Learning from a Child's Eye Level

Every child learns differently, thus no one approach can possibly meet the needs of every student for classroom instruction.

Opening earlier this month, Dayton's Eye Level Learning Center seeks to provide kids with an individualized program that targets their weaknesses and enhances their strengths. Launched by Monroe residents Dhruti and Mehul Shah, Eye Level offers a basic and critical thinking math curriculum, along with a language arts program that seeks to help children master subjects through self-directed learning.  

"This is more of a systematic individualized program that caters to students of all abilities utilizing a unique and proven learning method allowing each child to have a customized learning experience," Mehul said. "Based on their starting point, each child progresses through the program at their own pace and learning ability. We have a very small ratio of four to five kids for one teacher, so the teachers understand the learning needs of each student, which makes the teaching more effective."

Based on their experiences with their own children, the Shahs were inspired to open the new Eye Level center with hopes of providing the same motivation to learn that the program provided their kids.

"Both of us are working parents who wanted to find something for our daughter, who needed a little more to enhance her focusing skills," Dhruti said. "There are a lot of enrichment programs out there and our kids were part of some of those programs, but they weren't motivated. We found this program and we really loved the comprehensive curriculum, and the concept is unique. It sets up problem solving and critical thinking so kids are motivated to learn. They don't become discouraged by picking up a book. That's what we wanted to bring to the community."

Mehul, who has a background in computer science and works as an electrical engineer for Educational Testing Service, said the use of interactive puzzles, for example, enables students to have fun while they're learning in order to motivate them throughout the process.

"The idea is self-directed learning," he said. "We're not trying to teach them everything in a book. We want them to think on their own and ask questions. There are different ways to coach kids how to solve problems on their own so they become independent thinkers rather than depending on their instructors. They become more confident and more well-rounded human beings."

Dhruti added that the program, which uses the philosophy of seeing things from a child's eye level, helps keep kids engaged throughout the learning process and inspires them to keep pushing forward to more challenging subject areas.

"We saw our little ones getting demotivated until this program, which was very colorful and engaging. So we brought some puzzles home for our daughter and she couldn't stop doing them," Dhruti said. "There are different ways to engage kids in learning. This got our daughter so excited that she was asking when she could start. We have friends in the area and the community who are looking for something similar and weren't seeing it out there, so we're hoping to fill that gap."

Eye Level is located at 12 Stults Road in Dayton. Click here to visit the web site. For more information call 732-698-7522 or email eyele­veldayton@­gmail.­com.