Best Tri-Valley Learning Centers
With summer break nearly over, many parents may be thinking about how to help prepare their kids for the upcoming school year. Learning centers can be a way to help students take their academic performance to the next level. Here are Around Dublin’s top 5 learning centers in the Tri-Valley (not in order):
- Program focused on pre-5 kids,offering Christian preschool and afterschool enrichment programs.
- Unique Feature – offers Chinese School program to teach kids how to speak Mandarin, read/write in Chinese, and appreciate Chinese culture.
Sylvan Learning Center (San Ramon)
- Sylvan is the industry giant offering tutoring in math, writing, reading, and test prep for K-12 students at every level.
- Unique Feature – offers Sylvan Online to provide convenience for parents and students that may not be able to drive to the learning center on a regular basis.
Active Reading Clinic (Walnut Creek)
- Non-profit focused on helping younger non-traditional learners develop their reading skills by using their Reading Revolution method.
- Unique Feature – offers lessons in small group and one-on-one setting. Parents are encouraged to attend one-on-one sessions with their kids.
Bay Area Tutoring Center (San Ramon)
- Enthusiastic tutors offering expertise across a broad array of subjects including English, math, Spanish, history, science, and test prep.
- Unique Feature – tutoring programs can be tailored to help high-achieving AP/honors students reach even greater success in preparation for top-tier universities.
Huntington Learning Center (Pleasanton)
- Customized K-12 tutoring programs that integrate feedback from parents with proprietary Huntington diagnostic evaluation findings. Saturday sessions available.
- Unique Feature – Huntington’s website has a Resources section with an abundance of flash cards, articles, and other learning aids for students.
Please contact these learning centers to learn more about their programs and how they can help your child achieve academic success.
5:29 PM on August 3rd, 2009
Are these the only learning centerrs in the Tri-Valley?
5:45 PM on August 3rd, 2009
Hi Anonymous – there are other learning centers. These were just the ones that we featured in our article.
Thx, John Z.
10:31 PM on August 3rd, 2009
Just trying to understand. Clearly you are saying these are the best. Why? What criteria do you use? I think its important we know why you say what you say.
4:48 AM on August 4th, 2009
Hello Anonymous – the first objective of this “top 5″ is to pick learning centers from throughout the Tri-Valley. For example, we wouldn’t want to have 4 of the top 5 from the same city.
The next objective is to look for something unique or distinctive that each learning center offers. Clearly, just about every learning center is able to assist kids that are struggling in school – so the separation between learning centers needed to be based on a competitive advantage that sets the “top 5″ learning centers apart from the standard learning centers.
Within the classification of “unique”, it’s important to look for at least a few factors:
* Do they assist high-achieving students that are reaching for a top-tier university education?
* Do they have programs that help to “meet students where they are” in terms of distance learning or from a cultural/language perspective?
* Do they have innovative teaching/tutoring methods?
* Do they encourage parental involvement?
* Do they integrate the latest technology in their instructional delivery?
* Do they customize their teaching method to fit the student vs. using a one-size-fits-all approach?
Interestingly enough, these are also some of the features that set the best schools apart from the average schools. Are there other Tri-Valley learning centers that you can recommend?
Thx, John Z.
12:38 AM on August 12th, 2009
So these learning centers are basically to “assist high-achieving students” ?
4:36 AM on August 12th, 2009
Hi Anonymous – that was one factor that we looked for. However, here were some of the other items that were considered:
* Do they have programs that help to “meet students where they are” in terms of distance learning or from a cultural/language perspective?
* Do they have innovative teaching/tutoring methods?
* Do they encourage parental involvement?
* Do they integrate the latest technology in their instructional delivery?
* Do they customize their teaching method to fit the student vs. using a one-size-fits-all approach?
Thx, John Z.
5:01 PM on August 11th, 2009
I have heard wonderful things about School of Imagination and Happy Talkers. Bay Area Parent just named them Best Resource for Families with Special Needs Children.
8:16 PM on August 11th, 2009
Hi Anonymous – School of Imagination and Happy Talkers are wonderful resources for families with special needs children. Here are two articles that we wrote featuring both organizations:
http://www.arounddublinblog.com/2008/09/new-school-of-imagination-facility/
http://www.arounddublinblog.com/2008/02/dublins-citizens-and-organization-of-the-year/
Hopefully, Discovery/Seeno Homes will start construction on the new facility at Schaefer Ranch soon.
Thx, John Z.
11:51 AM on August 12th, 2009
My daughter attends School of Imagination and it has been a wonderful experience and she does not have special needs. They have great student teacher ratios and pay lots of attention to all of their kids.
Any update on when the new school will be built? We attended the groundbreaking ceremony earlier in the year, but no other word on this.