"My daughter, Kristin has had a tough time with reading.  From 1st grade through 3rd grade she has always been well below her grade level in reading.  Our first clue that something was amiss was when her first grade teacher noticed how intelligent she was but noticed just how far behind she was in her reading ability.  During second grade the problem persisted and at the urging of Molly, a good friend whose son had had similar problems, we had Kristin tested by a pediatric psychologist.  In two 3 hour session she subjected Kristin to a battery of tests to determine if she had a learning disability.  It turns out she did. Now what were we to do with this new information about our daughter.  Well, it turns out that this same friend had their son enrolled in a program called PACE.  I didn't know what it was all about at first but we were willing to try anything to help Kristin.  After about the 2nd week we noticed a dramatic change in her behavior.  She was not nearly so impulsive as before.  Kristin about made JoAnne nuts in the first week with her impulvise behavior, interupting every minute or so while JoAnne was explaing something, but JoAnne persevered and the changes occured.  She became more confident in her academic abilities, especially after she recited the 44 presidents to her teacher from memory (one of the first things the kids learn how to do in PACE).   After completing the PACE program her reading level was still below grade level and we then started Kristin in Master the Code.  This program breaks down the English language in a way that allows children like Kristin to decode our language.  I never realized just how complicated our language  was until I went through Master the Code with her.  No wonder adults who try to learn English as a second language have so many problems.  She is now reading at grade level and is reading books on her own.  I don't know where we would be without these two programs but I realize we would have had many fights and hurt feelings as Kristin's and our frustrations mounted over her lack of reading skills.  I would like to personally thank Joanne who has worked so well with Kristin over the last 7 months.  Her enthusiasm and bubbly personality during the hour long sessions made the time fly by for Kristin.  They laughed together many times and were genuinely having fun with each other as Kristin was challenged minute by minute.  I found out something myself as well.  I got to see just how special Kristin is as a person, how hard she worked, and how dedicated she was to learning something new and at times  very challenging.  I will always remember looking into her eyes during sessions and being able to see the intelligence behind them and seeing her as her own unique person and not just as my daughter .  I would like to thank  Karen and Joanne from the bottom of my heart for all they have done for Kristin and for allowing me to see just how special she is."

                                                                                                                                                          -Chris Halliday, Ocoee, Florida

I think Learning Connections is the answer to any frustrated mother and child's prayer!  I enrolled all three of my children; My 8 year old has dramatically improved her reading and spelling skills. Don't wait! 

                                                                                   Susan R. Windermere, Florida