Who We Are
We teach students—not subjects!
Focus on Learning has been dedicated to serving the needs of the individual learner and the community for over thirty years. We teach students—not subjects. We recognize that students vary in their learning styles and interests, and our one-on-one sessions are tailored specifically for each learner. Our students do not receive a one-size-fits-all program. We work with students from elementary school through college in reading, writing, math, sciences, study skills and ACT/SAT/GRE preparation. We are committed to working with Columbia Public Schools both as professionals and as a Partner in Education. We sponsor the MAC Scholar high school program, which works with historically under-represented students in Columbia Public Schools, offering ACT courses at no cost. We also annually give scholarships to graduating high school seniors. Focus on Learning is proud to be a part of the rich learning community in Columbia.
It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge
-Albert Einstein
Learning Styles Matter
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Left Brain Thinkers
Left Brain learners rule the classroom. School schedules pose no problems because they are very time conscious. Assignments and test dates are remembered and even neatly entered into assignments books. Verbal and analytical, left brainers readily learn sequential skills : phonics, grammar rules, multiplication tables make total sense. Left brainers are verbal and enjoy reading and writing, building strong vocabularies in the process. Test questions make sense to them. They like to talk, debate, and argue. They follow multiple directions well and take good notes. The classroom environment is their natural home. Left brainers become our lawyers, neurologists, accountants, journalists , teachers, politicians, bookkeepers and bankers.
Back to the brain
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Left Hemisphere
- Critical, analytical thinkers
- Excels in science, math, writing
- Remembers names
- Likes specific, written directions
- Keeps feelings to self
- Prefers to do one project at a time
- Time conscious
- Likes agendas, lists
- Uses reason, rules
- Is a perfectionist
- Ask questions
- Likes to read
Right Hemisphere
- Creative, artistic thinkers
- Excels in art, music, drama, sports
- Remembers faces
- Likes direction in pictures
- Shares feelings with others
- Can complete multiple projects
- Doesn't clock
- Free flowing
- Acts on feelings
- Relaxed attitude
- Guided by intuition
- Prefers movies, videos
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Right Brain Thinkers
Right Brain learners view the traditional classroom as a foreign land. Visual and spontaneous, they have little sense of time. Assignments are forgotten and test dates not remembered. Nonverbal learners, right brainers struggle mightily with routine classroom tasks: phonics and grammar make no sense, memorization of rote facts is difficult, spelling is hopeless, punctuation is ignored, and the meaning of questions remains an ongoing puzzle. Note taking is problematic. Right brainers only learn what they understand. Out-of-the box thinkers, they are not verbal but creative and intuitive, often giving the right answer without being able to explain how they got it. Right brainers are our artists, musicians, designers, architects, athletes, builders, surgeons and software designers.
Back to the brain
Left Brain Thinkers
Left Brain learners rule the classroom. School schedules pose no problems because they are very time conscious. Assignments and test dates are remembered and even neatly entered into assignments books. Verbal and analytical, left brainers readily learn sequential skills : phonics, grammar rules, multiplication tables make total sense. Left brainers are verbal and enjoy reading and writing, building strong vocabularies in the process. Test questions make sense to them. They like to talk, debate, and argue. They follow multiple directions well and take good notes. The classroom environment is their natural home. Left brainers become our lawyers, neurologists, accountants, journalists , teachers, politicians, bookkeepers and bankers.
Left
Right
Right Brain Thinkers
Right Brain learners view the traditional classroom as a foreign land. Visual and spontaneous, they have little sense of time. Assignments are forgotten and test dates not remembered. Nonverbal learners, right brainers struggle mightily with routine classroom tasks: phonics and grammar make no sense, memorization of rote facts is difficult, spelling is hopeless, punctuation is ignored, and the meaning of questions remains an ongoing puzzle. Note taking is problematic. Right brainers only learn what they understand. Out-of-the box thinkers, they are not verbal but creative and intuitive, often giving the right answer without being able to explain how they got it. Right brainers are our artists, musicians, designers, architects, athletes, builders, surgeons and software designers.
Ene-Kaja Chippendale, Ph.D.
English/Reading
Gary Moss, Ph.D.
Math/Science
