Sylvan Learning Centers

I was a Sylvan student 25 years ago and it helped me tremendously. I was in third grade and could not read. And after the summer that I spent at Sylvan, I ended up going to college for teaching English. And I am a prolific reader. So, I knew whenever other people had recommended other things and I said, "If Sylvan isn't still around, we'll go somewhere else. But if Sylvan is an option, that's definitely my first choice." So, when I realized that my boys needed a supplement, we looked up and found out that the Sylvan in our area is still owned by the same family that managed it when I was there 25 years ago. So, I called and got my boys signed up. We love it.

Our son is so behind and we didn't want private. He needed structure. My sister had used Sylvan for her kids and she's a teacher. So, with my sister being a teacher, we knew that Sylvan was one of the better ones to use. My son is really behind in sight words. So he's focusing in reading. It's really gotten him a confidence builder at this point and it's seen him grow. Our son has ADHD and has a form of dyslexia where he sees shadowing. We got him the prism glasses, so that's helped. Sylvan's really given him the confidence that he's really needed.

Sylvan has better results and they have their own plan. That's what my nieces needed the most. I needed somebody who knew what they were doing. Sylvan also has certified teachers. One tutor for my oldest niece encourages her to be confident with her answers and to stop second-guessing herself, which I appreciate because she has struggled with that. Most of them have been enthusiastic and open to helping my nieces.

My son has been off school for two years because of the COVID and he has been not been performing well at school. I'm divorced and his dad let our son go to school in full time only just March so my son missed many things already. The school planned to have my son repeat 4th grade and I'm okay with it. But my son's confidence was butchered. We've been with Kumon for four years and he hates it so much. It is not for everybody. Every time we went there, they also did the assessment. My son is quite playful and they would say that his level is one notch down. So, they keep on letting my son go back to for example, 2nd grade. They let my son do the 1st grade.

The school is trying to get the kids ready for the STAAR test. The teachers and staff designated the month of April, and they offered Saturday school from 9:00am to 12:00pm for students that had challenges. My scholar, Alicia, fell into that category, and that schedule interfered with her tutoring with Sylvan because we only go in and we're there for an hour. I had to contact her Sylvan instructor. I nor her Sylvan instructor wanted her to miss out on the opportunity.

One particular tutor is excellent. My daughter had several other interactions, and one of those interactions, the person was a bit quiet. But overall, the facility is awesome and full of people that are super smart and ready to help. So, I couldn't be happier with Sylvan Learning Centers. When my daughter went in there, she had a 2.2 and Algebra was sinking her ship. So, I knew that if I could get her help in that, it would bring up the other grades and take the pressure off of her so that she had more time to spend with the other subjects. She has three 4s now. It's expensive, so I'm blessed enough to be able to send her there. But you get what you pay.

There's genuine engagement from Sylvan. The tutor's focus on my daughter has been in Math and English. The main thing right now is she's getting her homework done and overall, her learning has improved. Her confidence is higher and she feels better about herself because she's doing her work and turning it in. I would recommend Sylvan to others. They're attentive and in contact with me as well as with my daughter's teachers. We only started in early January and we've had a really good two-month checkup on how things are going and how can we do certain things differently. We shifted some things and they're listening.

It's going great with Sylvan. We're using it for reading for both of my kids, and it's making a difference. They keep the same schedule which is what I need.

I like Sylvan because I took my grandson and he excels. He’s first of the list now. When my granddaughter went there, they were so nice and treated her good, and she just fell in love with them. So, I said, “I won't let her just take tutoring so she can be learning.” At first, I didn't know they became a certified school, then I decided to let her go to the school. My granddaughter is just in kindergarten, but she loves Sylvan Learning. She got in the car the other day and said “I had the best day ever.” I didn't let her start going till January, but she's learning.

Lee who runs Sylvan in Essex is an incredible individual. She is so engaging with the kids. She's funny and smart. Tommy, my son, has asked several times if Miss Lee could be his teacher in school, and why he can't only go see Miss Lee. We stuck with Sylvan mostly due to her. She's so quick. She was emailing me three times last night. She has never left a single email hanging for more than 24 hours. She does an excellent job. The classroom setting that they have there is lovely. The way they have a store set up for points has kept my son engaged. Sylvan has been extremely helpful. His school is so impressed.