This post has been sponsored by Explore Horizons in Garland. All opinions are 100% our very own!
This past Fall, my daughter started Kindergarten. Prior to that she had never been enrolled in any type of preschool so formalized learning was a totally new ball game for everyone. It wasn’t long before I realized I didn’t have the tips or quite honestly, the knowledge on how to supplement her schooling. While she was never falling behind in school, I was able to pick up on some major areas of opportunity-especially when it came to reading.
My daughter had absolutely no problem identifying the sounds that each letter but blending them seemed something totally out of her grasp-and I just couldn’t help her put two sounds together to sound out words. We were both frustrated and I could tell she wanted to get it, I just couldn’t help her.
When I was provided the opportunity to have a trial month at Explore Horizons in Garland (there are five locations in the Metroplex) I jumped at the opportunity, hopeful that she would gain some additional skills. Spoiler alert-I was totally blown away at the progress she made in one month at Explore Horizons.
When we had our initial meeting, I was shown how the Pre-K through 8th Grade students worked in stations with tutors, four 15 minute blocks and the last 15 minutes they would have the opportunity to enjoy themselves in the “recharge zone.” There were several incentive programs that motivated my daughter to follow their A.C.E. Challenge (Ask Questions, Concentrate and Effort) and by the end of the month she had earned a certificate and a trip to their prize cabinet.
Within two weeks of her attending biweekly tutoring sessions I saw something click for her and she went from not being able to only read via sight words to sounding out words and reading entire books. Reading wasn’t the only skill she worked on-she also had sessions with math (and while we didn’t utilize these skills-they also have handwriting assistance) and I loved picking her up after her sessions and seeing her radiating confidence from developing her skills further.
I truly could sing the praises of Explore Horizons and how it helped my daughter but I haven’t yet mentioned the thing I (selfishly) loved the most about them. At the center I went to, the hours closed late on week nights and they were open seven days a week. The best part though was that I didn’t have to make an appointment-we could drop her off at any time. As a working mom this was crucial to making it work-I often don’t know when I will have to work late or when something will creep up that I have to do over the weekend and knowing I could swing her by at our convenience was a game changer.
Once our month was over, I met with one of the tutors that had been tracking my daughter’s progress (members receive this monthly). I was impressed with how in-depth the information that was provided to me and honestly felt they provided more targeted feedback and areas of growth for my daughter than her teachers do at school. I feel that her teachers are laying the base of knowledge for my daughter and between myself, my husband and Explore Horizons we were able to expand upon that and really gain growth in my daughter’s skills and knowledge.
Now that our month is up we are seriously contemplating officially joining and becoming members so that we can continue to supplement her school lessons. They say it takes a village and if I’m totally honest-in my home neither myself or my husband are natural teachers and I would never want her to stall out because I am lacking skills. From one mom to another, I can genuinely recommend Explore Horizons as a tutoring program!
To learn more about setting up your own trial session and find out how Explore Horizons can help your child in math, reading, writing, and spelling, visit their website or call the Garland location at 469-398-1975.
As a special offer, when you register before the end of March, you’ll save $75 off the Registration fee.
