Brain Zone Power


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Steps to
Academic Success

Signs of a Reading Disability

Testimonials

Clients Page
Our Hours
Mon-Fri
12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturdays
9 a.m. to 2 p.m.


"Thank you so much for all you and the tutors have done for our sons. We have seen so much improvement already!!"
-S.M


"My son got 100 on his math test, I'm so proud of him... I know that the tutoring he gets from you is part of his success." -M.B


"The services rendered to our son are invaluable and I would continue to recommend other families to Brain Zone. His successes in reading, focus, test-taking skills are being noted by his teachers and ourselves."-T.M


"Thank you so much for helping my little guy. It has been truly a blessing coming to the Brain Zone." -Moe Miller


"I am grateful to you and your staff for giving my daughter this opportunity. She is so proud of herself now and i can see it in her confidence and grades" -J.T
the Brain Zone
Regardless of whether your child is a struggling student, dealing with a learning disability, reading disorder, needs tutoring, or just wants to sharpen their skills for peak performance, our toolbox of research-based programs can be tailored to meet their individual needs.

We are the Brain Zone Reading & Tutoring Center, Inc., providers of educational services for children of all ability levels from Pre-K through 12th grade.

Our family of Chino Hills tutors provide educational services for ALL types of learners, including:

-  Attention issues (ADD, AD/HD)
-  Dyslexia
-  Auditory processing disorders
-  Low test scores
-  Test anxiety
-  Enrichment for efficient
  learners
-  Poor critical thinking skills
-  Poor comprehension
-  Poor study skills

-  Poor readers
-  Low grades
- Students not working to
  their potential

We use a broad spectrum of research-based intervention programs to boost academic success and improve overall learning abilities:
Educational Services

Wilson Language System
intensive reading intervention for dyslexic learning styles

the Sonday System®
reading intervention for
decoding/ spelling

Zoo-phonics®
decoding and reading

Master The Code
decoding and reading



Brain Gym®
neuro-developmental
therapy

Edu-Therapeutics
improve learning disabilities remediation


Sound Therapy

The Listening Program®
sound stimulation therapy

Samonas
auditory training
Math-U-See
multi-sensory math
all grades 

Step-Up to Writing
writing composition


Cognitive Training

Learning Ears®
advanced auditory remediation

PACE
processing and cognitive
enhancement


Overcoming Learning Inefficiencies

Solutions for improving learning  . . . Step by Step

The Steps to Academic Success









 

 


   







Assess Current Abilities

    Our first step is to gather information on the child’s current level of competency, which enables us to meet them where they are academically. This is an essential element that leads to sound instructional decisions and extraordinary student performance. Starting a child far below their level of competency wastes valuable time and fails to motivate the child. Starting a child above their level of competency causes undue stress, frustration, and again fails to motivate. However, meeting the child where they are builds confidence and a sturdy foundation for higher learning.

Plan the Intervention

    The assessment data is gathered and assembled to enable us to write an effective Remediation Plan for each individual child. Much time and effort goes into analyzing the various assessments as we look between the lines to find clues to tell us where and why the child is struggling. Then decisions are made on appropriate programs and activities that align with the intended results.

Implement the Remediation Plan

    Our Remedial Education Specialists receive over 60-hours of curriculum specific instruction before they begin working with our students. They are required to have a minimum of three-years of course specific credits from an accredited university. Many of our Instructors are interning with us as they complete their practicum hours for their masters degree program. However, book learning is only one requirement. We carefully select our Instructors, looking for proof of their commitment to the youth in their own community. And of course, our Instructors are screened through Live Scan to insure the safety and well-being of our students.

Monitor and Adjust

    No matter how well written the Remediation Plan, each child is an individual, who learns in their own way, with good days and not so good days. Our curriculum, although well structured and defined, holds within it, the flexibility to be adjusted on the fly. As well, each student’s Remediation Plan and Lesson Log is routinely monitored by the Program Director and adjusted where necessary to insure optimal benefit for the student.

Measure Progress – Evaluate Effectiveness

    We must constantly ask “Is it working?” When instruction begins, the cycle starts over by evaluating the student’s progress. Typically, our students are assessed after the first 12-hours of instruction and then again every 24-hours. Adjustments to the instructional and presentation materials are essential to the continued success of each child. Our professionals make these adjustments based on the student’s progress.

Learning disabilities can be frustrating for students, teachers and parents. Contact The Brain Zone today and discover how our Chino Hills tutors can significantly improve your child's academic success!

Learning doesn't have to be so hard . . .
Copyright 2009  Brain Zone Reading & Tutoring Center: Tutoring, Reading and Learning Disabilities. All Rights Reserved.
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Brain Zone Power

Just Say NO to retention

 by Donna Rutherford on 04/20/11

This time of year many parents are pulled in for teacher/parent meetings and the bomb is dropped, "I think Jonny should be retained. It will give him time to mature and catch-up." My advice is, just say NO!” Let's think about this . . . even with no knowledge of the many research studies that have proven over and over again that retention does not work . . . just think about the concept: Jonny did not do well in first grade so let's give him another year of the same thing and hope it produces different results. I think that may be the definition of stupid!

In a study by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP, 2003), reading was the most noted academic deficit for retained students. As well, research demonstrates that children with poor reading skills have a 15% chance of succeeding in math and a 1% chance of succeeding in science. Compare this to students who are good readers, which have a 67% chance of succeeding in math and a 32% chance in science (ACT, 2008). These are scary numbers!

When it comes to reading, do not settle for meritocracy. Take the necessary steps to ensure your child has a solid foundation in reading. If your little one is not a good reader, start calling the reading clinics in your area and invest the money and time to change that. Remediating a reading problem in first and second grade is so much easier and faster than remediating a reading issue in sixth or seventh grade. It truly is all about the reading. Be sure your child does not become a statistic in the next retention study.

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I think my child is dyslexic. How old does he have to be before you can test him?

 by Donna Rutherford on 01/21/11

Nearly every day at least one mother calls with this question. The answer is simple -- IMMEDIATELY. If your child is old enough for you to suspect a reading problem, they are probably old enough to be tested and helped!

All too often parents have their suspicions that their child has a reading problem but they make the fatal mistake of believing the mislead and untrained teacher that tells them, “Jonny is just immature, he'll catch up next year; just read with him more.” Then next year the teacher says Jonny could do better if he read more at home and if he'd only pay attention in class. By now Jonny is in third or fourth grade and his academic career is already falling into the toilet. Even his math grade is being effected by his poor reading by third grade.

If you suspect a reading problem, get your child to a qualified reading specialist as soon as possible. It's much easier, quicker, and so much less painful to remediate a reading disability in first grade than it is in third or fourth grade. By third grade, if your child isn't reading at an age appropriate level, they start to feel bad about themselves. They get frustrated and begin to think they are not smart. The reality of it is that most dyslexics have above average intelligence. Typically, their intelligence is much higher than their reading level demonstrates. Walk into any engineering department (like NASA for example) and one out of every ten of those brilliant engineers is dyslexic.

So, start that remediation as soon as can . . . it will change your child’s life!

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Letter Template for requesting assessment services for your child.

 by Donna Rutherford on 12/28/10

I'm new at this 'blogging' thing and I find that I feel a bit intimidated by the responsibility of keeping up with this venture but here we go. I thought I should start our blog with something frequently requested by our clients, which is a template to request that their child be assessed for learning problems. Cut and paste the template below into Word, fill in the personal information and you're set!

=========================================================

[Insert Name of Both Parents]

[ADDRESS 1]

[CITY ST ZIP]

 

[MONTH] [dd], [yyyy]

 

[INSERT PRINCIPALS NAME], Principal

[INSERT SCHOOL NAME]

[INSERT SCHOOL ADDRESS]

[CITY ST ZIP]

 

Reference: [INSERT STUDENT NAME]

DOB: [INSERT STUDENT DATE OF BIRTH]

 

Dear [INSERT STUDENT NAME],

I am writing to ask that my [son/daughter], [INSERT STUDENT NAME], be evaluated for special education services. I am concerned about [insert student name] performance and progress in school and believe [he/she] may need special services in order to learn. [INSERT STUDENT NAME] is in the [INSERT STUDENT GRADE] grade at [INSERT SCHOOL NAME] and [his/her] teacher is [INSERT TEACHER’S NAME].

Specifically, I am concerned because [insert student name] does not seem to be able to keep up with the demands being put on [him/her] to read and output what he has learned. [THIS IS WHERE YOU INSERT WHAT YOU SEE AS THE PROBLEM AND THE STEPS YOU’VE TAKEN TO TRY TO HELP YOUR CHILD – EXAMPLE: He has been seeing a tutor three times a week for more than six-months. Over this time period his reading comprehension has improved dramatically. However, the speed and accuracy of his reading has improved only minimally. As well, he struggles to output, in written form, even the most basic summary of what he has read or to write a complete sentence. My son is very intelligent, as I am constantly reminded of by all of the teachers he has had at [INSERT SCHOOL NAME]. Therefore, there seems to be a huge discrepancy between his intelligence and his ability to read and output what he knows].

I understand that a determination must be made about the information needed and assessment tools to be used for my child’s evaluation and that I must give written permission in order for [him/her] to be evaluated. I look forward to discussing this matter with you and the appropriate school staff at the earliest opportunity so that [INSERT STUDENT NAME] can be promptly evaluated. At this time I am also requesting that I get copies of the assessment reports at least five-days before the IEP meeting. This will insure that my husband and I have adequate time to review them and prepare any questions we may have for the team.

Please contact me by phone at (888) 555-5555 or email at

Sincerely,

 

[INSERT YOUR NAME]

 

YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS@yahoo.com to arrange this. Thank you for your prompt attention to our request.

Above all, try to state the facts and leave out any complaints about what the teacher did or did not do. Leaving out the emotional end will help insure the team stays objective and focused on the child. I hope this helps someone out there, whoever you may be and where ever you are, to get your child the assistance they need to learn how to learn.

cc: [INSERT NAME OF YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT] School District/ Director of Special Education

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