SCORE! Education Center: A Unique Learning Experience for Children

Many children perform well in school with just the support of their parents, but other students seem to struggle and need some extra help. In recent years, many companies have started tutoring services for elementary- and middle school-aged kids. Two of the biggest names in the tutoring industry are Sylvan Learning Centers and Kumon Learning Centers. Each of these companies have a unique approach to tutoring students, as well as their own list of pros and cons. Another company called SCORE! Education Centers began opening tutoring locations a few years ago.

SCORE! is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Washington Post Corporation, which also owns the Kaplan Education Company. SCORE! Education Centers offer a unique approach to learning by allowing students to primarily interact with a computer instead of a teacher, which is a service not offered by Sylvan or Kumon Centers. Here's how the program works: 2-3 times per week, you drop your school-aged child off at SCORE! for 1 hour. During that hour, he/she will complete 5, ten-minute, computer-based lessons in topics such as Reading, Math, and Science. The software that SCORE! uses will quickly determine what grade level your child is performing at in various school subjects, and will begin to teach him/her the specific things they need to know to improve that grade level.

While working on the computer, your child has access to academic coaches at anytime. These coaches can answer questions and help to explain any difficult, new concepts. In between lessons, your child will get to take a few shots at a basketball hoop in the back of the center, and can earn "SCORE! Cards" that can be redeemed for prizes like tickets at an arcade. Every few months, parents will get to meet with one of the SCORE! Center Directors to go over their child's progress and set goals for the next few months. I worked as a coach at SCORE! for a few years, and it was not uncommon to see children improve 1 or 2 grade levels in just a few months in school subjects they previously had difficulty with.

One of the biggest reasons to look at SCORE! Education Centers is the cost. A month at SCORE! for your child will probably cost between $120-170, depending on the number of hours you choose to have your child attend. This is less than half of what Sylvan Learning Centers currently charges for their tutoring programs. SCORE! Education Centers create a positive environment for children where learning is fun. For more information about SCORE!, check out the website listed in the resources section of this article.