• Marilena’s performance on her scholastic tests was lower than her intellectual ability, and she struggled with reading. 

• A follow-on evaluation showed that Marilena had progressed by one year in reading, spelling and reading speed within the first six months of attending Edublox.

• “We are so proud of Marilena and the fantastic work that she has produced,” says her mom.

Marilena’s mom tells her story:

Our journey with Marilena began last year in Grade 4 when the school called us for a parent meeting to address Marilena’s progress in school. Her teachers had noticed that she had the potential to do better; however, some gaps were noted.

Upon getting Marilena assessed by an educational psychologist, key areas that needed to be worked on were identified, for example, her reading skills. Her performance on her scholastic tests was lower than her intellectual ability. Marilena struggled with the reading, but her comprehension was sound when it was read to her. Her sight word efficiency and phonemic decoding and efficiency skills were low, and as a result, she struggled with spelling.

Our friend had her daughter at Edublox and sang their praises on all the positive work and results achieved. We then contacted Hannelie at the Durbanville franchise at the beginning of this year and started our journey in January 2023. Due to difficulties with scheduling lessons, Marilena attended one lesson in person and did one with a live tutor over Zoom.

Significant improvements in reading,writing and spelling

Since joining Edublox, significant improvements have already been noted. Marilena has been attending lessons regularly and working diligently with a positive attitude. With the support and guidance of the excellent teaching staff at the centre and with a great programme, she pushed herself to do better.

Marilena believes more in herself now, and there has been an improvement in her self-confidence. Previously, she couldn’t understand why, if she worked so hard, her results didn’t reflect this. Marilena’s reading, writing and spelling have improved dramatically! Her Edublox follow-on evaluation showed that Marilena had progressed by one year in reading, spelling and reading speed within the first six months!

We are so proud of Marilena and the fantastic work that she has produced. We also appreciate the dedication of all the teachers and tutors at the centre.

Dramatic increase in language literacy 

Marilena’s marks at school reflect the positive impact of the Edublox programme on her.

Her Grade 4 report card:

Her Grade 5 report card:

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Advice to other parents

If you are a parent in a similar position, where your child has the intelligence and diligence but hasn’t seen the results of their hard work reflected in their grades, please don’t despair. Know that incredible programmes like Edublox have been tried and tested to support our children in reaching their full potential.

It just takes one initial step to assess the situation. I noticed that what was identified and picked up at Edublox was identical to the key areas of the educational and psychological assessment that we needed to work and focus on without them having reviewed the report in advance.

Athena Theodoropoulos
Nov 2023