Edmond Learning Academy: Empowering Students Through Personalized Education

Since 2008, Edmond Learning Academy (ELA) has been a leading provider of educational assistance and support for students and parents in Edmond, Oklahoma. Founded by Julie Evans, a graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Science in Special Education, ELA is dedicated to fostering student success through individualized learning plans and a nurturing environment. ELA's mission is to bring hope to students, help families thrive, and restore the parent-child relationship by creating customized educational solutions.

A History of Educational Support

Julie Evans and her team of qualified professionals have been instrumental in providing crucial support across various subjects to numerous families. Evans' dedication stems from a deep-seated belief in every student's capacity to learn. This conviction has enabled many students and parents to regain confidence in their learning abilities, refocus their efforts, and improve family relationships.

Our Culture: Making Learning Engaging

Edmond Learning Academy believes that education should be both effective and enjoyable. The ELA team, composed of diverse individuals, shares a common goal: to propel students toward success. Driven by core values, they are tenacious, fun, engaging, honoring, and committed to lifelong learning.

The teachers at ELA are a focused and enthusiastic group, each possessing unique personalities and perspectives that cater to a wide range of children and situations. While ELA employs an organizing principle and standardized curricula for various subjects, teachers are encouraged to interact with students and leverage their individual professional talents.

The learning center features a colorful and upbeat atmosphere, fostering a relaxed environment conducive to learning. ELA's approach begins with an assessment, followed by a collaborative meeting with the parent(s)/guardian(s) and child to develop an individualized plan for success based on the assessment results.

Recognizing the demands of busy weeknights, Edmond Learning Academy offers Saturday morning tutoring sessions during the school year. Additionally, ELA remains open during the summer, providing students with opportunities to prepare for the upcoming school year. The initial assessment typically takes one to two hours, during which parents/guardians can either stay or drop off their student. A consultation is then scheduled to discuss the testing results.

Personalized Instruction: The Key to Success

Many believe that completely individualized instruction, as offered by a private tutor, is the ideal approach for helping students who are struggling. Edmond Learning Academy embodies this philosophy by creating tailored educational plans that commence at the child's current academic level and progress at their own pace. Students benefit from individual care and instruction with a 1:2 teacher-to-student ratio.

Reading (1st-12th Grade)

Edmond Learning Academy provides customized lesson plans developed by experienced educators, focusing on each child's strengths and challenges. This diagnostic approach allows tutors to address specific skills needed by the student, creating an environment where progress is achieved upon mastery.

ELA addresses various aspects of reading, including:

Comprehension
Phonics
Sight words
Vocabulary
Decoding
Fluency

Understanding the importance of reading in a child's overall education, ELA aims to help students read with ease and confidence.

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Writing (1st-12th Grade)

ELA teaches students to cultivate a writing process characterized by fluid writing and correct grammar. A customized lesson plan guides students through each writing stage, starting with basic sentence structure and progressing to composing five-paragraph essays. Eventually, students advance to constructing narrative, expository, and research essays.

Math (1st-12th Grade)

A diagnostic approach is used to teach challenging math concepts, allowing teachers to focus on the results of each child's assessment. The goal is to support student success by reinforcing the concepts that each child needs the most.

Students receive customized lesson plans that include learning foundational math concepts and practicing appropriate math facts. Whether working on lower or upper-level math, students receive assistance with understanding current classroom concepts, encouragement with study habits, and opportunities to explore upcoming topics. ELA also provides support for addressing skill gaps and accountability for homework completion.

While ELA does not assign homework, it offers homework support and encourages students to bring in quiz/test reviews for assistance.

ACT Prep

Edmond Learning Academy's ACT Prep program equips students with essential tips for the overall exam, deeper insights into specific test sections, and strategies for pacing themselves on test day. Students practice with real questions and review their strengths and weaknesses in individual sections, enabling ELA to develop a successful testing strategy for each student.

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ELA offers a complete practice ACT test, similar to the national test day assessment, to familiarize students with the ACT process.

Homework Help (Kindergarten - 12th)

Students can bring in homework, projects, essays, study guides, worksheets, and other assigned work for assistance. Edmond Learning Academy employs state-certified teachers with diverse backgrounds who are qualified to support students in various homework areas.

ELA aims to support both students and their families. By providing expert homework assistance, ELA helps to alleviate conflicts between parents and children regarding homework assignments.

Early Learner (Kindergarten)

The Early Learner Program features a comprehensive curriculum that aligns with the first years of school. Children learn foundational aspects of letters, including:

Recognition of letters
Formation of upper and lower-case letters
Applying letter sounds

While mastering the alphabet and its sounds, students also become emergent readers by learning to decode and blend sounds for three-letter words.

Summer Camp (Kindergarten - 5th Grade)

Summer at ELA offers hands-on, learning fun! Curiosity Camp is filled with wonder, messy science experiments, themed snacks, creative art, and STEM activities, inspiring a love of learning in children. The camp offers themed weeks such as Space, Sky, Land, Sea, and Me, where children explore questions like:

Why do stars twinkle?
What is the wind speed inside of a tornado?
How was the Grand Canyon formed?
What makes waves in the ocean?

Dyslexia Tutoring (1st-12th Grade)

Edmond Learning Academy provides specialized tutoring for students struggling with dyslexia. A certified screening specialist conducts dyslexia screenings using the Barton Reading and Spelling System to detect signs of dyslexia and create individualized plans through one-on-one tutoring to boost confidence and mastery.

This Orton-Gillingham-based curriculum is research-backed and helps students master reading and spelling through phonemic awareness skills, enabling them to hear and manipulate each sound in a word without letters.

ELA's dyslexia tutor, Paula Glass, has over 30 years of experience as an educator, including running private schools, teaching in classrooms, training instructors, and consulting for IEPs.

Additional Programs and Services

In addition to its core tutoring services, Edmond Learning Academy offers a range of additional programs and services to meet the diverse needs of its students:

Seasonal Classes and Camps: Engaging themed programs that combine education with fun.
No Contracts or Homework: Flexibility to choose services without long-term commitments.
Specialized Tutoring: Focused support for students with specific struggles.

Community Partnerships

Edmond Learning Academy partners with organizations like the OKC Metro Literacy Coalition to assist all students in getting the literacy support they need. The coalition's Tutoring for Tomorrow program ensures that anyone who wants literacy resources can access them.

The Cool School Society: A Vision for the Future

Edmond Learning Academy recognizes that its current pricing structure may limit access to its services for some families. To address this, ELA has initiated a non-profit arm called the Cool School Society. This initiative aims to provide academic support to students in need through grants and donations, expanding access to quality education regardless of income. The Cool School Society seeks to bring hope through academics to kids in numerous locations around the metro and/or state.

Meet Julie Evans

Julie Evans, the founder of Edmond Learning Academy, brings a wealth of experience and passion to her work. Originally from Orange County, CA, Julie moved to Oklahoma in 1998. After graduating from Edmond Memorial High School and UCO with a degree in Special Education, she taught math for students who struggled with math in the Edmond Public Schools district and tutored at Edmond Learning Academy on the side.

Julie is actively involved at Bridgeway Church and enjoys praying, prophesying, baking, doing puzzles, and putting together Legos. She and her daughter have also enjoyed experimenting with funky dyed hair.

Testimonials

Parents and students alike have praised Edmond Learning Academy for its positive impact:

"I love the way they encourage each and every one of their students. Great resources and amazing tutors."
"We enrolled one of our kiddos at ELA for summer reading tutoring and have been so pleased with the results thus far. They did a dyslexia screening and helped us identify a mild case of dyslexia and have been giving him tools/tips for this. The owner is so kind and so are the staff."
"Highly recommend this place! My daughter has been there for 4 months and already up a grade level or more!!"

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