At Appletree Learning Centre, we believe open and ongoing communication with parents and other professionals is key to a child’s academic success. Our administrative team is available for phone and email consultations at no extra cost. They are also available to consult with teachers and other professionals involved in your child’s education at your request.

Generally, children struggle at school because they have gaps in their learning. There are many reasons such gaps occur. Quite often, gaps in learning are the result of information being delivered in a way that does not match the way the student processes information. For example, if a child is struggling in reading, he or she may not understand the sound/symbol relationship of letters or groups of letters. Children with working memory weaknesses may not be able to recall what they have seen. This can make it difficult to remember how to spell words, since many spelling programs are delivered using long lists of words that do not relate to each other. Our goal is to locate the gaps and address any weaknesses through structured individualized programs that address each area of need, one step at a time.

At Appletree Learning Centre, we work with a diverse range of learners. Many of our students have received psycho-educational assessments and have been identified as exceptional learners.

We find that many reluctant learners have low self-esteem and confidence in their abilities. We focus on the whole child; by highlighting each of our students' inherent strengths, we can begin to rebuild a child's confidence. Our teachers prioritize building rapport and a relationship with their students, which helps to motivate a reluctant learner. Additionally, the mastery-based nature of our Direct Instruction programs allows a child to see themselves progress and succeed!

Measuring progress is ongoing at Appletree. Formal measuring tools are built into every Direct Instruction program. This allows us to conduct regular assessments of our students to ensure mastery of skills. Session notes are regularly reviewed by the administrative team to monitor our students’ progress and their understanding of the concepts taught. This ensures that each student is progressing well and allows us to identify and target any persistent errors.

Students who are anxious or lack confidence in their abilities, can often be heard saying, “I can’t do it; I’m not good at this; This is too hard; I don’t like this.” We want our students to view their challenges as opportunities, while positively acknowledging and embracing imperfections.

Individuals who believe their talents and skills can be developed through hard work, good strategies, and input from others have a growth mindset. They tend to achieve more than those with a fixed mindset, who believe their talents and skills are innate gifts. At Appletree Learning Centre, we want to challenge these fixed mindsets by first identifying them, and then teaching out students’ how to use positive self-talk to change our way of thinking.