“I don’t just teach students what they need to know. I get to know kids and how they learn, and then I teach them the strategies they need to become confident learners,” said Wendy Taylor, founder of Learning Essentials, LLC, a tutoring company in Gaithersburg, MD. In her experience, school systems and their curricula are based on the assumption that children already know how to study and learn on their own. “It’s simply not true,” said Taylor, who finds that helping students discover the type of learner they are is the first step to empowering them to succeed. Next, she introduces students to the learning approaches that will work best for them. “First and foremost, I am a mom, and that shows in my work,” said Taylor. “What I want for my students is I want for my own kids—for them to be confident, motivated and successful in their own ways.”
The skills that Taylor teaches—assessing projects, managing time, executing tasks and meeting deadlines—are as valuable outside the classroom as in it. “I tell students that they are creating a toolbox for learning that they can take with them from grade to grade, even beyond graduation,” said Taylor. This focus on building critical thinking and problem-solving skills is what distinguishes Learning Essentials, LLC.
“I love the light bulb moment,” said Taylor. “I love it when students can finally take what they have learned and apply it beyond the realm of the tutoring to succeed in school, and ultimately, in life.”
This August, Wendy will once again offer four-day Brain Camps that introduce students in grades 7-12 to many of these learning strategies. To learn more about helping your child to build the skills to become a more confident learner, visit Activity Rocket for more information on Brain Camp and Learning Essentials.
