At Chyten, Individual Tutoring for Each Struggling Student

If you want your kid to get tutoring or test preparation from Chyten Educational Services, which has now opened an office in Darien, you're going to be seeing Barbara D. Levine.

Levine -- owner of the Chyten franchise that includes Darien, New Canaan, Stamford and Norwalk -- will want to find out what kind of tutoring plan best meets the student's needs.

"I consult with every family," Levine says. She provides advice on what kind of tutoring to take, how often to get it and how much might be needed.

Some students need help preparing for finals, some with skills in taking standardized tests, and others with understanding certain concepts in a school subject.

"However best we can help the student, that's what we're here to do," Levine said. "It's completely customized to each student."

Chyten provides some services in group classes, particularly for preparing students for standardized testing, but most tutoring is one-on-one, she said.

Levine matches up the student with a tutor, each of whom has a master's degree and past experience in teaching.

Once tutoring sessions start, parents can get on-line reports within 24 hours after each session to track what's being covered and how the student is doing.

Test preparation with classes is typically done over 18 hours over a two month or six week period. Chyten also offers a five-day "boot camp" of 30 hours in a classroom to prepare for SAT or PSAT standardized tests taken that month.

Fees for tutoring currently range from $110 to $157.50 per hour, and Levine expects the minimum to rise slightly (probably to $115 an hour) in the fall.

All tutoring is done at Chyten's offices (in Darien on the second floor, above Panera Bread at 1063 Post Rd. or at 70 Main St. In downtown New Canaan). There can be too many distractions when a tutor works with a student at home, Levine said.

The new office in Darien, specifically modeled for Chyten, has a small classroom and several small, glass-walled tutoring rooms, along with a kitchenette, waiting area and an office Levine uses.

"Everything is quiet," she said. "It's very conducive to learning."

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Chyten Educational Services
1063 Post Rd., Darien -- (203) 655-9900
70 Main St., New Canaan -- (203) 972-3600
Chyten.com
Barbara D. Levine, owner -- blevine@chyten.com