- What is the difference between Honors Review and other learning centers? - How do I know which course would best fit my child’s needs? - Why must my child take a SAT II prep course if he or she already got an A in that course? - My child complains that he or she has already studied the material that you are covering in your course, or has not yet encountered the material. Why is that? - Must I enroll for the full twenty weeks when I register for the class? - How do I know which course would best fit my child’s needs? - Must I enroll for the full twenty weeks when I register for the class? - What qualifications do your professionals and teachers have? - How are Honors Review teachers different from those of other learning centers? - Is there a curriculum and syllabus for each class? - What is the difference between your Reading Club classes and your Language Arts classes? - I would like to take courses during vacations. Do you have a course that lasts throughout the summer? Or even winter? - What about test preparation programs like SAT I, SAT II, Science High School Entrance, etc? Does Honors Review offer courses to prepare for standardized exams? - I would like to see what others have said about your courses. Where can I find student testimonies? What is the difference between Honors Review and other learning centers? First, we focus on “enrichment” programs, not “remedial” programs. Remedial programs aim to help students keep up with topics and assignments covered in school. However, enrichment programs are designed to supplement what students learn in order to give them a greater understanding of the material. We believe enrichment programs effectively push students ahead of the pack, leading to master their school materials . The second difference is our instructors. Many other institutes have teachers who teach a wide range of subjects. For instance, some teach topics that range from SAT English to SAT Math. However, we only ask teachers who are specialists in one area to teach the subject they are experts in. What also sets us apart is that our classes are conducted as workshops. Other institutes that have instructors working with several students simultaneously neglect the fact that these students may not be at the same grade level. Our classes are divided by level. This means students are learning with students their own age and that each student is using the same textbooks in class. How do I know which course would best fit my child’s needs? Come in or call the center nearest you to speak to one of our program counselors. Part of our job is to discern the needs of your child and make the proper recommendations in planning his or her academic future. We make a serious effort to understand the goals and situations of students to ensure that they will get the most out of completing a course here. If you come in with specific goals for your child, such as taking honors courses in high school or performing well on a standardized test, our representatives are here to plan your child’s curriculum to do just that. Why must my child take a SAT II prep course if he or she already got an A in that course? Naturally, if your child does well in a particular academic subject, it is a good indicator that he or she will do well on the corresponding SAT II subject test. However, more often than not, schools do not cover every topic covered on a given test. At times, school teachers must pick and choose which topics to cover in class during the year because of time constraints. Depending on the school district and teacher, what your child studies during the year will vary. An Honors Review preparatory class for SAT II subject tests will cover all the topics that will appear on the test. The course will also teach students test taking strategies for this particular standardized test. Test taking is a skill that must be developed, but most schools expect students to prepare for standardized tests such as the SATs on their own. My child complains that he or she has already studied the material that you are covering in your course, or has not yet encountered the material. Why is that? The textbooks that each school district uses can vary. Furthermore, teachers at various schools tend to pick and choose the order to introduce certain areas of a subject. Usually, the only requirement that teachers have is to cover fundamental concepts by the end of the academic year. For this reason, your child come across some material that has not been taught at his or her school. Alternatively, if students encounter learned material in our classes, this will be an opportunity for them to thoroughly review and master the subject. By the end of each course, students and their instructors will comprehensively cover all of the necessary material for a particular subject or standardized test. What qualifications do your professionals and teachers have? No, you can opt to enroll for only eight weeks, but we recommend the full 20 weeks because our programs are holistic and comprehensive. Each week builds on the last, reinforcing what the student has learned and eventually culminating in a complete analysis of the subject matter. If you remove your child before the course is complete, he or she may leave inadequately equipped to tackle the subject. Furthermore, we try to maintain a stable class environment and our classroom atmosphere is highly-collegial. We believe that when students become more comfortable with each other, they begin to share their work and ideas with their instructors and fellow classmates more often. Lastly, we offer a 15% discount if you enroll for the full 20 weeks. How do I know which course would best fit my child’s needs? Come in and speak to one of our representatives. It is our job to know what your child will need and help in planning their academic future. We take special care to understand each child’s goals and situations in order to ensure that he or she will get the most out of taking a course here. Our experts have developed a wide range of courses that ensures there will be something for everyone. If you come in with a specific goal such as aiming to take honors courses in high school, for example, our representatives are reliable resources that could help plan your child’s curriculum to do just that. Must I enroll for the full twenty weeks when I register for the class? No, you can opt to enroll for only eight weeks, but we recommend the full 20 weeks because the program is a holistic one. Each week builds on the last, reinforcing what the student has learned and culminates in a complete analysis of the subject matter. If you remove your child before the course is complete, he may leave insufficiently equipped to effectively master the subject. Furthermore, we try to maintain a stable class environment. Our courses are highly interactive: the more students are comfortable with one another, the more they are willing to share their work and ideas with one another. Lastly, we offer a 15% discount if you enroll for the full 20 weeks. What qualifications do the teachers have? As a rule, we hire teachers from local school districts. We look for experienced teachers who have good class management skills and care about their students, yet know how to preserve a good balance by maintaining discipline and encouraging diligent study habits. Each teacher must have at least a BA from a four-year college or university. Some classes are taught by industry experts. For example, some writing classes are taught by professional writers, and chemistry and biology classes are taught by individuals who have extensive work experience in these fields. All of our teachers are selected after a thorough screening process to guarantee the best learning experience for our students. How are Honors Review teachers different from those of other learning centers? Honors Review teachers are dedicated to their work and students. Our low student-teacher ratio (5-8:1) allows strong student-teacher relationships to blossom. Therefore, students feel more comfortable conveying their problems and ideas to their instructor on a given subject. Our instructors are also very much aware of the various learning styles and needs of each student because of our small class sizes. Other centers work with many students of different grades and levels, which do not help to foster these student-teacher relationships. Is there a curriculum and syllabus for each class? Yes, each class has a carefully crafted syllabus. If you would like a copy of the syllabus to monitor your child’s work, please request one from your local center. If your child cannot attend class for some reason, please contact the center to find out that week’s assignment. We design our classes so all the centers that teach the same class progress at an equal pace. As a result, we teach the same curriculum using the same methods, and maintain a high-level of uniformity at each of our centers. What is the difference between your Reading Club classes and your Language Arts classes? Our Reading Club classes are focused on textual analysis, using one or two books of literature over the course of the semester. As students interact with the texts, they will analyze the mood, characters, setting, tone and other structural elements. Our Language Arts classes are designed to supplement the students’ coursework. We use textbooks that include selections from a wide range of authors. The instructors focus on grammar, vocabulary, and proper syntax. We use literature from a wide range of genres to reflect readings the students might encounter at school. These classes approach the fundamentals of English and are designed to prepare students for such standardized tests as the TERRA NOVA and the New Jersey ASK. I would like to take courses during vacations. Do you have a course that lasts throughout the summer? Or even winter? Summer is our busiest time of year! We have classes scheduled from early morning into the evening. We do not schedule classes during the winter recess, but we can arrange for private tutoring. Please contact your local center to discuss your needs. What about test preparation programs like SAT I, SAT II, Science High School Entrance, etc? Does Honors Review offer courses to prepare for standardized exams? Yes, we offer a wide range of test preparation courses including SAT I, II and various other subject tests. I would like to see what others have said about your courses. Where can I find student testimonies? The testimonials section has letters from parents and from students. Please take a look at that section under the Honors Menu.