Stick-to-it-tiveness

This article, from the National Center for Learning Disabilities, describes the six attributes needed to develop a stick-to-it attitude and different ways you can help develop them. They are: self-awareness, proactivity, perseverance, goal setting, the presence and use of effective support systems and emotional coping strategies.

The Reading Clinic offers a unique experience for kids who are having a hard time sticking to their education, often times because they’ve been trying for so long and failing that they’re exhausted. Thanks to our 1-to-1 format and customized lesson plans, students are able to reconnect with learning. Our tutors are able to play the role of cheerleader and coach for kids who need some extra encouragement, or a kind but firm task master for the kids who have a hard time maintaining focus. For students who have come a long way at The Reading Clinic, but still have a ways to go, we take some time to show them how much their hard work has paid off. We let them do activities from their first day that used to be hard so they can remember just how far they’ve come.

We know how hard it can be to stick with something after you’ve been met with nothing but frustration or failure. We recognize the difference between an “attitude problem” from a kid who hasn’t seen success in so long they’ve given up on themselves and avoidant behavior because they just want to get home to play video games. We can adapt our tone to fit the situation.

Most importantly, we make it easy to stick with our programs because we pace them in a way that our students feel successful and challenged. Kids enjoy their lessons so much at our learning centers, that they’ve been known to choose us over an art lesson or soccer practice. One of our students even complained that he had to miss a session to go to a birthday party!