Tutoring Programs: Discipline, Homework and Enrichment

By Michele Blandino

When we think of tutoring programs such as the ones offered by Sylvan Learning Center, Huntington Learning Center and the scores of other facilities located across the country, it is usually in the context of remedial help. What many people don't know is that these facilities also offer enrichment programs as well as preparation courses for college entrance examinations such as the SAT and the ACT.

Programs Designed to Provide Enrichment

For example, Sylvan Learning Center offers a number of programs to challenge high performing students, including the Advanced Youth Scholars Program, a writing program developed in conjunction with Johns Hopkins University Institute for the Academic Advancement of Youth that is open to students in grades 6 thorough 8.

Sylvan also offers help for students who are tackling advanced subjects such as trigonometry and pre-calculus. In addition, most centers also conduct an Academic Writing course that is available to students in grades 4 through 12. This course guides the students through each component of report and essay writing including drafting, revising and publishing.

Sylvan also offers a Study Skills program for children of all ages. This program is designed to help students develop their personal study habits in a manner that best complements their individual learning styles. Using their school assignments, students learn how to take helpful notes, develop reading and studying strategies and develop organizational and time management skills.

College Prep Work

For the college bound student, Sylvan offers Sylvan Prep, a course that teaches students strategies for preparing for standardized entrance exams such as the SAT and ACT. Over a five to eight week period, students develop the skills needed to take these examinations through a combination of strategy learning and intensive practice.

While Huntington Learning Center's programs are targeted specifically toward improving academic performance, they do offer preparation courses for the standard college admission examinations. Huntington's SAT and ACT preparation programs - which claim to result in average score increases of at least 200 points - cover essentially the same concepts as those offered by Sylvan.

Cost Considerations

As would be expected, these courses are not cheap. At Sylvan, the ACT preparation course runs in the neighborhood of $595 for 27 hours of "small group" (4-6 students) instruction while the SAT course costs around $695 for 30 hours of small group instruction. The cost for Huntington's program is essentially the same: $695 for a 6 week course.

The enrichment courses at average $36-$46 per hour of instructional time. With the average program lasting between 50 and 100 hours, this can turn into quite a financial drain. In addition, there may be a reading or math skills assessment test required which costs $175 (additional subjects can be tested for $25 per test) and there is a $50 enrollment fee should you decide to sign up for a program.

At Huntington, hourly fees are $30 - $50 and the program duration varies according to need.

Are They Worth The Cost?

Not surprisingly, opinions vary. Given their high costs, these types of programs are not suited for everyone, but they do seem to be particularly helpful to students who have a hard time focusing or those that tend to procrastinate. For the self-motivated student, self-study courses are a much more cost effective way to get the necessary preparation.