Testimonials
THANK YOU! You have changed the course of my son’s life. That is no exaggeration. When we came to you we were being told that our son, then midway through Grade 1, was reading at a kindergarten level. We were being urged to accept this limitation and modify our expectations, that he would not read at curriculum level. We knew that our son was smart but affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder. Your method just made sense to him. An independent assessment done before the start of the new school year, just 6 months after beginning his tutoring, established that he was reading at a grade 2.5 level! He reads everything now and sees himself as a strong reader. We were ecstatic! Academics aside, the most profound change has been in his demeanour and confidence level. We can’t thank you enough for the incredible gift you have given our son … one which he will carry the rest of his life.
- Father of Julian (Grade 2)
This is by far the best experience we have had with tutoring. ‘Mr. Don’ and ‘Mrs. Lynn’ have so much patience and a natural ability to teach. The decoding strategies they use have allowed my daughter to become a confident reader which has given her the tools to become a better student. She always looks forward to her next class. Thank you for all your help with Tahlia. She has improved in so many ways because of both of you.
- Mother of Tahlia (Grade 3)
Thanks for all of your efforts towards improving Ryan’s reading skills. My husband and I both
feel that Ryan now has the tools to tackle unfamiliar words and is well on his way to becoming a fluent reader. We have noticed a dramatic change in his confidence level that has carried over to his other subjects and other aspects of his life.
- Mother of Ryan (Grade 3)
Katie attended a Primary Language Class for three years. After much specialized instruction and still reading at an early grade one level, we were very concerned. We began tutoring at the centre and in less than a year her reading improved 2 grade levels. As Katie suffers from a learning disability, this was not an easy task. Your approach to reading has helped Katie learn to break words down and sound them out more effectively. Because of your program and positive reinforcement, Katie now has more self-confidence and I feel that she can work with her disability.
- Mother of Katie (Grade 4)
In grade 1 Brett was clearly struggling with reading. He had gone from a happy child in kindergarten to an angry and frustrated one at the end of grade 1. He started to lash out and throw tantrums at home. He would pretend to be sick in order to avoid going to school. He had lost all self-confidence. At the end of grade 1 we learned about Dr. Clark’s Reading Centre and had an assessment done. The results indicated that Brett had a weak working memory and had almost no decoding skills at all. After instruction at the tutoring centre, Brett now reads with ease and can sound-out challenging words. In a recently conducted assessment by an educational psychologist, Brett scored in the top percentile in his decoding skills.
- Mother of Brett (Grade 4)
Our daughter has been a student at Dr. Clark’s Reading Centre for the past 3 years. He started with a comprehensive assessment to determine her strengths & needs and built an academic plan. She now enjoys reading and her math continues to develop. Dr. Clark continues to provide our daughter the tools & strategies to improve her knowledge and understanding of the strands in the mathematics curriculum. He is extremely flexible, patient and well-versed in the Ontario curriculum.
- Mother of Charlotte (Grade 5)
Last year, our son Mark, who was 10 at the time, was diagnosed as learning disabled. He was about 2 or 3 years behind in reading and even further behind in writing, even after several months of private tutoring by others. Don has been a God-send. Mark has progressed rapidly and is now almost at grade level, having improved 2 years in reading in about 10 months of tutoring. He now reads all sorts of things just for fun! After further instruction his writing improved by about the same amount. He is now quite a proficient writer for his grade. We very much appreciate Don’s deep knowledge and skill, his patience and creativity. He has been instrumental in turning things around for Mark.
- Father of Mark (Grade 5)
When my kids started tutoring at Dr. Clark's Reading Centre, they were more than a year behind in reading. With just once-a-week tutoring, they both caught up not only in reading, but also oral comprehension, vocabulary and writing. With both of my boys having ADHD and a learning disability, Don and his staff were able to help them to develop the tools and skills they are going to need for the rest of their lives. Because of their expertise and dedication, I know I did everything as a parent for my boys to succeed in their future.
- Mother of David & Mitchell (Grades 5 & 7)
Our son has been a client at Dr. Clark’s Reading Centre for over 3 years. When our son started tutoring, he was significantly below grade level in reading. But, within a very short time, his tutor helped him make up the deficit and surpass grade expectations. He improved so much that he was one of one three children in his school to get a Level 4 in Reading on the EQAO. He is well beyond grade level now and truly enjoys reading. The tutors at Dr. Clark’s Reading Centre are excellent and provide a valuable service online as well.
- Mother of Noah (Grade 6)
Dr. Clark’s Reading Centre has helped increase Omron’s grades and confidence in spelling and writing. Omron works with his tutor to learn and strengthen foundational language skills. We have seen his grades improve and his struggles with language decrease with the one-on-one attention. With the onset of the pandemic, Don and his team of tutors made a seamless transition to online tutoring. Thanks for all your help!
- Mother of Omron (Grade 7)
Lisa began receiving tutoring from Don when she was in grade one. She was not reading at grade level and was not making any progress with the approach being taught in the classroom. Don took a totally different approach and she soon began making great strides. Before we knew it, Lisa was at grade level and reading for pleasure every night. She also struggled with math so Don showed her alternatives to rote memorization and taught her invaluable skills with which to approach problem-solving. Her math marks are now consistently above grade level and continue to improve. Lisa has developed a strong rapport with Don, which has been fundamental to her success in both reading and math. His kindness and patience have allowed her to flourish and become confident in her abilities. Don’s work with Lisa has been invaluable to both her academic development and self-esteem.
- Mother of Lisa (Grade 7)
After our son was diagnosed with a learning disability, we knew we needed a tutor that had specialized experience with children with learning disabilities. When we first arrived at Dr. Clark's Reading Centre our son was in grade 4 and was two years behind academically. Liam had already started to develop frustrations and a dislike for academics but within months of working directly with Don, he began to flourish. Not only was Don able to assist Liam to get to grade level, but he really assisted in helping him rebuild his confidence and love of school and academics. By grade 6 Liam's teacher said that she would never have thought that Liam had a learning disability as he was one of the brightest and hardworking students in her class. By the time he reached grade 7 and 8 he was an A/B student. We cannot help but look back this year on how far Liam has come since his diagnoses. We were so worried about his future. He is now enrolled in the academic stream for High School this September and we know he will be very successful on this new journey. Don was instrumental in Liam's growth and learning. Liam would not be where he is today had we not found Dr. Clark's Reading Centre. Not only is Don a great educator but he is phenomenal at motivating and igniting the desire to learn. Thank-you from the bottom of our hearts!
- Mother of Liam (Grade 8)
With my daughter entering her first year in high school, I knew she would benefit from a little extra help in math. There was no question on the tutoring service I would hire as I have used Dr. Clark's Reading Centre in the past for my son. A month into Asha's math tutoring is when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The team at Dr. Clark's Tutoring Centre adapted quickly. Before I knew it we were set up with zoom meetings and provided a required drawing tablet without missing a beat. Leah's math tutor was fully prepared for the first online call and each session afterwards until the end of the school year. Thank you!
- Mother of Asha (Grade 9)
At Dr. Clark’s Reading Centre we have had the opportunity to work with wonderful, caring, genuine staff members. So much gratitude to you and your staff; always willing to juggle their lessons to help ensure our son received the best guidance and lessons needed at the time to assist with either homework and/or studies that we were just not sure on. Today, we had a most wonderful email from our school. They are considering moving him from Locally Developed to Applied in English. This is a huge accomplishment for our son. We are so proud of him and it must be shared that you and your team were hugely instrumental in helping him reach this achievement. Forever grateful, ‘Dr. Don’!
- Mother of Gavin (Grade 9)
The math tutor was exceptional for my son who was taking grade 10 academic math. She was able to quickly adapt to virtual tutoring and was highly effective in helping him to learn concepts and work through complex problems and formulas in an engaging manner. My son’s grades increased significantly with her support. The tutor was excellent!
- Mother of Marco (Grade 10)
After our daughter was diagnosed with a learning disability, we knew that she would require additional academic support. We looked for a tutor with a strong background in special education. Don quickly became a lifeline for our daughter. His calm manner and ability to break difficult concepts into manageable steps prepared Jasmin for upcoming assignments and tests. Over five years of working together, Don helped our daughter to grow in knowledge, academic ability and most importantly self-confidence. Jasmin went from struggling in grade 5 to a high school student who has been on the honour roll for two years and loves learning. We attribute her success in large part to Don’s knowledgeable, skilled and caring academic support.
- Mother of Jasmin (Grade 10)
I started being tutored in grade 8 for math and have continued to get tutoring while taking each of my high school math courses. When I first started tutoring I was barely passing and now have an average in the high 70’s in my grade 11 academic math course. This is the third highest mark in my class! I have always wanted to be a teacher but never felt that I could do it because of my low marks. Since I started tutoring and my marks have gone up, I feel more confident that I can reach my goals.
- Math student (Grade 11)
