Results that go Beyond Tutoring

Specialized Tutoring Centers in Chicago, IL

How We Can Help

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At Connections Learning Center, our goal is to find out why a student may not be doing well in school. We are a tutoring center in Chicago that doesn’t want to put a bandage on the problem; we want to eliminate the problem. We personalize our specialized programs to help your child succeed. 

From start to finish, our job is to make sure children are successful learners. We want them to have confidence and know they are smart. We want our children to dream big, reach for the stars and have the skills to achieve! 

The majority of students need more than tutoring. They need cognitive brain training. It’s all about Neuroplasticity, the ability of the brain to change.

Science has shown us that it’s possible to increase a person’s cognitive abilities. We can remove learning barriers and create new brain paths for efficient learning. Through brain training, we can rewire the brain and create new neural pathways, which in turn will change how a person learns. It increases cognitive function.

It is life changing!

Our goal at Connections is to create independent learners. We apply to the necessary tools so that our students eventually no longer need an I.E.P, accommodations, modifications, or further help from us.

For more than 20 years, the founder of Connections Learning Center has searched for the best programs to offer our clients. With the addition of our newest programs, we feel we have finally found the tools needed to achieve our goal.

WE CAN HELP ALL KINDS OF MINDS INCLUDING:

  • Anxiety Problems
  • Auditory Processing Issues
  • Autism Spectrum Disorders
  • Dyslexia
  • Learning Disabilities
  • Sensory Integration Disorders
  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
  • Language Processing Issues
  • Developmental Delays
  • Executive Function Weakness
  • Memory Weaknesses
  • Language Problems

All consultations must be scheduled and take place with the owner, Debra. A typical consultation lasts about one hour. During that time your child will be evaluated. What that evaluation consists of will depend on why you are there. Many students are given a Gibson, which is an online screening that will convey information about how a student is processing information. It tells us where there might be underlying processing weaknesses that are interfering with learning. It takes about 30-40 minutes and the results are immediate. The overall consultation will take between 60-90 minutes. Upon completion, recommendations will be made and a plan can be put into motion. The cost of an evaluation is $50.00.

During the evaluation we are looking for the reason why a student may be struggling. Once we know why a student is struggling, we can offer an appropriate solution.

During the evaluation we are looking for the reason why a student may be struggling. Once we know why a student is struggling, we can offer an appropriate solution.

Why is working with a clinician better than a computer brain training program?

Almost NEVER does a student only need one program for all their needs. A computer can’t determine that nor can it provide any other programs. How we correct errors or make accommodations until a student can master a particular task is vitally important to the success of the program. A computer cannot make accommodations or see a student’s frustration.

We also take our relationships with our students very seriously. We are a tutoring center in Chicago that works on student’s  confidence using encouragement and praise. It’s easy to give up when on the computer or not try one’s hardest. Think about working out in a gym verses working out with a personal trainer. A trainer can correct your form, keep you working hard, push you. If you are working out to a DVD, it’s easy to quit or not try your best and it’s very easy to do it wrong even when it feels correct. There is no replacement for working with a personal clinician. That is why, at Connections, all our work is done with a clinician and never on a computer. 

The Plan

If we find that there are underlying processing skills weaknesses, then those weaknesses must be addressed. It is these processing skills that allow us to think about and understand what we see and hear. If there are problems at this foundation level, there will be problems with academics.

Executive Function must also be examined. Executive function takes the incoming information from the foundation and organizes it in the frontal lobe of the brain for learning. If the student has problems with organization, planning and reasoning ( or executive function skills) it will also affect academics.

Traditional tutoring assumes that these underlying processing and executive function skills are in place and the work is done by tutoring specific academic areas. In most cases learning problems are the result of weak or underdeveloped processing skills. To permanently solve a learning problem, the underlying processing skills must be developed.

We will determine which of our programs is best to remediate the weak processing skills and strengthen executive function. Most of these programs run about 100 hours.

Once processing skills are strengthened to support academic learning, we can follow up with educational therapy to help students catch up on their math, spelling, writing and study skills. We also teach study skills and test preparation.

Once students are reading fluently and decoding well, we sometimes need to teach them strategies to interpret what they have read. We help them to become actively engaged in their reading and to visualize or create images from the words so that they are reading for better understanding.

If weaknesses still exist in math, we use many multi-sensory approaches, including On Cloud Nine.

Through these approaches we use strategies to help students truly understand math concepts and enable them to perform concrete math at grade level.

We also teach written language or writing skills if necessary. We help students to be able to organize their thoughts and get them down on paper in a coherent manner.

We do all this by using proven, effective, results driven programs that make permanent changes, thus eliminating the student’s learning struggles.

Without such a plan, students are doomed to a life of always needing extra help. They continue to feel they will never be as smart as everyone else. You can spend thousands of dollars over their school years or spend the money upfront to permanently eliminate the need for tutoring.

Please contact us if you are interested in learning more about our programs. As a professional tutoring center in Chicago, we provide your child with a custom-designed program that’s personalized to help strengthen your child’s learning skills. We look forward to helping your student become a more successful learner.