In Defense of Slippery Sylvans (fwd)

[Eric Crump <wleric@showme.missouri.edu>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 24 Sep 1996 14:00:02 -0800
From: Irene <iclark@mizar.usc.edu>
Reply-To: "Moderated Writing Center forum." <WCENTR-L@MIZZOU1.MISSOURI.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list WCENTR-L <WCENTR-L@MIZZOU1.MISSOURI.EDU>
Subject: In Defense of Slippery Sylvans

Although I agree with Jeanne Simpson's concern about the prospect of
untrained "slippery sylvans" taking on responsibilities for which they are
not qualified and usurping roles traditionally fulfiled by writing center
folk, my own experience with the Sylvan Learning Center necessitates my
interjection of a positive  remark on their behalf. A number of years ago,
my fourth child's second grade teacher pointed out that although my son had
memorized many words and "appeared" to be reading, in reality, he was
unable to attack new words, couldn't really read beyond a beginning level,
and was in danger of falling behind. Since I had not experienced this
problem with any of my other children, I was ill prepared to deal with it
until a friend of mine suggested the Sylvan Learning Center.

At the center, capable and concerned teachers tested my son, decided that
he did not have a learning disability but had somehow missed the boat
during reading instruction, and set up a program of working with him twice
a week for a period of about a year and a half. Many of the teachers were
retirees who enjoyed working with children in small groups or one-on-one,
and the system provided all sorts of incentives in the form of highly
coveted prizes and rewards to boost student motivation. Today at the age of
seventeen, my son is a very accomplished reader, attends an excellent
private school where he is taking several AP classes, and is in the process
of applying to college.  My feeling is that had the second grade teacher
not been alert to a potential problem and had he not attended the Sylvan
Learning Center, he might not be as capable a student as he currently is.

Does this mean that the Sylvan Learning Center is capable of tutoring
writing or that we should welcome their encroachment onto our campuses? Of
course not. But I do feel compelled to point out that this organization
seems to be genuinely concerned with the quality of its instruction,
embraces a pedagogy that is not dissimilar to our own, and in many
instances has filled an important niche in the community. Its quite
expensive, though, and from an administrator's point of view, writing
center tutors are probably a better deal.

                        Irene L. Clark
                        University of Southern California