in front of the entire school! She was giddy with delight! After 8 months, our daughter went up to a mid-second grade skill level in math and a mid-fourth grade level in reading. Needless to say, Vivian was right. She did improve one grade level in 36 hours for Math. Amazingly, she improved two grade levels within 32 hours of Reading! We are now 11 months into our journey. We decided to retain her to help her close the gap by having her repeat third grade. This helped us get into a school that believed in her, as well. She is well on her way to being amply prepared for fourth grade in the fall. She now thinks math is fun and she reads for hours at a time because she loves it. In Sylvan, we found a place that could get her back on track and that she loves. Most importantly, she has great self-esteem. She has developed an incredible work-ethic and kept her positive attitude. I feel like all of her teachers at Sylvan have saved my daughter’s life."
- Carole and Ian Bornarth
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