CARMEL — The COVID-19 pandemic is still leading to some tough times for students and parents when it comes to schooling.
"It was really hard to have four kids to try to be the teacher for all four kids," Nicole Pope said.
As a working mom, Pope is relieved her kids are back in school. She has twin daughters in kindergarten, a son in third grade and a daughter in middle school in Carmel.
"Not all being virtual was bad honestly. It helped me see what areas they were struggling with," she said.
In an effort to make sure her kids were not falling behind, Pope enrolled them in tutoring services through Sylvan Learning Center.
"Their confidence levels have been better, their ISTEP scores have been better since the beginning of the year to now," Pope said. "I have seen improvement with them. That was a big positive for us."
Since February, leaders at Sylvan have seen an increase in parents looking for help for their children.
"I think it's grade-driven. A lot of families were saying it's just been scary or they are afraid to look at where their child is at which I get," Amanda Manship, regional director for Sylvan Learning said. "Afraid to look into where their grades are. I would say dig in, don't ignore it and we can help."
The main area Sylvan is seeing kids falling behind in is their independent skills in reading, writing, and math.
Pope says her kids will continue with Sylvan through the summer and she will decide whether to continue at the start of next year.
Right now, Sylvan is offering a special deal to get more students enrolled ahead of summer. Normally their assessment is $99 dollars, but until May 9, it is $29 and $10 of that will be donated to non-profits in the community.
