Is tutoring effective?
It can be sometimes. If your child has been out of school excessively due to extended illness or other circumstances, tutoring can help them catch up on missed material. If your child has attended school regularly but is struggling to do school work and achieve good grades despite his best efforts and quality caring teachers, tutoring probably is not the answer. Also, if you find yourself taking your child to tutoring year after year, then tutoring is not solving the problem but rather a "crutch". If tutoring is truly effective it should be a one time experience. Otherwise it is just a bandaid on current symptoms.
What's the difference between cognitive skill training and tutoring?
Cognitive skill training works on the abilities necessary to learn. It is developmental in nature, establishing and strengthening the brain skills, sensory integration and visual and auditory processing skills which are absolutely essential to learn and succeed in everything we do in life. Tutoring works on content material; it does not concern itself with the "how to" but rather presents content material in smaller pieces than is done in school. In essence it is more of the same. If you have a bright child and school isn't working for him or her, then why do we think that giving more of the same will make the difference? Cognitive skill training is a one time training. Tutoring is usually an ongoing cycle because it does not eliminate the true problem, just the present symptoms until other symptoms present themselves.
How does the Center compare to learning franchises?
The Center for Learning Enhancement is owned and operated by a licensed, highly educated, learning specialist who is the sole provider of all services. From your initial phone call to sound expert diagnostic testing and research based programs you will develop a relationship with and only work with Mrs. Correro, a highly trained expert in her field. Most franchises will send you through regionally based phone menus and will not give you clear, precise fee schedules. Testing is often in groups, not individualized nor diagnostic. Tutoring is receiving more of what they get in school, not developmental, research-based solutions to the real problems. Our fees are totally competitive and simple, not based on what your child's problems are or which program you need!
How come I haven't heard about cognitive skill training?
Good question! Cognitive skill training is provided in thousands of schools, and learning centers throughout the United States. It has been very successful in raising standardized test scores, diminishing the need for student referrals for special services and most importantly, creating confident, independent, successful learners! The research and services are out there. Is your school passionate about finding solutions that meet the needs of the child? Unfortunately, too many schools are driven by state mandates which are not looking at the learning process but content material. Too often this amounts to trying to force square pegs into round holes; education is too often not geared to the child but visa versa!
The schools say my child is not eligible for services yet he is still struggling, how can that be?
Unfortunately, eligibility for services is mostly based on test scores and grades. There are thousands of "silent strugglers" across America who have learning disabilities that are not viewed as such because of the criteria set. Also, your child may work excessively hard and get good grades which is the bottom line in education, not the process of learning.
My child's scores were in the average range. Then why is she struggling with homework and getting inconsistent grades?
Yes, to most parents, hearing "average" means to us that our child is ok, doing well. However, just as you said, average is a "range". To better clarify your child's abilities Percentile Rank is a more relevant score in interpreting your child's functional level. As with all scores, achievement is established in relation to peers either by age or grade. Percentile Rank of 60 means that your child is functioning better or as well as 60% of his peers and that 40% of his peers are functioning better than he is. Also, a score at the 16th percentile, means that 84% of that students peers are functioning better than he is. The latter does not give the connotation of doing well but is in the average range! Knowing your child's percentile rank will give you the answer. He or she can be in the average range and still be struggling to learn and have cognitive processing issues.
Will you teach my child to read?
Absolutely yes! The ability to read (which by the way, is not a natural process but man made), is dependent on many cognitive and perceptual processes. Many very bright children experience difficulty reading because one or more of the essential skills are missing or undeveloped. Once your child's foundation skills are developed and strengthened reading can and will occur easily and more quickly by our scientifically proven programs! When children's processing and cognitive skills are solid, they should be taught to read in a year or less! If your child (with a mild to moderate learning disability) is receiving special services and not learning to read in a year then the approach is wrong. There are cognitive and processing skills which need to be remediated first. Don't accept that your child cannot read!
How do I decide whether to use tutoring or cognitive skill training?
It is very important to know why your child is struggling. Tutoring will not address nor resolve that. Cognitive skill training will do both and eliminate the need for tutoring! The opposite is not true. Most students coming for cognitive skill training have had years of tutoring before hand as well as specialized instruction. Save yourself and your child time and aggravation. Cognitive skills training will do everything tutoring does and resolve the real problems at hand!
