First, call to make an appointment for you and your child to come in for either Westchester or Stamford and Greenwich reading help.
The process starts with a screening at our center that takes 45-60 minutes. While your child is being assessed, you will spend time with our Center Director. If our assessment and review points to Gemm being able to help, you can choose a service option. If not, you will at least have a clearer picture of your child's reading level and we may be able to suggest other options.
If you have not done so, please take this on-line screening test to see if your child is a candidate for our program.
Take FREE screening test here
We have such confidence in our program that every starting family has a two-week test-drive period within which they can cancel for no cost beyond the modest Registration Fee.
Our K-12 Learning Services
We provide the software, the motivational tools to keep your child engaged and most importantly, our experts manage your child's progress with a hands-on approach, using an individualized protocol that addresses your child's unique needs and allows him or her to work at their pace. We have three service formats:
- Home with Coach: Your child works at home with one of our certified coaches.
- Home without Coach: With our constant support and guidance, your child works with you or independently.
- Center: Come to the center, Monday to Friday and Saturday morning.
Work starts. Before the first session we pitch the value of the
program to your child and have him or her sign our Student Pledge. The software is engaging and fun - it is
adaptive, maintaining
an 80% success rate. Your child
will
hear lots of dings for correct answers, but will also be challenged to process just a little bit faster each day.
Motivating your child. A big part of our difference is the effort we put into holding your child's interest. First, each child enters points in a personal binder. Then there are tokens! Your child will earn tokens that are "banked" at theStudentShopper.com where he or she gets to shop online for over 200 prizes (click the link to see the prizes). We also recognize achievement at various stages with certificates and other symbols. Finally, do not under-estimate the ability of a high caliber (and cool) college student to bring out the very best in your child, day after day.
We monitor
and assess progress daily. We are able to track progress daily as your
child's work is uploaded through the Internet. We intervene as often as is needed with
speech and language techniques or exercise changes aimed to keep your child motivated and
challenged. Our goal is to have all students feel that "they are good at Gemm" to associate us with success and achievement.
Parents
receive weekly updates. Every weekend you will look forward to receiving our
e-mail summarizing your child's progress that week, along with an
explanation of the learning skills being exercised. You will join our Parent Support e-mail list which will keep you in touch with your child's progress and the science at work here. Parents are
encouraged to meet with Gemm staff monthly. We also have a password protected Parent Resources website with other helpful information.
Progress through our program. Younger ones take 2-3 months to complete the "basic training," older children typically take less time. At this point your child can either finish, take a break, or move right into our Reading Series which uses these improved processing and decoding skills to develop reading fundamentals -- comprehension, reading accuracy, vocabulary development, metalinguistics (comfort and dexterity with words), syntax and spelling. Many of the reading exercises work on higher level skills such as drawing inferences, critical thinking and abstract reasoning.
Graduation and Follow up.
The good news on follow up is that for your child there is none! Once
your child is functioning at natural language speed and is decoding
naturally, these skills are used every day and so they endure.
Programs: Our learning services cover a wide range of needs. Many Gemm students are at or above grade level in their reading, but do not enjoy reading. We provide New Work and Connecticut reading help for these children and for those below grade-level. Others come to us for Connecticut and New York dyslexia help or Asperger's help.
