I wanted to write to thank Amy and the whole Strategies for Learning team for all the support over the past year, first in person then virtually during the quarantine. I was worried that switching to remote sessions wouldn’t work for my son who is now almost 9 and VERY active and easily distracted. I was even more worried that he would lose momentum with his emerging reading skills…He LOVES meeting with Amy and his reading skills have continued to grow and blossom. Amy has done an amazing job of keeping him engaged in his virtual sessions and he looks forward to every session with her (in fact he would like to meet with her every day!). The virtual sessions have worked so well for us that we plan on continuing to meet over Zoom instead of going back to the office when that is a possibility. Thank you so much for keeping up the amazing work whether it’s online or in person. You “get” our kids and are always such a great support but it means even more during these crazy times.

    Melissa, Mother of 2nd Grader

    Vanessa and Strategies for Learning has been such an important part in helping my little girl feel comfortable and confident with reading which is priceless to us and my daughter. I cannot thank Vanessa enough!

    Tyneise, Mother of 1st Grader

    Our son made HUGE progress in his reading and writing in the 5 short months he was with Strategies for Learning! He has ADHD and came in avoiding the work because it had been so challenging for him at his school. But, his educational therapist made it fun and engaging while maintaining a structure and clear expectations. She also went out of her way to provide rewards for him for positive learning behaviors. We would highly recommend Strategies for Learning!

    Betty, Mother of 1st Grader

    THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Thank you so much for your good work with [our daughter]…she cares about her grades, and is mindful of getting her school work done. I know that she has her unique challenges and learns differently from most other people but you seem to have found a way to reach her. You have met her where she is, and have given her confidence. I am very grateful that you have become part of [her] academic life.

    Father of 8th Grader

    I can’t speak highly enough of Stephanie! My daughter is dyslexic and needed someone who can use Orton-Gillingham-based remediation methods. We believe Stephanie was a big part of her success. She is extremely patient, and dependable and tailored everything to my daughter. I’ve been so impressed with her ability to engage my daughter virtually in extremely creative and inventive ways. She makes online activities fun and it blows my mind when I see the things she comes up with to engage her students. This is not like Zoom school, which was not for my daughter. Stephanie doesn’t stick to just one activity but incorporates a variety of activities. I’m very grateful for her and highly recommend her to any student, all children, SPED needs or not. I encourage parents who are hesitant about virtual support to give it a try with Stephanie because this is not like other virtual experiences and not all teachers are equal. I guarantee parents will be impressed!

    Lisa, Mother of 6th grader

    My clinician is great! She is kind and caring and really helps me a lot. She breaks difficult assignments into pieces that are easier to bite off. She always encourages me to do my best. I have learned a lot with her and think that I am a better learner as she has also helped me with my study habits.

    Zoe, 5th grade

    Susan has helped my daughter find her math super power, she not only makes math enjoyable but builds confidence and understands how my daughter approaches a math problem. We look forward to seeing her each week.

    Kathy, Mother of 4th Grader

    I am so profoundly blown away by the amazing support we are getting from Vanessa Fontana-Berul. I normally wouldn’t take the time to write such an email but this addition to our daughter’s life has been a total blessing. [My daughter] is improving in her writing and organizational skills and has a really strong positive connection to Vanessa. You obviously made a perfect match, but I also notice that Vanessa goes above and beyond more so than anyone we have worked with before. She is such a kind and caring human as well as a wonderful support for our daughter. Thank you so much for making this possible. I am so glad she is part of your team.

    Michelle, Mother of 3rd Grader

    I cannot say enough about how SFL turned our world around. Our son hated school, had come to doubt his own abilities, and was falling ever further behind. I don’t know where we would be had we not found SFL. We had started at another well-respected educational therapy center, and it was not productive for us.  Ariela understood deeply what was going on with our son, and found the right “fit” in an educational therapist for him. It was not easy to get him to accept 2x per week of after school tutoring, but Ariela found the way. “She really gets me,” he told me, and he agreed to give it a try. I highly recommend the investment in 2x per week because the intensity really helped, and the success he started experiencing motivated him. Crucially, it improved his self-confidence. In four months of 2x per week sessions, he learned more than he had learned in an entire year at a high-quality  school. By the time he started third grade, he was reading at grade level–a seeming impossibility when we first reached to SFL. I imagine we will find ourselves back at SFL as he proceeds on his journey. For now, we are so grateful to Caroline, Ariella and Christine for all they did for him and for us.

    Ellen, Mother of 3rd Grade

    Working with Christine has not only dramatically improved my daughter’s reading and writing, but it has provided her with confidence I never imagined we would see.  She loves to read now!  Christine’s kindness, patience, and energy are a perfect match for my daughter. She has taught her what it means to work hard, make mistakes, and keep going.  Christine has also been an invaluable resource for our family.  Her extensive knowledge of how dyslexia affects learning has helped to educate us and taught us how to best advocate for my daughter at school.

    Heather, Mother of 2nd Grader

    Our daughter has been challenged to think deeply and more critically by SFL clinician and to find answers to stay persistent working on hard questions by digging deeper (in text, resources). She has developed very specific, easy-to-use strategies and tools for learning—studying, writing, reading for meaning, and test-taking. Most importantly, she sees herself as much more capable and successful as a learner and with schoolwork.

    Amy, Mother of 10th Grader

    Our son has ADHD and some learning challenges, and is in his 3rd year of working with Caroline.  We have been thrilled by the progress he has made in his approaches to organization, schoolwork and learning.  Caroline has been able to consistently support our son, independently developing new and engaging ways of working with him as he develops and matures.

    Mother of 10th grader

    Our daughter’s experience at Strategies for Learning has been truly transformative.  She went from being a frustrated learner, not understanding why she couldn’t keep up with her classmates, to a thriving student and valued member of her school community.  We had considered a special needs high school for her, but with SfL’s support, we were able to enroll her at a challenging, college-track high school where she is now succeeding across the board with excellent grades in all of her classes.  Ariela and Rob both have a great touch and have developed a trusted and congenial relationship with our daughter.  They — and everyone at SfL — have been a joy to work with.

    Father of a High School Student

    I trust that the families I refer to SfL will be well-served by a team of specialists who understand how to advocate for students with learning differences and disabilities. I have full confidence in their academic instruction and in their ability to collaborate with the family and school to build appropriate goals, accommodations, and a support system that has the student’s best interest in mind.

    Deborah Jacobson, Special Ed Attorney

    Stephanie worked with my twins on math and ELA virtually, including my son who has severe learning difficulties like dyscalculia and dyslexia. My son has extreme difficulty retaining information, especially in math, and she has the patience of a saint. She constantly finds new ways to engage him and really breaks things down step by step. She is very well-rounded and goes above the call of duty in supporting my son by constantly researching curriculum materials and always being so well-prepared. She has great intuition for each child’s needs and has been a strong advocate for my kids. She is very sophisticated in bringing back my kids to focus when they get silly or distracted and never gets flustered. As a SPED educator myself and as a mother, Stephanie has everything I would look for in an educator, she goes above and beyond and you would be lucky to have her!

    Erin, Mother of Twin 6th graders

    SFL is truly remarkable. My son has been going to them twice a week for a year and he has grown leaps and bounds. They are super in tune with his needs and teach him to learn the best way he can learn. They fit their program to the kids’ needs versus a lot of other tutoring places. Their follow through is super and I genuinely feel they have my son’s best interests in mind and care about his progress.

    Victoria M.

    My son has been working with his clinician at SFL for more than a year, and she’s doing a superlative job.  There are the tangible results, such as his GPA moving from the high 2s to a 4.0, the reduction in the number of assignments he fails to turn in, and his increasing fluency in writing.  Equally important to me are the intangible results, such as his growing insight into how his brain works and ability to express that insight, fewer complaints about history and English being stupid classes, and growing self-confidence. My son’s independent choice to take AP English and Gov’t classes next year pleases me hugely and shows he’s willing to challenge himself because he thinks he can succeed. The clinician has accomplished all this because she really got to know X.  She showed him she cared and she didn’t let him get away with anything – she was more than a match for his skillful verbal resistance.   He respects her and so he listens to her. Finally, she has been a great advocate for X.  She rearranged her schedule –twice! – at short notice to attend his 504 meetings at Tech.  She was patient, professional and persistent about describing the ways his disabilities manifest, in the face of ignorance and disbelief from a number of attendees.  She also gave me her time to discuss and strategize in advance of the meetings, which really relieved my mind.

    Celia M.

    I really can’t say enough positive things about Strategies for Learning.  My daughter has been seeing an educational specialist for several years for help with her dyslexia, and it has had an amazing impact on both my daughter, and our entire family.  She has dramatically improved in both her academic performance, confidence, and attitude towards areas of academic challenge. The specialist has been understanding, patient, consistent, and organized in how she has approached our daughter’s educational needs. She has always been proactive in contacting teachers at her school in advance of any issues.  She will even look at the course material for the “upcoming quarter” so that she and my daughter are prepared.  It can almost feel like a second job to keep fully up to date in real time on how your child is doing in school. It is completely reassuring that the specialist has been both vigilant in monitoring our daughter’s progress, but also excellent in communicating status updates to us on a regular basis. We have seen other learning specialists, and been to other learning center’s such as Lindamood Bell.  In my opinion none have come close to the organization, individual care, and warmth that have have seen at SFL. Phyllis Koppeleman, the founder and director, has been actively involved throughout our entire time at SFL.  She has clearly set a high standard for the center, and all that staff that works there.  It is evident that she leads by example. I would recommend SFL without any reservation.

    Todd F.

    Phyllis, as well as the educational therapist who has been working with my daughter for over 2 years, has been a godsend to our family. We give our therapist most of the credit for getting my daughter—with multiple and severe learning disabilities—the ability to read. She has a special talent for connecting with kids in a way that works for that individual. Phyllis has been more than a resource for us along the way. She has held our hand and helped us manage a very complex situation. Without her knowledge of school systems and understanding of our needs I think we would still be lost. I have met many other parents along this journey who are struggling to navigate this world of having an LD child and I feel so fortunate that we have been able to fall back on Phyllis and her clinic for support and resources we would still be trying to navigate.

    Sarah W.

    From the moment our family had our intake appointment, I knew that Strategies for Learning was a special place.  Phyllis has such a kind and gentle approach with children that make them all feel like they are loved. My son was paired with Maria and it has been a match made in heaven.  Not only has she worked on homework support, she also has become a friend and has helped with his confidence level.  She even attended a few “student success team” meetings with his teachers to help advocate for him based on his learning style.  Strategies for Learning has far exceeded our expectations.

    Mother of 8th grader

    I was referred to Strategies for Learning when I found out my then freshman in high school had a language processing deficiency. From day one, the therapist took charge and implemented a plan to help my daughter develop strategies to help her approach her subjects in a manner consistent with her learning style. She helped her break down paragraphs into pieces that helped her understand larger concepts. She color coded main ideas, main characters and helped my daughter utilize her organizational skills to her advantage. While the educational therapist was very instrumental in helping my daughter reach her academic potential in high school (she ended up graduating with honors and went on to University of Michigan), she gave her other skills that I believe were more critical to her overall success. She was always patient, nurturing and encouraging and created a safe environment for my daughter to share issues and receive feedback.

    Mother of a high schooler

    My daughter loved working with Caroline.  She developed a wonderful relationship with Caroline.  Caroline’s work with my daughter greatly improved her confidence.

    Stacy, Mother of 9th Grader

    Strategies For Learning is AWESOME!!! My daughter has been working primarily with an educational therapist and a learning specialist and in the span of a year I have watched how their work has transformed and enhanced her learning experience. The patience, support and genuine concern that the entire staff at SFL renders speaks to their desire to ensure that each child gets the tools and skills they need to be successful. SFL has made a profound impact on my daughter’s attitude toward her learning experience. While she has always displayed a deep passion to learn, she is now much more confident in her own ability to do the work that she previously struggled with and shied away from. She gets excited just knowing she is meeting with her clinicians. Thanks for your support!

    Julie F.

    Ever since my daughter was in K, reading has been a struggle.  She has received assistance, but there hadn’t been a huge shift. Now in 4th grade, I FINALLY discovered Strategies for Learning.  There was an IMMEDIATE shift!  It has been AMAZING!  All of a sudden, she has been reading w/o me having to badger her, her confidence has improved, she has been enjoying reading and the sessions AND BEST OF ALL, SHE BELIEVES IN HERSELF!  I am THRILLED w/our decision to try Strategies for Learning, and urge you to try them too!

    Patti S.

    My son has been working with Strategies for Learning for over 2 years and it has been a great experience for him. The team works very hard to understand the unique challenges and abilities for each student. I believe that they offer far more than just tutoring services. They have worked with my son to implement skills and strategies that he can use throughout his educational experience; they are not just trying to get through homework. It is definitely a safe educational environment for our son.

    Sam S.

    Phyllis Koppelman is the best that there is.  She helped our son in high school more than anyone else I could possibly think of.  She’s a kind, caring, wonderful person who can help *any* kid with whatever issues s/he has.  Absolute, unquestioning, unconditional recommendation.

    Mark S.

    Everyone is really friendly at SFL. I’ve learned more about the way I learn, like tools to help me. When we’re doing an activity it helps when it’s more visual and I can use fidgets.

    Student, 8th grade

    My daughter has been working with a clinician at Strategies for Learning, for over a year and has made tremendous strides. Whether your child just needs a little help or needs significant support dealing with learning issues, SFL has the right people.  My daughter loves going there and has learned so much.  I would highly recommend SFL to anyone.

    Jackie L.