Welcome
Since 2002, Janice Ward, director of the San Ramon Academic Associates Learning Center™, has been helping
students become excellent readers and writers. The Academic Associates™ method of reading instruction was
developed by Cliff Ponder, the president and founder of Academic Associates Learning Centers™. Cliff, an
elementary school teacher and principal for 20 years, was frustrated that many of his brightest students
couldn't read, so he bought into a franchisied reading center. Recognizing that it had many flaws, he
spent two years devising his own program that he launched in 1985. The Academics Assoiciates Reading
Program has 171 locations in the U.S. and has established licensed programs in six countries. Because
of Cliff's vision and efforts, thousands of children and adults have become better readers.
Your Child Can Become an Excellent Reader!
Your child will learn all the skills of reading
- Decode (read) the word
- Understand what is read
- Evaluate what is read
- Retain and apply relevant information
- Read with fluency
While the student fully develops the skill of decoding using the rules of phonics, he or she will
concurrently learn simple, effective techniques for increasing comprehension, fluency, and overall
reading proficiency. At Academic Associates, we raise the bar and give your child the tools necessary
to reach it. Instruction is provided in a one-on-one, secure, positive envrionment designed to increase
confidence and self-esteem. We start with the basic foundation of reading and build from there. On average,
our students gain from 2 to 5 years in reading ability. Let us show you how the Academic Associates™
course can work for you. Our free, no obligation evaluation will demonstrate beyond question your
student's reading status and clearly indicate the areas in which your student can improve.
Your Child Can Become an Excellent Writer!
Your child will learn the essentials of good writing
- Ideas
- Organization
- Voice
- Word Choice
- Sentence Fluency
- Spelling and Grammar Conventions
Our course is based on San Ramon Valley Unified School District standards. For the beginning writer, we
employ First Hand's Writing Workshop lesson plans currently being used in several elementary schools in
the district. The New York Writing Program and various other widely acclaimed materials are utilized for
students grade four and above. School assignments can be incorporated into our lessons to maximize the
benefits received.