• Home
  • About
  • Featured Reviews
  • Request a Review
  • Advertising
  • Subscribe

The Curriculum Choice

Making homeschool decisions easy

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • About
  • Blog
  • How To Homeschool
    • By Review Team
    • Encouragement
    • New to Homeschooling
    • Organization
  • Reviews by Grade
    • Elementary
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • Preschool
  • Reviews by Subject
    • Bible
    • Economics
    • Fine Arts
      • Art
      • Music
    • Foreign Language
    • Highschool
    • History & Geography
      • Geography
      • History
    • Home Economics
    • Language Arts
      • Grammar
      • Handwriting
      • Literature
      • Phonics
      • Reading
      • Spelling
      • Vocabulary
      • Writing
    • Logic
    • Math
    • Science & Technology
      • Science
      • Technology
        • Apps

in Encouragement· Mom Helps· Organization

Review: Sylvan Learning Center Assessment

Sylvan Learning Assessments

With almost two decades of homeschooling under our belts, our family has experienced a variety of learning issues.  Most of them we have been able to diagnose and resolve ourselves.

When I marked a recent French test, though, I realized I needed expert help.  Occasionally we all find ourselves in situations where our love, patience, and efforts are not enough, and then we usually don’t know where to turn.

However, long ago the 12-year-old daughter of a dear friend of mine learned to read at a Sylvan Learning Center, and when I put down that French test, I picked up the phone and called Sylvan.

Of course, it wasn’t only the French.  It was also the math.  The reading.  The spelling.  The extreme creativity and extreme distractibility.  In fact, it was everything.

Did this child of mine need academic help?  Did she have dyslexia or was she just too global a thinker to notice the individual letters in a word?  Was it something like ADD or ADHD?  Or was it just a childish and lazy attitude?  I suspected it was a bit of each, but I knew I needed help to be able to sort it all out and give her the education she needs.

So, despite my daughter’s passionate objections, we went to our first appointment and the Sylvan lady was a dream—sweet, funny, totally empathetic, and patient.  My daughter did not want to be there and found the assessment stressful, but she perked up at the thought of a $5 gift certificate to a pet store, especially when she found out she had already earned a quarter of it.

The next week I went in to discuss the results.

  • Some of them confirmed what I knew—math is below grade level…but not as much as I thought.
  • Others were a surprise—reading is well above grade level.
  • And others I had never even considered—being timed and tested cause her unhealthy amounts of stress.

The Sylvan lady told me what I could best work on at home and gave me practical tips for doing so.  She shared her experiences with children who had similar issues and told me what red flag signs she had noticed.  She recommended psychoeducational testing, which we are beginning at home rather than professionally because of the cost.  And, of course, she also told me what Sylvan could do for my child and how they would do it in an effective, stress-free way.

Due to other circumstances, we have not been able to sign our daughter up for Sylvan classes yet, but the assessment was such an eye opener that we have been able to make a significant difference in her learning just by focusing on the Sylvan lady’s other tips.  And, when we eventually do sign up for Sylvan classes, I suspect that she will be able to move ahead quickly.

If one of your children is having difficulties learning, it may be worth your while to explore the Sylvan Learning Center website.

Disclosure:  I have not been compensated for this review in any way and am expressing my own honest opinion.  I was given a free assessment as part of a local promotion, as was everyone else who applied at that time.

Filed Under: Encouragement, Mom Helps, Organization Tagged With: Written by Annie Kate

Previous Post: « A Plan in Place is Help for Your Homeschool
Next Post: KingKa – A Classic Board Game with a Twist »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jenn says

    May 21, 2015 at 5:01 pm

    Very interesting. I was just on their site looking around to see if this would help my daughter. She is much like your daughter, above in language arts, behind in math. We are hoping to improve her math before that all important SAT.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

We are a veteran group of home educators with a mission – to spread the word about our favorite curricula and help YOU make informed decisions for your homeschool. Meet the review authors and browse the homeschooling tips they share!

Subscribe For Free Choosing Homeschool Curriculum Guide

Success! Please check your email and confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Sponsors and Affiliates

Homeschoolinghomeschool

Our Sister Websites

 


Follow Curriculum Choice's board Homeschool Reviews by The Curriculum Choice on Pinterest.

Recent Comments

  • Heidi Ciravola on Psychology: A Christian Perspective
  • Heidi Ciravola on Magic Tree House Curriculum
  • Dawn on Psychology: A Christian Perspective
  • Terry on Magic Tree House Curriculum
  • Thara on How To Make An Overall Plan for The Year
  • Advertising
  • Disclosure Policy
  • Philosophies
  • Request a Review

Copyright © 2025 · The Curriculum Choice, a Southern Hodgepodge, L.L.C. site.