eSylvan Online Learning Centers - Case History #1

How eSylvan has helped Bethany Saxon,
a student from Florida

Bethany Saxon is a fifth-grade student whose mother enrolled her in eSylvan toward the end of fourth-grade because she was struggling with her reading comprehension skills. Her mother hoped that eSylvan would help her improve her grades - and her confidence.

Sandy Saxon, Bethany's mother, in her own words…

Toward the end of fourth-grade we noticed that Bethany was struggling in her reading class. She has always been a good reader and could sound out a word if she didn't recognize it, but she didn't seem to understand the meaning of what she read. Bethany's grade in reading had dropped to a C and her grades in other classes were low as well. I knew she wasn't performing at the level she was capable of and needed help.

Bethany's self-confidence suffered because of her low grades as well. She didn't like to read aloud in class because she feared she would stumble over an easy word and it was difficult to get her to read at home in the evenings. Because reading had become a challenge for Bethany, she chose not to do it.

eSylvan appealed to me because Bethany could work at her own pace with a live tutor. I also liked that eSylvan was able to conduct a skills assessment to determine the level at which Bethany was performing so we could track her progress.

Since starting with eSylvan, Bethany's reading skills have noticeably improved. She no longer skips or adds words to a sentence when she reads out loud. Even her fourth-grade teacher noticed an increase in her aptitude test scores at the end of last year.

When school started this year, Bethany's reading teacher gave her class an assignment to read every night for 30 minutes. She was actually excited and I didn't have to argue with her to do it. It's encouraging for both of us that she wants to read now.

Overall, I am extremely impressed with the eSylvan online tutoring service. The teachers are wonderful; they are very encouraging and always willing to go the extra mile for Bethany. I'm most impressed with the changes I've seen in my daughter. I didn't think that she would ever pick up a book to read without being told.