|
 |
QUESTIONS ALL PARENTS SHOULD BE ASKING About The Curriculum How good is the curriculum - is it watered-down, outdated or nonexistent? About The Tutors Are the tutors qualified? Are the tutors credentialed by the California Department of Education? Are the tutors credentialed in the subject matter that they are tutoring your child? Is there a comprehensive screening process prior to hiring your tutors? Are they experts in the subject matters that they are teaching? Is my child going to have a different teacher from week to week? About Results Will there be results and will those results be unquestionable, consistent and tangible? About Assessment Tests Will they charge me large fees to conduct an assessment on my child? THE PROBLEM: Watered-Down Curriculum. Many parents come to BRWI after their child finishes a program with our competitors dissatisfied with the results because the curriculum is “watered-down.” Our competitors use curriculum that virtually anybody can teach or requires very little teaching. The curriculum of most tutoring companies consist of workbook pages, standardized test preparation and/or basic reading comprehension questions. We believe that this type of curriculum does not equip students with the necessary tools and knowledge they need to attack a “real” text such as a textbook or difficult novel. Outdated Methods. Today, there is a shifting of the pendulum away from a product-based curriculum to a more process-based curriculum. However, many of our competitors focus more on the end product rather than the process of learning. To illustrate, learning to write begins when students learn the process of writing -- how to plan, organize, write, edit, re-plan, re-organize, re-edit, multiple times for one piece. The end product, no matter how wonderfully written, means nothing if the student does not know the process. In other tutoring companies, students usually write one draft that is then revised by the teacher before the student moves on to the next assignment. Our competitors' method of teaching students to write may give the students a portfolio with different finished products, but the process of learning how to write gets lost without the multiple self-revisions and re-planning. We believe that as long as a product-based curriculum is used to teach the students, students will not gain any long term or significant development in reading or writing. There Is No Curriculum Because They Are Only Homework Helpers. Some of our competitors do not have any curriculum at all, but merely provide homework help. Although homework help is a necessary piece for many students who struggle in school, it does not solve root problems for those students. Oftentimes, the student and teacher spend so much time on the homework that there is no time to reinforce the concepts and strategies that cause the student to struggle in the first place. Furthermore, some students often use the homework help as more of a crutch, losing the autonomy to problem-solve and motivate themselves to finish assignments on their own. THE BRWI SOLUTION: The BRWI Approach is not a third party workbook or cookie-cutter curriculum that anybody can teach, but is a proprietary and personalized curriculum created by experienced and credentialed English teachers and is designed to provide results. The BRWI Approach focuses on the process of reading and writing and gives students practical and useful tools so that once the students become familiar with them, they can use them in any context of reading and writing. The BRWI Approach will successfully provide results because (1) we create a process-based curriculum; (2) we emphasize research and technology; and (3) we have a high standard for the texts we read. 1. We create a process-based curriculum. BRWI holds strongly to the idea that when a student completes an assignment, the end product, no matter how wonderful it is, means nothing if the student does not learn the process of getting to the end product. Our job, as educators, is to help our students become independent. To achieve this, the process for writing needs to be broken down into simple, manageable steps so that when students write a persuasive essay, business letter, or a short story, they have the confidence of knowing that the process of completing the assignment remains the same even though the purpose and outcome of the assignment is different. Also, when students confront a science textbook, they can use the same pre-reading, during reading and post-reading steps to comprehend and analyze the text as they would a poem or a novel. BRWI has created a unique process for both reading and writing that are practical and easy for students to remember. Ultimately, after our students have completed the BRWI Approach curriculum, they will know how to attack any text or writing assignment that is given them, whether in school or elsewhere. 2. We emphasize research and technology. The research and technology element of the BRWI Approach puts BRWI a cut above its competitors because we incorporate technology into each lesson so that the students have access to a computer during every session. Each of our students is given a laptop for them to use. We want to emphasize to our students the importance and reliance on technology today. Today, students must be proficient in computer skills by the time they can write. Also, many standardized exams are only administered on computers. In order for the BRWI Approach to maintain a high level of effectiveness, the computers serve as a more efficient use of time, giving students immediate access to an abundance of online resources and faster revising and editing. Students write every draft on the computer so that they can revise and edit directly on the computer and we can organize their writings into their own personal files. This will help to build their writing portfolio, and decrease the writing and revision time so they can do multiple drafts. Our research and technology emphasis serves the purposes of:
The BRWI Approach relies on enriching, high-content and high-interest novels, short stories and informational texts. Each book is hand-picked, reviewed and read by the Vice President of Education and all the BRWI Instructors before being added into the curriculum. Our books must pass our rubric of standards:
 THE PROBLEM: Everyone claims to have “qualified” instructors, but the definition of “qualified” is often vague and undefined. The instructors employed by many tutoring companies are often qualified by attending a one-day training session. Many will hire anyone who has a college degree in any subject matter or is currently pursuing such a degree. We have also found that other tutoring companies will hire students currently in college and other individuals whose work experience is outside the education field. These instructors can read and write, but they do not have the certification or the experience to teach reading and writing. This is not an acceptable standard for BRWI. THE BRWI SOLUTION: BRWI only employs teachers who have a teaching credential issued by the California Department of Education and at least 4 years of teaching experience. The ability to teach and care for students is a gift. In addition to being experienced and certified teachers, each BRWI Instructor has also been blessed with this gift of teaching and a genuine care for students. With this balance, we give uncompromising, top-quality instruction to students to help them reach their academic potential and gain a strong sense of self-confidence. You can trust our expert instructors who specialize in teaching reading and writing. Everyday, our instructors are hard at work looking for new and improved methods of teaching reading and writing. BRWI Instructors continually educate themselves on how to provide the best and most up-to-date resources and insights so that your child can be successful, confident readers and writers. As a result, BRWI Instructors are some of the most sought after teachers in Orange County in the areas of reading and writing. They have been told by many parents that they truly have a special gift of teaching and encouraging students. Some of our teachers have been teaching students for over 10 years. Are the tutors credentialed by the California Department of Education? THE PROBLEM: Many tutors do not hold teaching credentials issued by the California Department of Education. THE BRWI SOLUTION: BRWI only employs teachers who have a teaching credential issued by the California Department of Education and at least 4 years of teaching experience. Are the tutors credentialed in the subject matter that they are tutoring your child? THE PROBLEM: Just like doctors and lawyers have specialties, many teachers are also specialized in teacher either English, math, or science. Obviously, it doesn't help your child to have a tutor with a credential in math when your child needs an English tutor. For the upper grade levels, you should always make sure they hold a single subject teaching credential in English to ensure the best level of academic support in the area of reading and writing. THE BRWI SOLUTION: All of our teachers for the upper grade levels hold a single subject teaching credential in English. Our teachers for the lower grade levels hold at least a multiple subject teaching credential. Is there a comprehensive screening process prior to hiring your tutors? THE PROBLEM: Some tutoring companies do not conduct background checks. For example, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Sylvan Learning Centers on September 23, 2004, franchisees of Sylvan Learning Centers are not required to conduct background checks on prospective employees. THE BRWI SOLUTION: We conduct a comprehensive background check of each of our teachers including a reference check, employment verification, credential verification and a criminal records search as part of our interviewing process. Are they experts in the subject matters that they are teaching? THE PROBLEM: Most tutoring companies are simply generalists that teach everything from English, to math, to science and even SAT prep. THE BRWI SOLUTION: We specialize, and are experts, in teaching reading and writing. We do not try to be all things to all students as other companies providing supplemental education services attempt to do. We can be trusted to provide superior teachers, resources and insight without compromise because we do only one thing -- teach students to read and write. Is my child going to have a different teacher from week to week? THE PROBLEM: Different teacher from week to week. Many of our competitors do not provide the same instructor for their students each week. On any given week, your child could have a different teacher depending on which teacher happens to be on duty. This factor greatly impedes any significant improvement because the effectiveness of instruction is, to a large extent, based on the teacher-student relationship. In addition, when teachers do not work with a student on a consistent basis, they are not able to build upon the previous session which diminishes the effectives of the teaching environment. THE BRWI SOLUTION: At BRWI, our students will always have the same teacher. Each of our students will be assigned only one BRWI Instructor who will consistently work with them until they finish their program. This will ensure that the BRWI Instructor gets to know the student on a personal level and will know how to best teach their students. Will there be results and will those results be unquestionable, consistent and tangible? THE PROBLEM: Everyone promises results. Many tutoring companies will even give you the impression of a "guarantee" by promising that your child will improve one full grade level equivalent after the first 40 hours of instruction or you get an additional 15 hours free of charge. However, enrolling your child in another 15 hours of tutoring from the same teacher that failed to deliver results in the first 40 hours is a waste of time. Why spend another 15 hours with something that has already been unsuccessful with 40 hours? Your child will fall even further behind. THE BRWI SOLUTION: BRWI will deliver results to you. We will build your trust by continually demonstrating your child's improvements and accomplishments. In fact, we are so confident in our one-of-a-kind BRWI Approach and our teachers that we guarantee you will be satisfied with our expert instructors and the BRWI Approach to teaching reading and writing. You will be entitled to a full refund if you are not completely satisfied with our services.* BRWI delivers unquestionable, consistent and tangible results.
* Some restrictions apply. Will they charge me large fees to conduct an assessment on my child? THE PROBLEM: Many tutoring companies will charge up to $200 simply to administer assessment tests on a student. According to an article in SmartMoney.com dated August 11, 2004, the National Tutoring Association believes such tests are “absolutely unnecessary” because parents can get that information from the children's school offices. For the majority of students, the standardized tests administered at their school and their report cards are sufficient to make a complete and accurate assessment. Many tutoring companies overwhelm a student with assessment tests charging you high fees just to take the assessment tests. The article continues to explain that -
|
Bridges Reading & Writing Institute Copyright © 2006 - 2008. All Rights Reserved
Bridges Reading & Writing Institute
14978 Sand Canyon Avenue, Suite B
Irvine, CA 92618
(949) 651-1075
info@brwi.org