How Your Child Can Benefit from Tutoring Services

No matter how old you may be, school can be very difficult. With the current situation now with schools closing and over populated classrooms, it is especially important to ensure that your child is receiving the best education possible. The most effective way to do this is to use outside resources and whatever it may take to make sure your child is comfortable and learning properly.

Swan Learning Center provides an impeccable service to those who seek tutoring. On average, students grow at least a full level in only 40 hours of instruction from Swan Learning Center. Diagnostic tests are provided to children so that the facility and instructors can better understand the needs of each individual. The tests are used to better understand where there may be gaps in skills and what areas need to be worked on. A variety of teaching methods are performed by the Swan Learning Center specialists can reach out to each student. Our specialists also work with teachers to make sure that what is learned at Swan Learning Center can directly translate to the classroom.

With tutoring services, students are given the opportunity to excel and succeed. The programs provided include Emergent Reading, Developmental Reading, Foundation Math, Advance Math, Study Skills and Writing. No matter what subject your child needs assistance with, Swan Learning Center has got you covered to meet each student's educational goals. Swan Learning Center even provides services such as Academic Coaching for middle school and high school students, study skills, and SAT preparation.

With the help of tutoring services, test scores will improve and academic performance will increase. When looking for a learning center, it is important to research and see what programs the center offers, find out if the center comes highly recommended from professionals and other parents, use a variety of different learning materials and ensure that the specialists are updating you, the parent on progress.

Your child's education is extremely imperative and at Swan Learning Center, we thrive off of seeing our students improve and excel in their studies. For more information on tutoring services and how your children can benefit from them, be sure to visit Swan Learning Center.

Obama Says the Future of U.S. Economy Depends on a Better Education System

"President Barack Obama said today that the future of the U.S. economy depends on improving the nation’s education system.

Speaking on NBC’s “Today” show, Obama said it isn’t something that the U.S. can spend its way out of. “Money, without reform, will not fix the problem,” he said.

The president’s signature “Race to the Top” education program, funded with $4.35 billion, is meant to improve U.S. education by raising state standards and linking teacher pay to student achievement.

Obama also has said that the U.S. is falling behind other nations in producing college graduates, leaving it less able to compete in the global economy.

His goal is for the U.S. to have the highest rate of college graduates in the world by 2020. The U.S. now ranks 12th among 36 developed nations, the College Board said in a report in July.

“The status quo isn’t working for children and it’s not working for the country,” Education Secretary Arne Duncan said yesterday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “What the president fundamentally gets is that we have to educate our way to a better economy.”

~ Source: Bloomberg.com

Back to School in Charlotte!

"CHARLOTTE -- More students, teacher vacancies and transportation changes were just some of the issues facing Charlotte-Mecklenburg school leaders Tuesday as they prepared for the first day of school.

The year begins Wednesday with fewer teachers at CMS after another rollercoaster budget session. Mecklenburg County cuts led to hundreds of layoffs but the district was able to bring back about 140 teachers once the state gave more cash than expected.

CMS says more than 150 teaching positions remain open including dozens in core subjects like English and math.

Not only will the system be short on teachers, but there will be an estimated 1,300 more students enrolled this year than last, thanks in part to a larger-than-usual incoming kindergarten class. The official student tally won’t be known for about a week to 10 days.

Transportation has been another hot topic over the summer. Budget cuts mean magnet transportation shifts to shuttles that will drop off and pickup at 27 locations across the district.

CMS set up a hotline for parents with general back-to-school questions. That number is (980) 343-3000. Staff will be available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m."

~ Source: Charlotte.News14.com

For more tips on how to help your students this school year, check out the academic coaching services we have available!

Quality Day Care Crucial to Economy

At first, day care quality may seem irrelevant to those without young children. But a growing understanding of early brain development, and its role in later life success, is helping the issue gain traction from the classroom to the boardroom.

The National Research Council has found that 90 percent of brain development occurs before the age of 5 — that is, before public school begins. Studies lasting decades show that children with high-quality day care and preschool experiences are more likely to do well in school, graduate and stay out of jail.

The appeal of creating a higher quality work force and saving tax dollars over time appeals to some business leaders.

“There are a number of states around the U.S. where the business community was leading this work,” said Milton Little, president of United Way of Metro Atlanta. “That wasn’t the case here.”

So United Way created an Early Education Commission, co-chaired by the president of Spelman College and the CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, which made a series of recommendations this spring for improving early childhood learning in the state.

The commission’s report concluded: “The future of Georgia’s children, workforce and economic vitality is in peril if we do not act now to bring strong leadership and increase investment to increase access to high-quality child care and education.”

Dennis Lockhart, co-chairman of the commission and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, said the group spent 18 months gathering information, partly by hearing from national economic development leaders.

“It was a matter of making a case to the business community that its historical focus on K-12 needed to be extended to an earlier point in children’s development, that it is also an economic development issue,” he said. “I came to this with very little knowledge or understanding, but I’m such a convert.”

Brain development and early childhood care

Pat Willis, executive director of the advocacy group Voices for Georgia’s Children, said many people resist the idea of teaching very young children because they picture toddlers crammed into rows of desks. But that’s not how little kids learn. Their activities can be designed to be more educational even though they look like “play” to most adults, she said.

Even babies need stimulating experiences to help their brains develop.

“If we talk about education and infants, we get this look like, ‘What?’” Willis said. “Very important things happen in a child’s brain at that age.”

But not everyone with a business perspective is sold on educational requirements for day cares. It has generally been opposed by rural legislators in Georgia, said state Rep. Kathy Ashe, D-Atlanta, who serves on the House Committee on Children and Youth.

Chuck Thompson, a Macon insurance agent with a 2-year-old in day care, said he thinks the market should determine the instructional content of day care programs.

“We need government regulations to make sure our kids are safe and not harmed, physically or emotionally,” he said. “But (dictating) what day cares have to offer, like regular school? I don’t think that should be required.”

He said competition should drive educational elements. Otherwise, new requirements could drive up costs, making day care less affordable to low-income parents, he said.

That’s why Pam Tatum, CEO of the advocacy group Quality Care for Children, argues that the state needs to subsidize child care needs.

“We have an education system K-12 that is state funded, and we understand the need for that. But research shows that the first five years are when most brain development occurs, and our investment in those years is minimal,” Tatum said.

“So we say the market will take care of it. But if we don’t think the market will take care of it K-12, why would it take care of it 1-4, when adult-child ratios must be higher?” she asked.

Early child care professionals have feared that stiffer requirements might drive them out of business, especially during the recession. But Tatum and others suggest that the state could develop programs to help businesses with the transition and be ready to roll them out once the economy improves.

“Any time there’s pressure to increase quality, there’s going to be some resistance,” Little said. “But this is long term. It’s not an overnight wrenching change that will put people out of business.”

~ Source: Macon.com

To enhance your child's education, start him off with academic coaching. Consider the area they seem to be struggling with, and try out a algebra tutor, reading tutor, or writing tutor.

Continue Education During the Summer

"Nearly a month into the summer, workbooks, pencils and backpacks have been put away. But just because school buildings are closed and classes have ended doesn't mean children should stop learning, educators say.

For years, educators have warned parents about "summer slide," or the regression in learning that can happen to students. During the summer, students can lose about "two months of grade-level equivalency in mathematical computation skills," according to research conducted by the National Summer Learning Association, an organization that stemmed from a center at Johns Hopkins University.

"Summer slide is not, by any means, a myth," said Kimberly Wiggins, a former teacher and director of the Huntington Learning Center in Fort Collins, which provides tutoring opportunities for students.

Christine Hendricks, principal at Tavelli Elementary School in the Poudre School District and one of two principals for PSD's elementary summer schools, said teachers regularly see a decrease in children's learning when they return each fall.

"You can really see when a student hasn't been reading over the summer," she said.

Hendricks said, for her, reading is the foundation for all other subjects, so to continue reading 20 to 30 minutes a day during the summer can have a positive impact in other academics.

"I think it's an issue for all kids, and I've been on my own kids that they need to keep reading," she said.

But Rod Lucero, assistant director of the Colorado State University's School of Teacher Education and Principal Preparation, said he doesn't believe in summer slide because "we don't forget what we learn."

"If we truly learn it, we don't forget it," he said. "It can often seem as though students have forgotten things because they can't automatically retrieve them when asked, he said, but that is because they are being asked school-related questions outside of their usual context.

Students who are asked to do algebra outside of school might struggle more to solve an equation because it's not in the context in which they learned it, Lucero said." ~ Coloradoan.com

For more information on summer education programs in Charlotte, specifically from reading & algebra tutors, please contact The Swan Learning Center.

Swan Reading Programs

The Swan Learning Center has a team of tutors for reading of all levels. Contact us today to register your child in our upcoming youth summer camp educational programs.

Reading Readiness
Prepares students for the Developmental Reading Program. Introduces reading skills with an emphasis on phonics, sight words and literature.

Emergent Reader
Prepares students for the Developmental Reading Program. Introduces reading skills with an emphasis on phonics, sight words and literature.

Developmental Reading
Teaches core comprehension skills and builds vocabulary. Students learn to be stronger readers.

Enrichment Reading
Designed for students on or above grade level. Builds on the Developmental Reading Program to enhance reading ability. Focuses on oral reading, reading rate, spelling, advanced comprehension and vocabulary skills. Turns a good reader into an excellent reader.

A Little Bit About Us...

Swan Learning Center began in response to the needs of children and families. Through the years, many families approached our Director, Jenny Beaumont, to ask for help with their children's education. Their needs ranged from help with math skills and reading comprehension to study skills classes for older students. Jenny also saw the need for enrichment programs designed to supplement a traditional education. Swan Learning Center was founded to meet the needs of students who would benefit from educational enrichment.

The environment at Swan Learning Center is open and friendly. We want each student to feel comfortable in the center and we actively create a positive atmosphere. The instructors are well trained in the Swan method and are chosen for their expertise and rapport with students.

Our students show excellent progress. On average, students grow at least a full grade level in only 40 hours of instruction. We are so confident of our programs we guarantee student growth.

Our first step with each new student is conducting a battery of diagnostic tests to identify skill gaps and we use that information to build personalized learning programs for each student.

Our dedicated team of specialists identifies skill gaps and teaches those skills to mastery. Each of our education teaching staff is certified. Our programs utilize a variety of teaching methods and materials designed to reach each student. In addition, we work with the school teacher or teachers to insure that progress at Swan transfers to the classroom. We offer programs in Emergent Reading, Developmental Reading, Foundation Math, Advance Math, Study Skills and Writing.