Transition is a fact of life.  In the world of education it is a rite of passage.  It's also the point where many students start to struggle. Parents often start considering tutoring at this point, but what if this doesn't help? What if you're like many of the parents and students I've seen that are frustrated because they feel like they've tried everything and it isn't working? What happens when tutoring is not enough?

Transitions in School

As a student starts school, they begin in the sheltering, nurturing early childhood stage (generally through second grade). Starting in 3^rd grade students begin the transition into the older elementary stage where our learning is quantified and ranked by more external means (standardized testing), yet still with a degree of nurturing.  It’s at this point that students, parents, teachers and the system in general begin to feel more pressure.

Just as we all begin to understand the system of Elementary School, Middle School and adolescence begins to loom.  School becomes more demanding and self directed. More independence, organization and self discipline are required. 

This is the stage that many parents seem to dread the most and where students tend to start having difficulties. How do we help our students accomplish successful transitions in school during the busy lives we find ourselves living especially when interventions like tutoring aren't working?

Understanding Gap

Each phase of school requires a basis, a well-developed understanding of previously taught concepts as well as organization and self discipline.  In order to transition from one level to the next successfully, students must have key concepts and physical abilities in place so that the newly presented curriculum makes sense.  

If a student is still in the process of making sense of a concept and the class moves on to the next step, it creates an understanding level gap that eventually can build on itself and eventually becomes too great to cross.  

Frustration and even failure can set in, even in otherwise capable learners.

Red Flags and Potholes to Learning 

When I hear a student say, “I really just don’t like to read,” a huge red flag comes up for me.  “Not liking to read”  may be caused by lack of the previously mentioned physical stamina for learning issue.  Not liking to read is self-perpetuating. 

For example, a student might have a lack of vocabulary understanding from not reading rich and interesting literature and therefore, a vocabulary concept deficit develops not necessarily a reading difficulty.

A student may not be able to grasp the material presented because lack of vocabulary has created a comprehension pothole on their road to reading. It’s a vicious circle! 

Unfortunately, vocabulary drills or writing and memorizing definitions are not always pathways to better vocabulary!

Discovering the Missing Pieces

At ​Synap2it! Learning Center we are experts at discovering the missing pieces, training them, and setting students back on the path of success! We can understand and impact learning in ways that no amount of conventional tutoring can.

We would love to talk with you more about your child’s specific situation and help you come up with a plan to address the root causes of the struggles they’re having in school.

Whether it’s reading, math, writing, problem solving, or other academic concerns, we’re here to help! Contact us here to learn more and schedule a free consultation.

Upon screening for sensory integration and focusing skills, we discovered some of the culprits.  His eyes were not sweeping smoothly left to right and they didn’t land with ease on a target. Furthermore, his eyes were unable to focus tightly on small numbers or letters for an extended period of time without experiencing fatigue.  When this happened he would become distracted, losing his train of thought and then frustration would set in.

A couple of months into his program he commented that it seemed like his reading was becoming easier.  A couple of months later math began to come around. Now he was ready to grasp the concepts!  

Much to his credit, he even decided to repeat a math course rather than electing to just do summer school, saying he really needed to understand the material, not just “get by.”  

We have seen great improvement. (He has an A so far!) Needless to say his self confidence has greatly improved. He now sees himself as someone who is in charge of his learning!

Here’s what his mom wrote:

Here's How it Works

Students/individuals take the SOI assessment and have an opportunity to compare their learning abilities profile with the occupational profiles for their career of interest. The comparison indicates how well their current abilities profile fits their unique career choices.

What's even better, is that if a student's assessment shows their abilities are in need of being developed in order to succeed in a certain career, we can work with them to develop those necessary abilities!

Finding the Right Career Fit 

For students, we strongly encourage SOI career counseling during their freshman year of high school rather than waiting until the traditional time of immediately prior to graduation. Although we can absolutely work with students and individuals past this point, we've found that starting early gives us the best results

It might seem premature to begin preparation at the freshman year, but if a student discovers that he/she needs to develop some of their learning abilities in order to successfully pursue their career choices, it is best to have 2-3 years to accomplish this preparation.

Many a career path has been derailed by not having sufficient time to prepare for the learning requirements that the candidate faces in the process of acquiring the skills and knowledge required for the occupation of their choice.

For example, a high school Senior may have an strong interest in becoming an architect, but discovers in college that the engineering aspects of the career are just too demanding for his/her symbolic learning abilities. Unfortunately, at this point, it is probably easier to change majors, so the budding architect is likely to go into something like graphic design – a decision closer to his current learning abilities than his long-standing career interest.

Alternatively, our goal at Synap2it! Learning Center is to help students and individuals develop the abilities they need to realize their passions, dreams and long-standing career interests...not just settle for a second choice.

Take the Next Step

As you can see, the approach we take to career preparation and counseling is different than what you see in most traditional settings. We evaluate, and take into consideration an individual's: 

• interests
• skills
• opportunities
• AND learning abilities (Comprehension, Memory, Problem Solving, Evaluation & Creativity, Figural, Symbolic, Semantic)

As a result, we are able to match a student/individual with the best career fit for their current abilities AND help them develop any abilities they may need to excel in the profession they choose. 

If you have a student in High School considering what career to pursue, or if you are dissatisfied with your current career path, we'd love to help you come up with a plan! Give us a call to take that next step toward a successful, rewarding career!