Head of the Class: Turn to Huntington Learning Center for lasting solutions to your child’s academic struggles.
At Huntington Learning Center in Cherry Hill and Turnersville, students between the ages of 5 and 17 receive help in a variety of school subjects. Tutoring is available in writing, math, phonics and test preparation, as well as specialized study for high school and college entrance exams.
For your student who struggles in school, or needs study skills or enrichment, the question is: Why choose Huntington? Richard Bernstein, director of the centers, says there are several major benefits to Huntington Learning Center. First, the Huntington system is still run by the founders, Ray and Eileen Huntington. They stand by their goal: “to give every student the best education possible.” That message is first and foremost in the minds of the staff at all times. “This gives us a huge advantage over others who may want to give students a quick fix. We look for the lasting solution,” says Bernstein, now in his 18th year with Huntington.
Traditional tutoring
“We build a personalized learning program for your child based on his or her individual strengths and needs, which we identify using our in-depth academic evaluation,” says Bernstein. “One of the goals of Huntington is to help students improve their grades and self-confidence. To do this, Huntington uses a six-step process that begins with a student’s academic evaluation, includes one-on-one attention, and ends with frequent updates for parents.”
Huntington administers a thorough test battery to evaluate a child’s academic strengths and weaknesses, which includes hand-eye coordination, reading and math skills, the ability to read aloud and write a short paragraph, among others. Huntington uses its own math placement exam to gain an understanding of a child’s computational and problem solving ability. Older students are also given a study habits evaluation.
Huntington begins instruction at levels that will ensure success. For example, if a child’s reading ability is at the fifth-grade level, tutoring will begin at the fourth-grade level, giving the student a sense of accomplishment. As success is experienced, the level of difficulty is increased to challenge a child. Tutors will work with a student one on one and sometimes four on one because studies show that students benefit from this balance of individual and team work.
College entrance exam prep
For high-school age students who are beginning to think about college, Bernstein says now is the ideal time to focus on exam prep. “The ACT or SAT may be one of the most important tests your teen ever takes. A targeted program that addresses your teen’s weaknesses and helps him or her develop good test-taking skills and strategies will help him or her achieve the best possible score,” he says.
Huntington’s tutors take a multi-faceted approach to preparing your child for the ACT or SAT. They will first conduct a practice exam to determine the areas on which he or she should focus. Each week of your teen’s SAT or ACT prep schedule should be carefully planned out with goals and areas of focus. Perhaps your teen is only concentrating on one exam area. Be sure he or she doesn’t overlook the other sections, and remember that even preparing for one exam section will require a time commitment and good study plan.
Test-taking strategies and time management also play a role in preparation. Bernstein says, “Certainly, the most important component of performing well on the ACT and SAT is having solid subject matter knowledge, but there are many other things your teen can do to improve his or her performance. Learning to work well under pressure and quickly eliminate wrong answers are two examples.”
The Huntington advantage
Founded in 1977, Huntington Learning Center is the longest-standing tutoring service of its kind. The staff works with students to achieve remarkable improvements in their grades, test scores and self-esteem. The success of the program lies in the one-to-one attention students receive and the expertise of the caring, certified teachers. Certified, highly trained tutors teach students to think, learn and succeed on their own.
In addition, the centers are accredited by the Middle States Association, the same group that accredits many local schools, including University of Pennsylvania and Temple. The centers are the only tutoring companies in either Camden or Gloucester counties to be accredited. Furthermore, the center’s staff is the most experienced in South Jersey.
Huntington Learning Center helps students excel through the school years and beyond. There is no better time than the present to consider a program for your children that will not only improve their grades, but increase their confidence and eagerness to learn. Bernstein has learned that problems in school do not go away or fix themselves. “Invariably, when we meet with parents and ask, ‘How long have you seen this problem?’, the answer is ‘always’ or ‘forever,’ or ‘since the beginning of school.’”
The best advice he can offer: If you sense any problem, seek help immediately. Do not assume it will resolve itself. “Since we administer an academic evaluation, we can find the source and, therefore, fix the problem before it’s too late.”
Huntington Learning Center
Cherry Hill: (856) 795-1933
Turnersville: (856) 227-0033
HuntingtonLearning.com
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Family Magazine, Volume 4, Issue 8 (October, 2013).
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