The Huntington Learning Center in Pleasanton is a premium tutoring and test preparation company. Huntington students who need tutoring help go through comprehensive testing approximately four hours long. The detailed results from the testing allows Huntington to create a custom tutoring approach based on the needs of each individual student.

"We start with an academic evaluation, and every student has a customized program based on that evaluation," says Mona Sethi, Center Director. "Every child learns differently, and one-size-fits-all cannot be applied for learning. We help students learn skills that will help them do well in school and beyond."

Huntington welcomes all sorts of students. Some of the students Huntington tutors are on the spectrum or have Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or dyslexia. "These students need all the extra help they can get," notes Sethi. "Parents come to us since we have programs that are targeted to what students need. Our staff is fully trained to handle any type of teaching."

Unlike some tutoring services, Huntington does not hold group classes nor does it hire high school or college students as tutors. Huntington hires certified teachers with California teaching credentials or trains them through Huntington's own teachers training school. The Pleasanton Center is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

The custom-designed facility at Hacienda offers windows between every instructional room to insure that tutors are under constant supervision and that no tutor is ever alone with any child. Custom-designed study carrels are arranged to provide optimum student-teacher interaction. Books and other materials are conveniently placed nearby to insure maximum use of tutor time. Their record keeping process ensures continuity of instruction from session to session and permits the Director of Education to review programs frequently, targeting the need for any program changes.

The Center tutors in many academic areas, including math, English, science, reading, and study skills. Exam preparation is also a vital part of the services Huntington offers. Huntington helps students score higher on important college entrance and scholarship exams such as the American College Test (ACT) and SAT (originally Scholastic Assessment Test) as well as other education-related tests. Recent feedback from Huntington students showed that they achieve more than 220 points on the SAT test and average a six-point increase on the ACT, according to Sethi, who says Huntington students also received, on average, $50,000 in scholarships based on their results.

Higher test scores can mean better schools, more scholarship opportunities, and more career choices in the future. As one client wrote about the Huntington Learning Center at Hacienda, my son "prepped for his ACT and ended with a score of 33 overall. He got into most of the colleges he applied to due to his high ACT score. The teachers and staff are great, and some of them have been here for over a decade."

Nearly 15 employees work at the Huntington Learning Center, which has been at Hacienda since 1987. Sethi, a former public school teacher and school counselor, is an active member of Pleasanton Partnerships in Education Foundation (PPIE), and Huntington has been a sponsor of PPIE events. Huntington Learning Center also regularly hosts free presentations and workshops for the community. Recently it held a presentation on ADHD, and is hosting another on homework help in November. It also frequently holds free presentations on ACT/SAT testing and other parent education topics.

For more information about the Huntington Learning Center, please visit www.huntingtonhelps.com/center/pleasanton.

For information about upcoming presentations and events, please call 925-463-8800 or email SethiM@hlcmail.com.