McCauley Family Learning Center for Lifelong Learning, Inc. is a non-profit 501©3 company located at 441 S. Spring Street in downtown
Burlington, North Carolina. The center opened in 1997 as an alternative to
franchised learning centers.
Once during a student conference, an older grandmother, who knew first-hand the importance of an education, was concerned about her granddaughter’s progress. I’ll never forget her looking into my eyes and saying, “First, we learn to read, then, we read to learn.” Some twenty years later, I still hear her voice repeating those words to me.
Over the years, parents had often said, “I do not know how to help my child learn to read and I’ve forgotten how to do the math.” At that same time, I was teaching Adult Basic Education and GED classes at Alamance Community College. I worked with adults, of all ages, who for some reason had not been successful or had quit school. Grandparents wanted to know how to read to their grandchildren and with the loss of manufacturing jobs in our area, many came seeking the skills they lacked to find a new job.
Every adult I taught had a story about their “school years.” Most were embarrassed to admit that they could not read the newspaper, balance their checkbook, or write and spell correctly. Each wondered how their lives might have been different if learning had been easier for them. These men and women soon became my heroes.
One day it hit me! They were once children, too. How could their adult lives have been different? I could hear the grandmother’s words in my head. First, we learn to...
In 1997, I opened MFLC as an alternative to franchised learning centers. For students to be successful, I knew it was time to get back to “basics” and I knew that their entire family must be involved in the learning process.
Ten years later, parents are still encouraged to participate in the learning process. By attending some of the tutoring sessions with their child, parents gain a better understanding of the concepts their student is expected to know. Parents also learn valuable teaching techniques that they can use at home. By everyone working together during the 2006 – 2007 school year, 89% of our students in grades 3 – 8 passed their EOG in reading and math or their high school EOC on the first try.
If you think that “getting back to basics” and participating in learning sessions will help your child, I invite you to call, or better yet, drop by the center.
I must admit, I often wonder how my life might have been different if I had not met that wise grandmother so many years ago.
Jean McCauley – Director
Our Philosophy:
- Our philosophy is: First, we learn to read …Then, we read to learn.
- Everyone can learn.
- Learning is FUN.
- Learning happens faster and lasts longer when the family is involved.
- Everyone should be a LIFELONG LEARNER.
- No one is too old or too disadvantaged to enjoy the learning experience.
- No one is so old or so disadvantaged that they should be denied learning.
- SUCCESS builds CONFIDENCE and CONFIDENCE builds SELF-ESTEEM.
Our Goals:
- Involving the whole family in the thrill of Lifelong Learning.
- We encourage, but do not require, families to join in the learning process.
- By attending tutoring sessions, parents can learn valuable instructional techniques that can be utilized at home.
Personalized Instruction:
- We strive to work closely with classroom teachers, students and parents to develop instructional strategies to specifically meet each student's unique needs and learning modalities.
- We offer the services of teachers who have many years of working successfully with students of all ages and grade levels.
Academic Success:
- The improvement of competencies in reading, writing and spelling will greatly strengthen language, word decoding and comprehension skills.
- A main focus is the development of study skills in order to allow the student to be better prepared for independent study.
- Our curriculum is geared to helping students with preparation for the End of Grade, and End of Course tests in reading and math as well as for the NC state writing test.
