heard around the playhouse

My nine year old daughter, Jade, participated in the math pilot session at GiGi’s Quad Cities. When telling her she had been accepted into the program, she looked at me with rolled up eyes and said, “But, I don’t like math.” I responded, “That’s the reason why we need to go!” After meeting her tutor the first time, Jade was anxious to go to her math session every week. Her attitude towards math changed from being a challenge to being fun, exciting, and achievable.

Before attending the session, I was asked to fill out a questionnaire about Jade. I appreciated the opportunity to do that and found the questionnaire to be an effective tool in establishing a good foundation for the tutor to build upon. At the start of each session, Jade was welcomed into GiGi’s Playhouse with a friendly smile and endless compliments. The tutor worked on some of the goals already set in Jade’s IEP. I found that to be relevant and a great connection to what she was learning at school. Some of the strategies used at school were also used at GiGi’s. The tutor helped Jade find an interest in math by providing one-on-one uninterrupted attention, incorporating math games and manipulatives, and centering her math lessons around Jade’s interests. The tutor consistently showered Jade with praise and this greatly impacted her self-esteem. After each session, the tutor took the time to speak to me about the lesson. She informed me about the concepts studied, how they were studied, and how well Jade worked and completed the tasks. I was also sent home each week with ideas and resources I could use to build on the lesson.

Overall, Jade’s experience with the math program at GiGi’s was flawless. Because math has been a challenge for Jade, I was very thankful to have her participate. I hope to have the opportunity to enroll Jade again in another math session. The benefits Jade reaped are priceless.

Thank you,

Chrystal Weller