Phonics Tutoring

"I am sitting here listening to my ten year old read. He has attended tutoring with you twice a week for 14 weeks. The improvement he has shown is wonderful. You helped him greatly with his phonics and basics sounds, also the basic rules for spelling. He had gotten to Grade 5 without learning that one letter can make different sounds. His confidence in sounding out unknown words has grown along with a willingness to have a go at spelling them. The programme has been wonderful and a big help to Jack. You were very encouraging and most importantly to Jack you were ‘fun.’ I wish you and your programme all the best in the future and I’m sure you will help many more people."
- AK (parent)

“Thank you for helping Grant gain his self confidence in reading. I wanted Grant to have the same phonics education that my older sons had in primary school in America. The Modern Phonics program has given Grant the knowledge to become an exceptional reader and speller. Grant loves reading and reads with confidence. No matter how big the word is Grant has the confidence to sound it out and make sure he understands the meaning of the word. When Grant entered Grade 2 this year, he already had the knowledge of how dictation worked. He has really enjoyed Grade 2 because he had covered the basic phonics that he needed to succeed in school. Thank you to Grant’s tutor Michelle and Applied Scholastics.”
- MR

“I have sat down a number of times to write this letter but I couldn’t work out how to thank you both sufficiently for helping my son Lachlan.

Before Lachlan came to Applied Scholastics we had been through 3 years of hell. His father and I were told that he had ADD, Sensory Deficiency problems and even Autism. We had seen numerous Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, Paediatrics and Speech Therapists. He had his ears tested and doctors tried to convince us to put him on medication for ADD. I hired a tutor to come to our house to help Lachlan and after spending half an hour with him she told me she didn’t want to waste my money and that she couldn’t help him. His teachers were letting him wander around the classroom aimlessly rather than fighting with him to sit down and learn.

Fortunately for us, my Mum was talking to a lady from her workplace who suggested bringing Lachlan to Applied Scholastics. When we went to Lachlan’s first assessment I was sceptical after being through everything we had. After talking to you, Alison, I started to hope that this might be the help that we had been looking for. After ten weeks of tutoring we (and his teachers at school) started to see amazing changes in Lachlan’s reading, writing, comprehension and behaviour. He had more confidence, was asking more questions and was looking forward to going to tutoring to learn.

After Lachlan completed his second block of tutoring I decided to do the “Learning How to Learn” course myself as I couldn’t believe how much Lachlan had improved. All I could think of was that I wanted to be able to pass this method of learning to my other children. After doing my first course I decided to do the “Australian Teaching Modern Phonics Course”. This course is amazing and it works!!

Lachlan has now stopped tutoring with Janice and I have taken over tutoring him. His eagerness to learn and the change in him just make me so thankful that I met you both, Alison and Janice. I hope any other parents out there who are where I was find out about this centre and contact Alison because this course does work and there is help for their children that doesn’t cost the earth and then deliver nothing.

Thank you so much!!
- CJ

"There are no words that can describe how I truly feel about this fantastic phonics tutoring I have received. You have both been so patient with me and really helped me through all the tutoring. You both had so much patience and faith in me that I could complete the programme. I now know that there are 44 Sounds in the English language and I know them all thanks to you. As a dyslexic I have been looking for help since childhood. It has taken me 32 years to find you and I had to come to Australia to do that. I have completed the Phonics Tutoring and am now half way through the Learning How to Learn Course. The tutoring and courses are just fantastic. You have taken away my darkness and given me light and hope. Now it is time to give hope to thousands of other people who need your help. It has helped me so much having the clay to work with and the magnetic letters. Having all that mass has helped me so much. I really needed that. I have never had this mass before. The CD containing all the sounds of the letters of the alphabet and letter teams was so effective, as I could practise these sounds over and over again. Working with the 44 sounds Chart helped me so much with my reading and spelling. This Chart has given me the mass I needed to show me the different ways of learning all the letter teams. Homework is very important. Working with the Chart at home, using the magnetic letters and listening to the sounds on the CD has helped me to learn much quicker. We truly do have to get this into the schools and out into the community. I really feel we need to get it into the prisons as well. So many people turn to crime and drugs because of their darkness and not being able to move forward because of their Dyslexia and learning disabilities. People need to know that there is help out there and that their difficulties can be conquered. It is time for Applied Scholastics to move on to let Australia (and the world) know that you are there to help. I am so passionate about this programme. I will do whatever I can do to move it all forward to a greater audience. Good luck to you both and your wonderful futures ahead. With love and best wishes."

- SM (adult)

"When my son came to Applied Scholastics, he was in Grade 3. His level of reading and writing was that of a Grade 1 student. I had previously tried Kumon Education, but found this method of teaching did not suit Mitchell’s needs. He required something more. Since Alison has tutored Mitchell, his level of understanding in grammar, spelling and sounding out words has improved immensely. Alison has taught him all the sounds there is to know in the alphabet as well as giving Mitchell plenty of encouragement and laughs along the way! Mitchell now has the confidence in himself to pick up novels and start reading on his own, which I think is fantastic! The results are shown at school, as he has moved up two levels in his reading class. Alison is a great tutor, she is very professional in her work, has the patience required and understands exactly what your child needs to achieve great results. I am very pleased with Mitchell’s results and what he has achieved at Applied Scholastics! Well done! Thanks Alison!"
- GR (parent)

"After our success with Thomas through Applied Scholastics, my husband and I decided to enrol William to do phonics tutoring. William is a lovely, bright 9 year old boy, full of energy and happy smiles. But reading frustrated him. He knew he couldn't read as well as other kids in his class. In fact, for a grade 4 boy his reading level was about grade 1. William started at APS in January before school started; since then his reading level has increased and he is nearly at the level of most of his classmates. To listen to him read now is no longer a chore for me but a pleasure as he puts expression in his reading; whereas before he read in a monotone voice struggling over simple words, not even knowing what a full stop was used for. Through his learning with Jan, William always comes home more confident about his reading and homework. Just during the week I needed a dictionary for a word and William asked me to give him some words he could look up. I happily found him three words to look up even though it was past his bedtime. Thank you Alison and Jan for giving William the chance to enjoy school and not have him be the boy whose behaviour turns him into the boy who has fallen between the Education Department’s cracks."
- SH & CH (parents)

"The things I have learned with my tutoring are amazing. I didn't know the sounds, I didn't know a lot of things; but I do now and I can spell. It's amazing material. I can read and I can write to someone without asking how to spell something. It's great. I can help other people too. It's fantastic."
- KS (child)

"One thing I can honestly say is that APS has changed my life! Thank you Alison for bringing APS to Western Australia. I remember first coming to APS - I had a lot of attention on my pronunciation of words and my grammar, and I felt very stuck as if it were a burden. I really hated it. I came to Alison in the hope to remedy this problem and she told me the first thing I needed was to get phonics tutoring. I tell you, it was the best thing I have ever learned, it totally changed the way I communicated and my self-confidence boosted. Today I won’t look back as this is totally handled. The next thing we did were the five basic study books as I also had a lot of attention on my study. I received tutoring on these books by reading aloud word clearing, doing demonstrations and really clearing every vital point. Now after doing this I have no doubts with the data in the basic study books. With doing the phonics and the study books I have realised the importance of APS and what society is really lacking in education and in understanding the way we communicate and live. It all comes down to how we are educated. In our current education system it’s mainly word recognition, no phonics and just do your best, which equals nothing, where people end up not being able to read or write, they get misunderstood words and become a menace to society. The government doesn’t understand the real problem and how to fix it for good - the solution. Phonics and APS Study Technology is the answer because I’ve done it, it’s changed my life and I can see it will change the life of others."
- DW (adult)

"I studied for 40 hours and I spent a very good time with the very friendly teacher. My English has improved and I feel more confident to communicate. I can understand more easily when I read and listen."
- LN (ESL adult)

The Australian Teaching Modern Phonics Course

"I am a mother of 2 boys aged 6 and 11. My oldest son was having difficulties with his reading and especially spelling; so I decided to do the Applied Scholastics’ Phonics course to help my son myself, instead of paying for tutoring. I have learned so much with the Study Technology which was taught to me that I was also able to help my youngest son (who is in Grade 1) and a daughter of a friend of mine who is in kindy. The study technology I learned was just so simple that anyone can teach their children; anyone can pick up on why their children have problems and KNOW how to fix it easily. I spoke to my youngest son’s teacher and mentioned to her the barriers that children (and adults) run into, and how to fix it. She tried this out on her class and got results. I currently do volunteer work for Applied Scholastics in my spare time because it is a non-profit organisation and they are genuinely interested in helping others, especially children, and I REALLY want to get the Study Technology and Phonics known to improve the literacy standard in Australia. Thanks APS!"

- TC

"I am tutoring my children on the Phonics Checklists. They are having lots of wins and so am I! The Chart is great and it gives the student the mass on the 44 sounds of the English language and how these sounds can be represented in different ways when you are writing. Jayden is very happy about the fact that at the end, he will be able to read and spell effectively. He said the other day that he doesn’t want to do Maths or anything else, just the Phonics, so that he can read and write well."
- KB

"This course has been wonderful! I now really and truly know that I can tutor someone easily and effectively with this programme and I know too that it really works, as I have already been tutoring my children and they are having lots of wins! I love this course and I love the Chart and the whole gradient of the course. It’s hard to put into words, but it’s like coming out now at the end of the course with a whole new understanding and knowing all the data and the data has now become mine to use (not just like you’re told something but haven’t made it your own yet). I totally get it that there are 44 sounds in the English language and these can be written in different ways. Somehow at the end now, it seems really easy and very usable and such a perfectly worked out Course - it’s very awesome! Also using the Barriers to Study makes it much more effective. So thank you to Alison for putting all this time in to get me through and thank you to Jan for doing the last part with me and this has been wonderful! Thank you!"
- KB

"As a High School Technology teacher, I frequently experience unhappy, lethargic students who don't look like they're getting a very good deal from school - it's as if their learning expectations are just not being met as they should be. Something's just not right. When I heard about this new Phonics Course, I didn't completely understand the scope of just how important this information would be to improving the quality of education today. It was pretty eye opening to find there was a piece of technology missing in education. But I didn't realise Phonics was it! When I did the Phonics Course, it enabled me to see some phenomenal datums and understand exactly what I was reading and writing and realised this was the key to revitalise any appetite for learning and enable a student to use this knowledge that they were studying. I feel very privileged to have studied this Phonics Course on a checksheet that showed me the 44 sounds of the English Language, and how these sounds are represented by individual letters and combinations of letters from the Alphabet. This course makes Phonics fun and exciting as it follows procedures in an exact sequence to enable a smooth and gentle gradient of learning. It is accompanied by lots of pictures to get a better idea of what is being learned, objects that you can touch and feel, and lots of little drills and activities with clay, a CD with the sounds on it to help a student sound out, working from single letters to combinations up through the small words to building sentences. There are also plenty of activities to write and read as the student progresses. What an incredible course! This course would be suitable for the beginning reader, ESL students and older students, and even has procedures covered for testing the level of the student as well as activities for remedial students. What a phenomenal Course! I know Phonics has never been presented like this before. I can see how this valuable information will very shortly be available for all teachers in every school in Australia. It works! But hey, don't just believe me, do it for you."
- PO (Master of Teaching)

"I was a primary school teacher for twenty years from the mid sixties to the mid eighties. During that time I saw many changes to the educational curriculum. I think some of these changes were disastrous; the "whole-word" method of teaching reading being one of those disasters. One of the outcomes that was brought about by the "whole-word" method is we now have a generation of teachers educated and trained in this method. Many of these teachers have a very limited understanding of word construction and phonics and the importance of these methods to the teaching of reading. The "old" method of phonics needs to be brought back into the classroom. Another one of these changes was to let the child write with a free flow of ideas in written work. The concept was not to inhibit the child’s free flow of thought, however, punctuation, spelling and grammar became a casualty of this method. I have been briefed by Alison Tarrant from Applied Scholastics Western Australia and I thoroughly endorse their phonics method of teaching reading."
- EW

"I remember asking my mother-in-law how to teach my son to read when he was little. She told me that it was just something that they picked up as they went along. I wanted to help him learn to read but I didn’t know how. Now I know how to teach someone to read without depending on pictures to recognise what the word is. Now I don’t have to sit idly by while a teenage child struggles with schoolwork because they can’t read properly. I can do something about it now."
- FM

"This course was tough! I learnt so much about the English language and how to teach others to read and write that I was astounded! I loved the tools and procedures contained in the checksheet and the gradient of learning on the Course. The ED of APS WA (Alison Tarrant) knows her materials cold and supervises in a way that allows you to learn without being stifled. I also want to thank my twin Jan who was always thorough, fun to be with and really got me to know the materials and communicate this properly. This Course is a must for teachers, educators, tutors and even parents. I am very proud to have completed it and look forward to unravelling the English language for many students to come."
- JW

"There are many things to say about the ‘Australian Teaching Modern Phonics Course.’ Firstly, it was a lot of fun and I was constantly amazed at how this course was compiled in perfect gradients, marrying up the use of LRH Study Technology, the presentation of letters, sounds, combinations of sounds, etc. I was amazed that the 26 letters of the alphabet could be presented as 44 different sounds and how, on a gradient, a ‘student’ could learn each of these and have these arranged on a Chart that could be used to help the ‘student’ read and spell, etc. I was very fortunate to be twinned with Jo Wansbrough, and to have the opportunity to help pilot this Course to smooth out a few points to finalise this Course into a perfect format for future students. Alison is a great Instructor - she grants beingness and uses lots of ARC, and Jo was a fantastic twin. Thanks to both of them. I look forward to the future when teachers and educators are delivering the ‘Phonics Method’ in our schools."
- JH

"By completing the ‘Australian Teaching Modern Phonics’ course I feel more able than ever, I am even more confident in my own reading and writing. Through this course I have learned more about the English language than I ever thought imaginable. I look forward to working with and helping people to also become more confident with their literacy level. My many thanks to Krys for being my twin and taking this amazing journey with me. Thanks also to Alison and Tanya for wonderful instructing and for the opportunity to do this course."
- JM

"This has been an amazing journey for me. I knew the Course would be good and useful but it turned out to be so much more. I experienced great personal satisfaction and upheaval from a greater intimate understanding of the basic symbols I use constantly - and if I (with no great literacy difficulties) can experience such a resurgence of energy and love of the written word, imagine what gift it is for others. On the practical side - it is a very usable, practical set of procedures which I can see will produce infallible results. I was amazed at the depth, detail and completeness of this Course and the great emphasis on application."
- JM

"I have just completed the Teaching Modern Phonics Course and it was great! I learned a lot for myself on letters, sounds and words and it cleared up false data I had on this from when I was at school. WOW! I know now that I can tutor another through the phonics checklists and I can’t wait to start doing that! Thanks a lot to Tanya, my wonderful twin, and to Alison for helping us through and starting A.P.S. and keeping it going. Well done."

- KB

"When tutoring someone on phonics you know that you are really clearing up the fundamental confusions about how to put the language together. My biggest win was seeing a young student who was very reluctant to read out loud and did not know how to sound out words she did not know, speed ahead of my lesson plans and one day to the astonishment of her mother and myself - grabbed the book of sentences and started reading the sentences covered in the most advanced levels of tutoring! She was covering sounds and words we had not even covered and with words she did not know. She worked them out following the procedures she had already learned. She did this in less than 10 hours of tutoring and if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes I wouldn’t have believed it possible!"
- JW

"I had a win recently while tutoring an 8 year old student on the phonics material. He had some confusion on punctuation and I observed that he called an exclamation mark an explanation mark and sometimes he couldn’t remember what it was called. He learned the definitions of the words ‘exclaim’ and ‘explain’ and he got the difference! Now he has retained the knowledge and can use it."

- JH

"Recently I have been spending some hours as a volunteer and as an education assistant at a public school. There is a need for all children to have the correct gradient for learning to read. A lot of the disruptive behaviour in classes would be handled if the students had access to this method of learning and the Study Technology."
- JH

"I would like to share some successes I’ve had through doing the Australian Teaching Modern Phonics Course. When starting this course my aim was that by the end of the Course I’d have tools I could use to help people of any age, especially children at school to understand the English language. This was specifically dear to my heart as I was in a situation when I was eleven whereby I had to re-learn how to learn and function due to a head injury. I felt that when I was rehabilitating I was told that I should instinctively already know things, and due to a complete loss of memory I felt very stupid that I didn’t. Since then I have been interested in finding a way to help others who’ve been in a similar situation (or not) to understand learning and language. This course has helped me to achieve my aim and I feel confident more than ever that I can help people!! Thanks millions to Alison, Tanya and Krys for assisting me and being there during this course."
- JM

"I had a wonderful time on course. I learned some new things that were never taught to me in school. I now realise why, when I first started to read, I had problems pronouncing words such as "island" and "jewellery." It was a skipped gradient! How awesome is that! I can’t wait for the rest of the course to be revealed to me."
- JK-S

"The Teaching Modern Phonics Course taught me the basics I didn’t learn at school. This data is so important. If one doesn’t know the letters which make up our language one can’t communicate. One then can’t learn about life and be successful. This course and study technology have brought about a confidence in me - I know I have the basics to build on and can teach others to be literate. I have always had this feeling that I wanted to teach people and I always had an interest in languages, especially the English language. I did many courses but did not finish them. I did finish this Course and I know this is it. It is what I want to do in my life. This basic Course confirmed that for me! My thanks to Alison and Juli for their dedication, professionalism and care, and thanks to all the others that assisted."
- TR

"I learned a lot about the letters of the alphabet and how phonics properly learned and taught can give a student the foundation for reading and thus give them the ability to understand anything. This opens the door to life."
- AC

"I just started the Phonics teaching course. The first thing that struck me about this is that letters do mean something rather than just being symbols that are put together to make words."
- ND

"First of all I would like to say I am in absolute awe of The Australian Teaching Modern Phonics Course. It’s been organized in such a way that the gradient is very subtle and as a result it’s very do-able and stress free. There were many nights when I felt so much better after a class than before it. I would also like to say ‘Thank you Alison’ for your support and encouragement. You always took the time to answer and explain my many questions and never once did I feel embarrassed to ask you questions and never once did I feel invalidated. It’s very obvious that you are very passionate about the subject and that you know your material back to front and inside out. I would also like to say ‘Thank you Tanya’ for your support and encouragement. You are a very emphatic supervisor and once again, as with Alison, I never once felt embarrassed about asking you questions. You both have a very good rapport with your students. I learned so much doing the course. I have been spelling for many years without knowing the "rules" of what I was doing - it was all by rote. It’s wonderful to now have the knowledge and to consciously apply it. I look at words in a completely different light - I can now sound them out correctly. I used to sound words out by their name and not their sound, knew I was getting it wrong but didn’t know what I was doing wrong!! It never occurred to me that so many letters and letter teams could have the same sound - amazing. And how amazing is the magic E!!! and the Chart - well it’s become my bible. When driving the car I look at number plates and sound out the letters - I sound out letters all over the place. I now have an appreciation of the dictionary and find it a very interesting book. The phonetic symbols I find fascinating. Thank you once again for this impressive course."
- KC

"For a long time now I have been very interested in how to apply the Study Technology of Mr Hubbard into the community. The APS Phonics course has shown me how this can be achieved succinctly and successfully. The course has through practical application shown how insidious and dangerous the misunderstood word and symbol are. I feel it is my duty now (that I know this information) to take it out into the community and be able to help those whose lives are limited because of their "illiteracy". One of the most important things that I have learned is that no one is stupid and that "stupidity" comes from only the misunderstood word and symbol. I absolutely know within myself that this method of teaching reading does and will produce many miraculous results, as it already has within me. I am more interested in my language; I now always clear a word that I don’t understand. I am driven to help those that have been on the end of non-caring and semi-literate teachers. Many warm and gratuitous thanks go to Alison for her passion and intention to make this course happen. I would also very much like to thank her for her compassion, human-ness and understanding in Instructing such a course, which made it such a joy, pleasure and honour to attend. Big thanks to my twin, Janice, who allowed me to get through the rabbit hole (many times!) without judgment but encouragement and kindness. This course came at such the perfect time for me - it was a blessing. I give thanks to all the other people who helped me. May we all strive to help create a more literate society and inspire those to live and follow their dreams by applying this technology."
- ZJ

"This Course has been a wonderful experience. I feel very privileged to be able to be part of an activity now that can so truly and effectively change lives for the better. I am looking forward to a successful career as a qualified Phonics Tutor now. I know that this Course and the material that I now know will be taking me far and fast, and that this is something that can move forward to really change my world and the future for the better. My huge thanks to Alison for her fantastic dedication and work in getting this Course researched and piloted to perfection."
- MM

"After learning the correct pure phonetic sound for each letter of the alphabet I can see how it would make it so much easier for children to learn to read."
-AC

"I cannot believe how many things I am learning from this course - especially from the viewpoint of someone who gave up on being a teacher! Just the amazement of clearing the word student: ‘A person who studies in order to learn and to use what he learns in life. He has a purpose.’ As a student for 13 years of schooling and 5 years of tertiary education, no-one drove home the idea of using what I learned or that I had a purpose. I think I spent 18 years ‘studying’ with the hope I would find a purpose at the end!"
- JW

"This is my success story on realising how many areas of my life this course has affected - and underpins every training action I have ever done. I have had incredible wins on various and many aspects of the Australian Teaching Modern Phonics Course:
1. As a student in the APS Courseroom I have honestly got my hat on as a student - applying correctly the Study Technology and handling the barriers when they arise - with NO time to waste!
2. As an APS Instructor - it really helped sort out my misunderstood words on the Instructor’s Course and now I feel a armed and completely hatted and ready to (build) the APS East Coast Courseroom - promote (disseminate) phonics and the other APS courses, confidently and effectively.
3. As an ED of APS East Coast (Queensland) my sights are now set and tuned to train up my team of Instructors, get phonics and the APS Courses well known in Queensland.
4. To back up / support / contribute in any way I can, the expansion of phonics Australia wide by flowing to / joining forces with Alison when we’re up to our targets to tour Australia and beyond with Phonics tech!
Thank you Alison! and L. Ron Hubbard for the Study Technology."
- PO (Master of Teaching)

"For the first time ever, I have learned the sound of 'x.' I always thought the name and the sound were the same. It's amazing to hear the sound as a combination of 'k' and 's'."

- KC

"I am having such a win on learning how to properly sound letters out and then sounding them into words. I’m having an awesome time doing this; it’s like re-doing school the proper way! Woo hoo. Thanks Krys and Alison."
- JM

"Tonight, learning my ‘u’ and ‘q’ has totally blown me away! I’m having a real win on realising where my rehabilitation went majorly wrong. I look forward to continuing this Course every time I’m in here and have really found my purpose! This is IT!! Thanks Krys and Alison for sharing this with me and your support. I look forward to doing the rest of the Course with you both."
- JM

Learning How to Learn

“The journey of this course began with curiosity. My 11 year old daughter, who had just completed this course a week before, advised me that I do this course otherwise it would be too difficult to match our viewpoint anymore. I didn’t understand well at that time but now I do.

Before doing this course I was counting learning in quantity but now I believe in quality. Quality means how well I understand, so really glad about it. Now I am developing to pause before rushing and think why, how, what and where etc. which help me to relax and enjoy the precise moment. All thanks to Alison, Janice and Tanvi for all your great help in all ways.”
- CM

“I’ve just finished the Learning How to Learn Course and it was AMAZING! I learnt so much and I know that I will use it almost everyday at school. Now that I’ve started high school, it will be put to great use with ALL of my studies and hopefully help me become a vet. Thank you Alison and Tanya for helping me with my course and I hope to do another one soon!”

- KD

“Dear Alison,

I just wanted to thank you for encouraging me to do the Learning How to Learn Course! This course really opened my eyes as to why children are having problems in school. I’ve used the course to help my older sons with their studies. It has also helped me identify why my younger son doubted himself when it came to Mathematics. It made me realize that Maths is taught without using a gradient. The math classes in the primary schools skip around from operation to operation. Math terms are never defined so the child becomes very confused about what he is to do.

Kind Regards.”
- MR

“I have enjoyed my time at Applied Scholastics. My teacher at school even told me that I have improved a lot in all my schoolwork. I have got top grades in all my assignments. Thank you to all the staff at Applied Scholastics.”

- TN

“I am grateful to have finished the course Learning How to Learn even though it was a struggle for me. But in the end the hard work paid off.
To me, studying is as easy as pie now because I have learned the steps for studying and I now have this knowledge for the rest of my life.
I insist that everyone do this programme because at first I thought this programme wasn’t going to help me, but during and after this course I noticed a change in my studies, I enjoy it! My attitude has become positive towards learning new things and learning new things is now a pleasure! My thanks to Alison for all her help and patience, especially when I got stubborn, but Alison never gave up. God bless you!
My thanks to Pauline for taking me here almost every Saturday, even though it was out of her way. I love you. Thank you!”
- RR

“Thank you to Alison, Tanya and Jess for teaching me some great new skills that will help me to help my son (and hopefully other children) learn. Each step was interesting and I would recommend any and every parent and teacher do this course. I hope to keep on learning new courses and arming myself with new ways to help my son learn at home. Thank you so much.”
- CJ

“First I thought it was easy but as I progressed it got harder. Most people think they are smart but they don’t even understand things, they just memorize them without understanding. If you think you are pretty smart, guess what? Come and do this course and you will know how smart you are. I’m not saying I’m smarter than you or anything, but just consider doing this course because it is worth it!”
- VC

“My name is Sukhwinder Kaur. I am 46 years old and I stopped studying in 1978. After 30 years I learned to read and write again. I started the ‘Learning How to Learn Course’ with Alison and now I have finished the course. I am very happy with this course. I did a good job of it. I feel that if somebody wants to learn again, it is possible. Everyone can learn.”

- SK

“Tanya really helped me with my school assignments by teaching me how to research and how to know when I have a misunderstood word, lack of mass and a skipped gradient. This has helped and will help me in future years. Thank you for helping me with this Course and my education. Thank you for helping me at school !!”
- TR

Study Skills for Life

"Since coming to APS, I have learned to be a lot more diplomatic. My understanding and the use of Study Skills for Life has given me a much better ability to communicate with others and use words in such a manner as to be able to pass on my ideas for others to understand. Thanks Alison."
- TR

"I have completed the Study Skills for Life Course. I know more about the three barriers and how to handle them; how to use the words I have learned using the Dictionary and more ways you could feel if you run into a misunderstood word. This is the hardest course I have done yet."

- KK

"My name is Christine and I have just completed the "Study Skills for Life Course." I have found the course to be enlightening in the way a person takes on information and the learning process. Thanks Alison, now I know I can study anything and do well and if I’m not coping I’ll know why."
- CH

Basic Study Manual

“I am a slow turtle but finally I have completed the Basic Study Manual Course today. I am very happy about it!
This course has changed my life a lot as my English has improved. This was the hardest course for me but I made it. I know if I can do it, anybody can do it. A BIG thank you to Alison, Tanya, Janice and Jessica. Without all your help this would not be possible for me. I miss this big family and I will be back!”a
- IB

“Wow! This course was a challenge! It took me a while to do it but it was worth it! My favourite part was probably when I learned more about misunderstood words and I really loved the derivations I had to look up when learning the meaning of a word. They are so wonderful and can really help with understanding the word! It was a good course and I learned a LOT! Now I can help others by word clearing them and I can finally give checkouts which I had wanted to learn to do for ages! So thank you Alison for helping me through this course!”
- CT

"Saturday, 16th August, 2008 will be forever etched into my mind because TODAY I COMPLETED THE BASIC STUDY MANUAL. This I needed to do before I can continue with the course that I want to do. It’s been a struggle trying to get the old grey matter working again after so long but it’s amazing how, with a little prompting and a great deal of patience from Alison, I began to fly along. I can’t say I enjoyed the first third of the course, it was hard for me but looking back it has been a huge learning curve for me, to the point that now I’m actually eager to get started on the Phonics Course. Thanks Alison for your encouragement and patience. I love you!"
- HD

How to Use a Dictionary

“I just loved my time at Applied Scholastics. I’ve learned how to use a dictionary and I’ve learned about grammar which helps me at school and at home. I’ve had a lot of fun doing this course and I am looking forward to my next one. I’d also like to take the opportunity to thank Alison, Crystal and my parents for helping me on this journey.”
- TM

“I have learned lots of things, from punctuation to the different forms of words. I really enjoyed the course. I have learned lots of things that I haven’t learned at school like articles and prepositions. It has helped me in my word finding in a dictionary. I would like to thank Alison, Crystal, Janice, Heather and my friends for helping me from the start of the course. ”
- TN

“The How to Use a Dictionary Course has helped me learn about every part and every section of a dictionary. It also helped me learn about punctuation and parts of speech.”
- EF

Grammar and Communication

“After two years of hard work I have learned a lot from everyone. Anyone who does these courses would probably be like, ‘These are the best courses and everyone should do them!’ People who haven’t done these courses and think they know it all - well I would just say ‘Good luck with your life!’

This course was a lot of hard work but worth it in the end. Honestly, I have gotten a lot out of this Grammar and Communication Course. In school I have improved heaps. When I first came here my English was okay. Now, when I look back, I see I am an improved version of me who is flying through high school with awesome marks!”
- MB

"I have now finished the Grammar & Communication Course. I’m really happy and I also feel great about finishing this Course. This Course was the longest and hardest one I’ve ever done. I’m going to use the things I learned here at school. It was fun doing this Course - some parts weren’t so fun - but alas I finished it."
- SK (child)

"This Course has been REALLY HARD! Although it was hard I had fun on this Course. I’ve done this Course twice now, so I’ve really got the study skills to kick in. Thanks also to my two great Instructors (Tanya and Alison) I got through the course and past all the misunderstood words and upsets. I’ve had loads of laughs and giggles on this great course. I will definitely use this in life as best I can."
- CT (child)

“I am very thankful for you helping me and making me do this course. At the start I didn’t find the course was helping. It wasn’t until I had my first Year 10 English essay that I realised how much I had learned. I found the course information very helpful, because before I started this course I would never have known what to do with speech marks, commas and semicolons. So thank you very much Alison.”
- TT

Communication Skills (for Adults)

Communicating is Fun (for Children)

"Communicating in life will be great and I will not care about the bully and what he says to me. I will also speak up louder so others can hear me. I will be more successful."
- CC

"Today I completed the Communicating is Fun Course!! I found this really FUN!! I loved the bullbaiting. That was really annoying but fun, and I don’t really know what to say but that it was F U N!!"
- CC

"Communication is very helpful in life because me and other people can now be heard in life and get appreciated, heard and understood. In life I will use this to be heard and also to have good communication skills with other people and to get them to listen to me. It will help me a lot."
- CT

How to Live and Work with Children

Progressive Tutoring Tools

"This course goes over the points that a person needs to know in order to become a tutor. It is laid out in a very simple straightforward way. It was a lot simpler than I thought. I can see how it can simplify a subject for a student and take the confusion out of it. I also got a new perspective on the ethics of education; that a student is not educated unless they can evaluate the data for themselves and use it in the real world."
- AC

"I really enjoyed this course. Learning data on the Barriers to Study, Word Clearing, Educational Purpose and Ethic is so important to successfully educating people. Doing a lesson plan is exciting! I’m ready to go out and do it! Thanks Alison and all the team. I’m proud to be part of it."
- TR

“Progressive Tutoring Tools is a course that I believe all teachers should learn. It gives a positive insight into how to achieve great results when learning any subject. Thank you Alison for your support during this course.”
- NG

Fundamentals of Instruction

"Well, I’ve now completed my Fundamentals of Instruction Course. WOW! This has been great - I’ve had difficulties (for sure) but have overcome it all and have the confidence to be able to Instruct a "full" Courseroom of students and have them all just 'get it'! We will have effective graduates at all times - I know it! Love ya APS.
- TC

"I had a wonderful day studying today simply because I had many opportunities to apply the technology I am learning throughout my course. It has actually made me feel really rewarded when a student has a problem and I, in my own little way, manage to give a hand. It helps when the student is a very willing participant. I set a target for myself, and when I reached it, it made me feel great. Mainly, today, I have participated in assisting a couple of students in getting through their problem spot. Also I realised that communication is crucial in investigating where the problem could be."
- JKS

"When I first was told about the Fundamentals of Instruction Course, I was quite curious as to what it was made up of. I didn’t realise that I would learn so much; not just about instructing and being an effective Instructor, but also how to communicate in general. Yes, the course covers the methods of communication with students you are instructing but I noticed that it increased my ability to communicate with other people in general too. I feel that completing the theory part of the course was a very interesting knowledge gathering process, but doing the practical was the key to really understanding what you have studied. These days, I apply this method of study and then do some practicals to fully get the idea of what I have just learned. Basically, not only did I learn to be an effective Instructor, I also learned to learn effectively. So it was definitely a bonus for me. I gained a lot of wins during the process of my internship as well. I managed to see the students that I instructed win, and that made me realise that seeing someone succeed in their progress on a certain course, basic or otherwise, felt quite rewarding. As my internship progressed, I felt my confidence rise. Before my internship I was unsure of whether I would be good or not, but when I kept doing what I was doing with a lot more certainty, I noticed that the students in the course room listened and respected me as an Instructor. Previously, I had the misconception that a student wouldn’t really listen if you are strict, but I noticed that when you show them a good example they will follow naturally. It’s brilliant! I learned a lot about myself, about how I am with people, and what areas of my communication need to be worked on. It’s an awesome course. Not only will you be able to set up your own centre, but you will be able to reap the rewards of seeing your students flourish and prosper with the Study Technology. It’s awesome!"
- JKS

"I have been instructing now for just under a year. In this time I am still amazed by the Study Technology. Just to see the willingness in both the children and adults I help and their brightness in the understanding of this technology makes me feel like I’ve made a difference. Thanks Alison and APS."
- TC

Tutoring Testimonials (English & Mathematics)

"My 13 year old daughter Tayla-May started high school this year without any real knowledge of Mathematics. How does this happen when she has just finished 8 years of primary school education! Tayla-May is one of the many students who are forgotten or overlooked because she is very quiet and draws no attention to herself or any difficulties she was having understanding the work. When she did eventually gain the confidence to ask for assistance it was of no benefit because the teachers didn’t bother to find a different way to explain the work. If you don’t learn with the main stream group of the class, then it wasn’t the teacher’s fault, you couldn’t learn. Tayla-May was acknowledged as a student at "Educational Risk" from the end of Grade 3 with a diagnosis of an Autistic Spectrum Disorder on top of Epilepsy (since birth), hearing and sight problems; but this also meant nothing to the teachers, with no extra effort to help her with her difficulties. Funnily enough she has been tested to have above average intelligence! So what do you do with a very frustrated young lady who just wanted to learn like everyone else? We had tried Kumon and other general tutoring centres, but had no noticeable results. Enter Alison of Applied Scholastics, who happens to speak Tayla-May!!!! We started by going back to basics and clearing every mathematical word and concept from primary school that she needed to know (and wasn’t taught!) to start high school on a level playing field. I only wish we had known about Alison earlier because you should see my baby fly!!!! It has been amazing to say the very least. With very little tuition she has caught up and enjoys math at school now, all because of the way Alison uses her "Study Technology’ to teach Tayla-May. Tayla-May can’t believe how easy it has been to learn about Math and I would love to see this style of teaching introduced to our school system to help other students like my daughter. Obviously if you are reading this letter you have some concerns for your child and their learning. Stop reading NOW! And enroll your child with Applied Scholastics. It was the best decision I ever made in regards to helping my child. The frustration levels for her and ME are now at a reasonable level, remembering she is a teenager!!! (with Autism), but life is a lot easier now with one less thing to worry about. Heart felt thanks to Alison, her family and her Team. An amazing Team and an AMAZING RESULT!!"
- DB

"My 7 year old daughter, Darcy, began private tutoring with Jan Hudson late last year. Since her lessons, Darcy has improved a great deal and we are very pleased with the progress being made. She is now more confident in her reading and writing, can write much neater than she ever could before and has even started wanting to read and write without being asked, which was a big problem prior to tutoring. Darcy has gone from only being able to write simple words and read simple books, to reading young children’s novels and writing letters to us every few days. She will try to sound unknown words out before asking what they are, and will even practice pronouncing them before reading on. Darcy was excited to receive books for Christmas for the first time ever, and is now interested in Book Club at school. We are so very grateful to have found Jan’s contact details and will be referring her whenever the need arises."
- MW

"At six years old, Lucas was having problems learning how to read. After enduring countless tantrums (during reading time and trying to get him to school) I looked for a tutoring programme which understood his needs. After just a few hours with Jess, his attitude towards learning had completely changed; from never wanting to read or write, to trying to read every sign and copying words from every packet or book he could find. He continually writes now - he loves it. Every morning he is the first one in the car ready to go to school; a complete turnaround. Lucas has also received an honour certificate at school for reading and writing; something we never thought would be possible. Lucas is always asking for the meanings of words - our dictionary is finally being used. This has set Lucas up for life - an opportunity a lot of school children miss out on. We can’t thank Jess, Alison and Applied Scholastics enough."
- RS

"It is with much pleasure that I write a testimonial for Alison Tarrant of Applied Scholastics Western Australia Inc. I contacted Alison in November last year as I was concerned about my daughter’s spelling. She had been told that her reading was "passable" but her spelling was atrocious. She knew it - we all knew it. Alison tutored Kylla for a total of 40 hours on a one-on-one basis. Each week, Kylla got more and more excited about going to APS, and her assigned homework would be done as soon as she got home. Yes, Kylla’s spelling improved. Out of sight! But the real win is that Kylla now has a complete love of books and reads every day. She has just finished a Nancy Drew book and is up to Chapter 5 of Harry Potter, only 2 days after we purchased it. I’ve given up asking her to turn her light out at night, I just let her read, read, read. Kylla has completed her one-on-one tutoring, but has a programme that she has to follow each week. This consists of finding the words she cannot spell, finding out the definitions of the words and really learning them! It’s great to have a programme that she can follow herself with complete enthusiasm. I don’t think words can express my gratitude to Alison. I’m no longer stressed about Kylla’s spelling - she is getting better and better every day, and has the tools for a lifetime of good habits as a student. Thank you, Alison, I wish you all the very best and know that you will succeed in implementing Mr Hubbard’s study technology in Western Australia.
- LS

"My son Thomas was lucky to get a job straight out of high school at Austal Ships at Hendersen in W.A. When he got the job he enquired about their apprenticeship programme. After successfully completing all the section criteria he was invited to sit the aptitude test. He passed everything but the maths. We were all heartbroken. My husband organised for Thomas to have tutoring through Applied Scholastics. Alison then organised for Tom to see Matt. After some months of making the trip to Applied Scholastics to have his tutoring, Thomas was ready to apply for another apprenticeship at Austal Ships. After sitting for the aptitude test again, it was a very tense 3 or 4 weeks to find out if he was successful. When a really fat envelope arrived I was beside myself with excitement and happiness. Tom’s future was secure and we have Applied Scholastics to thank. Thomas has now been working as an apprentice Electrician for 4 months; he’s done one unit at TAFE and he’s well respected among his peers both at work and socially. Thanks Matt and Alison!"
- SH & CH

"I am writing to you today to tell you about our beautiful son Jaxon. He is a real character with plenty of go. Very sporty and outgoing!! He loves his brother and looks up to him very much. He is always there to help when you need it. Kind of like a mini Superman!! Until one day we noticed that he was not picking up on his reading and this was like Superman facing cryptonite!! He would have a melt down. That was until we found APS and Jan (aka Lois Lane). Well Jan was our super hero!! She saved Jaxon from his worst enemy and now he faces it with no fear whatsoever!! In fact we are absolutely over the moon with how his literacy confidence has grown since tutoring with Jan. Now Jaxon stands tall when reading!! We are so proud of our mini Superman. Thank you so much for your kindness and patience."
- PB & MB

"Receiving Phonics tutoring was great. I learned all the basic ways the sounds are formed and said in the words of the English language. Before I started this tutoring I felt quite uncertain about my pronunciation and sounds of each letter of the alphabet such as the sound of the letter 'r' which I thought was said as 'w'. Doing this tutoring I realised one of my problems was the way the letters are said with the movement of the mouth, teeth, lips, tongue and breath. I find this is vital for communication (and even reading anything) in life so people can understand me and I can understand them better. I feel more confident and able to speak to people better by knowing and applying this technology. I was amazed there are 44 basic sounds of the English language and I learned them all. Everything I learned in phonics is used every day of my life and I wasn’t aware of it till now because I was never taught it. Learning phonics properly is essential for everyone no matter who you are!! I would have never learned the phonics to the extent I have at Applied Scholastics. Being tutored on the basic study materials (Learning How to Learn, Study Skills for Life, Grammar and Communication, How to Use a Dictionary and the Basic Study Manual) was fantastic!! Doing this and the Phonics tutoring has boosted my self-confidence and certainty in life. I realised when I read aloud and stumbled across a word doing Method 7 there is always a word or symbol I passed that I didn’t have a full definition for and now I can pretty much find the word myself. I also realised there were words where I had the idea of the meaning but not the full definition of that word and that it also depends on the context that word is in to what the meaning is. Thank you Alison for opening Applied Scholastics in Perth, Western Australia. It is great."
- DW (adult)

"This tutoring has been great. I’ve learned heaps and I am really proud of myself. I never used to know any of this maths and now I can work out long division and times tables in 5 minutes. I can tell the time really well and can do divisions in my head. It’s been a great help and amazing. It was great. I can help people at school. My teachers are really glad with it and help me at school if I still need help, but probably not. Thanks Alison."
- AD (child)