Seek professional help for Math and Reading Skills

There are many professional tutoring centers like Stilwell’s Learning Center across the

country. We are the only one in Southeast Arizona. Though each learning environment is different, a good learning center will always have personal face-to-face interaction between the tutor/teacher/coach and the student. The goal is not only to remedy the academic and learning difficulties and differences, but also to build confidence and retention. Math and reading areas appear to be the most crucial problems needing special help.

Stilwell’s Learning Center seeks to accomplish these goals by offering researched-based methods of tutoring while giving encouraging and personal attention to each student.

There appear to be 3 main requests for additional help from parents and students.

1.    Math help is requested by far greater numbers of students than any other subject. We suspect one reason is that Common Core has made it very difficult for both students and parents to understand simple math processes. Responsible learning centers continue to teach students how to easily memorize and mentally retain math tables so that no matter what types of teaching formulas are used in schools, the student will be able to do well.

2.    Homework help is the next issue parents and students face. Schools often offer afterschool homework sessions, usually for a fee. The most common problem with homework help at the school is the lack of enough personal help, since there are usually a large number of students needing help and only one person to help them and keep discipline and order at the same time. This problem is magnified when untrained aides are the ones monitoring the process. It also appears that most homework with Common Core doesn’t solve the majority of the learning difficulties the student has.

3.    Help for Reading Skills is the third most common request of learning centers in the United States. These concerns range from help for dyslexia, ADHD, Learning Disabilities to lack of confidence, reading accuracy, reading comprehension, test-taking skills, vocabulary and even reading rate of speed and speech concerns. It is suspected that since math seems to outweigh the reading concerns that many children and teens and even adults do not receive the help they really need when it comes to reading skills. Thus, they are not prepared or equipped to function skillfully in school or in job performance.

Consider these things when looking for a tutoring agency. Seek out professional help from learning centers with a positive philosophy as well as those learning centers where good results are prevalent. These are good reasons to choose Stilwell’s Learning Center, LLC in Sierra Vista, AZ. Stilwell also provides a unique distance learning opportunity. Every student is given an initial testing and evaluation session at no charge.

Halloween

In my opinion, Halloween is not a very good thing for children. To offset the witchcraft and concentration on death, many of the churches in the Sierra Vista area are having the children come to the church or even to certain homes for a game and party and goodies. That is a much safer way to spend the evening. Shiloh Christian Ministries is hosting the Festival of the Father of Lights. There are at least 5 homes in the different areas of Sierra Vista where there will be games, and goodies and non-Halloween fun. No Halloween costumes are necessary, saving time and money. If you are interested you may call Pastor Atticus Register, who is the coordinator of the home parties, to see where you might want to take your children. His number is (425) 508-7634.

As an educator, I like to warn parents that the day after this particular holiday, it can be expected that children might be hyperactive, sick, unable to concentrate or stay as focused as they should. Be forewarned and limit the candy and sweets and be lenient on homework, if you are going to allow a lot of sugar and color-coated goodies.

Many decades ago, Halloween seemed to be a harmless time to “trick or treat”. Times have changed and with them we must also change. Yes, I even remember doing some humorous and harmless pranks. Today, even those harmless pranks could bring on a lawsuit.

On a more positive note, we are coming up to Thanksgiving and Christmas and Hanukah, which are very heart-warming holidays and can become very educational.

What is more important? Grades or a Child's Life?

I own and direct Stilwell’s Learning Center. Prospective clients bring their children to me for an initial evaluation. This initial session is free. Here are some of the concerns I hear from parents:

• He/she is falling behind or failing in school grades. 

• Unable to concentrate in the classroom.

• He has ADHD.

• The teacher says he has dyslexia.

• He is just lazy. 

• He can’t get along with the teacher.

• He is being bullied every day.

• The teacher won’t listen to him.

All these and more complaints often boil down to only a few real problems.

1. I haven’t found a lazy kid, yet. Something else is in the mix, which is one of the reasons I give the child some diagnostic tests with the parents present.

2. The government school curricula does not usually include a real systematic and intensely rehearsed form of phonics. The reason this is important is that the brain performs best with systematic learning skills. The English language is very highly developed and yet approximately 97% of it can be understood and spelling and reading can become excellent by learning a systematic approach to it! 

3. The educational system in the United States has been “dumbed down” for decades. Now, we are paying the price.

4. Huge homework tasks, most of which are useless, are frustrating both to parents and children.

5. Basic math skills need not only a directional system of learning, but also a lot of rehearsal, as does any subject expected to be retained.

6. Learning good reading and math skills usually solves problems like, dyslexia, ADHD, focus concerns, work ethics, self-confidence and eliminating blames-shifting.

7. Oh! One more thing! The personal attention we give students in Stilwell’s Learning Center assures them of their personal value. We may have as many as 20 students, but each one of them is given personal attention and approval. They tend to thrive on hugs and encouragement. We value each one and attempt to have fun with them and they know we care.

A child’s life is not based upon grades, but in the process of helping a child gain a personal worth, the grades seem to rise and learning problems tend to disappear.

Confusion or Focused Excellence?

Loud, raucous, hateful or non-melodious music appears to cause confusion in the brain and even slows drivers' reaction time. We were created to respond to the varying degrees of love and gratitude, according to neuroscientist, Dr. Caroline Leaf. The brain doesn't know what to do with hate or fear except to grow dark memory "trees".

Melodious, well-metered music that has varied but predictable nuances benefits the brain and builds beautiful light-enhanced memory “trees”. Mathematical, ordered and focused patterning in the brain is greatly influenced and enhanced by classical type music. Hymns with positive and thought provoking words help store sequential memory for moral and spiritual growth.

The dark memory trees can be eliminated or off-set by building joyful, happy, creative thoughts over time. Dr. Leaf has also commented on studies indicating that those brains which have been applied to positive learning skills bring life and health to the system, rather than confusion or progressive death.

This impresses me, because our learning systems at Stilwell’s Learning Center use music which conform to the brain's ability to create healthy "brain trees" bathed in light, which enhances the ability to focus, retain and eliminate confusion and fear. The students begin to realize how they are benefiting, even though in the beginning they might not be able to verbalize it.

Over the past several decades, I have noticed that most students who come regularly and learn to focus and achieve, usually retain what they have learned and within even a 3 month period begin to excel in their school subjects. Confidence levels, penmanship, order and genuine optimism and positive mannerisms improve.

Another thing I notice is that those who continue with us for several years are those who stand out in a crowd. They are not the mediocre individuals, but those who become the successful leaders and productive citizens.

It seems to me that we should consider not only finding ways to maximize our own potential in life through learning new things and growing. We should encourage our young people to do the same. It has been my experience that most children, teens and adults who have great learning disabilities or a poor start in life, covet the opportunity to improve and given the opportunity and encouragement, improve very well.

Sadly, I have also seen students who have never been encouraged to do more than play silly games on the internet or with some expensive software. Why not use the same energy developing the brain with reading, music, writing or math training, such as we give at Stilwell’s Learning Center? In time, those individuals could be positive world changers.

We Get Results!

As report cards are delivered and end of the quarter approaches, remember to not get discouraged with your child's current results! We are here to help you and there's still time to get those grades up before the end of the school year! We Get Results! 


Many years ago, a parent asked the school principal why after several years in special school programs, her child made no progress and in some ways regressed. Then she said, “I finally took my child to Stilwell’s Learning Center and he has progressed several grade levels this past year.” The principal remarked, “Well, they do get results!”

Since that time, our byword or branding has been We Get Results! Here are some of the reasons I believe we get lasting results:

1. No matter whether a student is diagnosed or suffers from ADHD, Dyslexia, Learning Disabilities, spelling, poor reading accuracy, poor reading comprehension, poor grades, poor vocabulary or learning frustration of any kind, we believe every student can learn to excel. We don’t put roadblocks of impossibilities in their way. Dyslexic students have completely conquered dyslexia. ADHD does not have to remain a problem and new focusing skills develop. The characteristics of different types of Autism have decreased and the student has begins to excel.

2. We diagnose for causes rather than just symptoms.

3. Many children have been “dumbed down” by harmful medications given for non-diagnosed or misdiagnosed ADHD.  It appears much of the medication often destroys brain cells and takes the natural curiosity, ingenuity and energy away from those students. Parents complain that their child is no longer the pleasant creative person he/she used to be. The grades might improve, but usually the root cause of learning problems still emerge the next year to be a problem all over again. Omega 3 supplementation is just one example we suggest parents investigate. Sometimes students seem to change overnight with such natural supplementation. Our learning programs also help eliminate dyslexia and ADHD and many other kinds of problems.

4. Encouragement is one of the key elements of our tutoring methods. Encourage, Encourage, Encourage. 

5. To get really good results, we also use a method call Auditory Visual Impression Pairing of information. Every 2-3 minutes the student works on a completely separate exercise in reading or math, increasing their focusing skills while impressing the brain to retain the information that has been sealed by both auditory and visual input and application.

These are just a few reasons we get solid results with children, teens and adults. With our specialized type of instruction, students receive, lock-in, and retain information as well as build logical connections which help restore even damaged areas in the brain. 

Introduction

Stilwell’s Learning Center’s (SLC) mission is to provide help and make a positive difference for children, teens and adults who are struggling with learning problems or educational deficiencies. We also provide a service for those seeking to accelerate their skills in the reading and math areas.

Stilwell’s Learning Center, LLC, is recognized for its excellence and genuine care for both our clients and the communities we serve. To that end, we utilize the Expressways To Learning® nationally acclaimed educational systems originally authored and developed by Dr. Jack E. Hoes. These excellent learning systems form the backdrop of most of our services.

We provide professional help for:

• ​Basic and Advanced Reading Skills
• Basic and Advanced Math Skills
• Focus and Concentration
• Dyslexia
• Learning Disabilities
• Hyperactivity/ADHD
• Learning Frustration
• Poor Self-Confidence
• ​Poor Memory
• English as an additional language
• Poor Vocabulary
• Preparation for Algebra
• Rapid Reading
• Accelerated Learning
• Penmanship
• Poor Grades
• Auditory Processing
• Visual Processing
• SAT/ACT Test Preparation
• Homework help

We Get Results! We are here to help you and your child succeed through their education and through their lives!