Note from parent

"I think you got it before, but just in case: Please know that we do not use Sylvan as a remedial intervention. We use Sylvan as a confidence builder and a gifted tool for our special needs child who has ADHD & Sensory Processing Disorder. Because of his needs he cannot always process the information given to him in a standard classroom, but by helping to feed his request for knowledge on his level, he is able to read above grade level and enjoy above grade level math classes. He even asked this summer to go to "Math Summer Camp at Sylvan". It would be wonderful to a target campaign on this type of use for your centers. He loves the time that he is there and loves interacting with older children. They both benefit by allowing children who are below level to help him a bit as they work alongside each other, it also increases their confidence and generates excitement in their learning pushing them to excel. It is such a positive atmosphere for everyone and we tell all our friends about it. If you have any questions or want to know more, please feel free to call me. (call us for the number)Jennifer Rodriguez We look forward to being a Sylvan family as long as possible, provided finances allow, and consider this part of our son's permanent learning arsenal."

- A Sylvan Mom

"What I did with my Summer"

"I attended the summer class in July 2010. I must apologize, first for giving Jimmy such a hard time. But, I took my SATs in October and found my scores improved alomost 200 points between my Math and my Reading; about 300 points, if you include the writing as well. My math score itself improved quite a bit. You guys are miracle workers."

- - Senior in Gloucester County

From a Sylvan Parent

""

Sylvan is Simply Awesome!

"From a recent SAT Prep student's mother.

My daughter Allanna took Sylvan's test prep course before she took her PSAT. As a result of the high scores she achieved, this week she received letters from Cornell and Brown urging her to apply. The Brown letter states, in relevant part, "Your record of accomplishment to date convinces us that you have the talent and initiative to be a very strong candidate for admission to Brown-. . . ." I know that her success is a direct result of her participation in the Sylvan course. Sylvan is to be credited for her achievement for it provided her with the strategy to perform well. Thank you, Sylvan for preparing her for a very important part of her life.

I send a special thanks to her instructors who obviously are likewise successes!!

I hope many parents consider the tremendous benefit that Sylvan can be in their child's life!!

Thanks, again!!!"

- A Thankful Sylvan Mom

Doing Our Very Best!

"We can not say enough good things about Ms. Leah, Mr. Jimmy and all of the teachers our daughter has been in contact with. We have been very fortunate to find them and will always be thankful, that there are people who will go out of their way and always have your child's best interest at heart.
Thank you so much!!!!"

Struggling No More!

"The experience with Sylvan for my son has really built up his self confidence he's more eager to do his school assignments. In my opinion his grades were failing, and after just 4 months he's has brought his grades up to almost honor roll."

"You guys rock!"

"Jimmy,
FYI......Aaron got a 100 on the last quiz before the 9 weeks test and an 88 on that test!!!!! You guys rock!!!"

- Another Great Sylvan Parent!

Mom - "Thank you so much for taking me to Sylvan"

"Jimmy and Leah go far and above anything I could imagine. They are wonderful to work with and Bailey truly loves them. Bailey is eager to work and wants to please them with her work. She tells me all the time "thank you so much for taking me to Sylvan." That says it all!"

- A very happy Mom

Helping children with special needs

"My child has special needs and I was taking him to Children's Hospital for speech. Since attending Sylvan, his reading, vocabulary and confidence has increased to the point that I am not as anxious about him as I used to be. The staff shows him alot of love and patience."

- Parent of Sylvan 6th grader

Helping NCLB students meet test score minimums!

"DJ Montague made their AYP scores across the board! Thought you would be interested in that info."

- D.J. Montague Elementary School PTA member

Transitioning to Middle School

"Words cannot express how pleased I am with my child's progress since he's been attending Sylvan. He couldn't read and had no confidence at all and now the teachers and I are totally amazed at the progress he has made. Jimmy, Leah, Rachel and Arlene are absolutely great with him and the fear I had back in November is not as great as it was regarding him going to the middle school next year."

Parent of a 6 year old working on Beginning Reading

"The positive energy from all of the staff has made a difference in the way myself and my son has enjoyed our experience."

High Schooler driving himself to the next level.

"He's starting to really get it, I think... that time and effort pay off.

Thanks again for all of the help you gave him. It was a valuable experience for him. Much more so due to your flexibility in schedule, desire to help him succeed and the confidence he gained through your teachings, talks, etc."

My Son loves the Red Sox and Sylvan!

"My son walks into the center excited about learning! After our first visit my son told me that he thought Jimmy was like an uncle. "He is fun and makes learning easy.""

Email from a Very Happy College Student

"Hello,
...I attended Sylvan last spring where I worked with Jimmy and a number of the other wonderful staff members at your location. I just wanted to write to say thank you for everything that you all did for me. I started my college career last semester at VCU and I have thoroughly enjoyed my academic endeavors and I truly believe that you all had a great impact on it. I was able to achieve a 4.0 for my first semester and I know that this was possible through applying the skills that I learned at Sylvan. I was very nervous going into school because I am an athlete as well and it can be compared to having a full time job, however, with the techniques you all taught me, I was able to sail through my first semester smoothly and for that I send great amounts of gratitude to you all.

Jimmy: Thank you so much for all that you helped me with. I know I was a little emotional, confused and worried along with a number of other things that I'm sure you noticed but I truly am so blessed to have been teamed up with you and the staff at Sylvan. Thanks for not giving up on me!:) I'll keep you updated with my future progress. Thanks again and I hope to see you soon!"

Student Athlete No Longer Struggling in Classroom!

"Our son, who has been struggling with grades for the past 4 years, started Sylvan in December. He was ready for it and willing to accept anything that could potentially help him. With Sylvan's assistance in study skill development and "catch up" in areas where he was lagging, he was able to pull through his current classes with better than expected grades and for the first time is taking ownership of his studies. He is now looking at his grades online, meeting with his teachers to correct data when necessary, promptly completes makes up work and even asks for extra credit projects when available. He is really taking on responsibility for his studies.. an unexpected bonus! We wish we would have started with Sylvan four years ago."

- Mother of a 10th grade student- Williamsburg area

Kickin' and Screamin'

"Imagine, as a 6 year old, being so frustrated with school and reading that when grandmother says, "tonight we start at Sylvan!", that it is understandable that the little guy would cry and raise a fuss. He came to Sylvan's doors with tears in his eyes, swollen and red, begging his grandmother to not go... but after two hours of working on his reading foundation, his instructor Mary looked at him with a smile... tears long gone, providing answers confidently... now sad that his night was coming to an end. Mary asked him,

"Brandon, what did you learn tonight at Sylvan?"

He stopped for a moment, he looked at Mary and Jimmy the Center Director and said,

"This place is fun! I can't wait to come back!"

He rattled off a laundry list of other proud accomplishments, but Brandon, the little guy that travels over an hour each visit, is well on his way back to reading with his classmates in first grade."

- Observation of a 6 year old boy

Proud mom praises the accomplishments of a Sylvan Graduate!

"Sylvan has been an awesome program that my daughter has benefited from. All of the Sylvan teachers are great. I am so glad that my daughter had the opportunity to work with such a great group of individuals. Thank you so much for all your help!"

- Mother of a 3rd grade Sylvan Graduate

College Student credits Sylvan in helping him get there.

"I am grateful for all the years I spent at Sylvan because it improved my academic performance, and for the first time I felt a sense of accomplishment. In the third grade, my reading, writing, and math skills were way below grade level relative to my peers. As a result, I was placed in a self-contained learning disability class, which shattered my spirit because I was denied access to the
same learning opportunities that peers in the "normal" setting were given. I felt "dumb" and "stupid," which made me think that I would not amount to much in life. Sylvan, however, changed my thinking and helped immensely improve my self-esteem and outlook on life.

Without Sylvan, my reading, writing, and math skills would not have improved and I would continue struggling academically. Going to Sylvan helped me understand how to comprehend reading passages, solve various math problems like basic algebra and geometry, and how to write effectively and with ease. The most important lesson I learned from Sylvan was to strive for excellence and not to accept anything less. Due to the profound influence Sylvan had on my life, I am currently a junior at the College of William and Mary double majoring in public policy and environmental science and policy.  Thank you.

"

- Patrick

A Note from Sylvan Student's Teacher To Our Director

"You and he did it! He passed the semester and will move on to Part 2 of Algebra. He will still need you to help, but he has a fighting chance. If he keeps up this level of commitment, he will pass the SOL and the course and be ready for geometry."

- Williamsburg Area High School Algebra teacher

Praise from a Williamsburg Sylvan Parent

"I think parents who have children that need extra motivation or confidence should strongly consider bringing their children to Sylvan. As a classroom teacher, I have seen the results of a student who I referred to Sylvan. After attending Sylvan, he became more confident in class and his grades improved dramatically. Thanks Sylvan for the support!"

- Mother of a student that once struggled with reading