mySylvan Marketplace+

What mySylvan Marketplace+ is

mySylvan Marketplace+ is a tutoring marketplace for families with children in grades K-12. Parents search for a tutor, book sessions and pay online, and the tutor either comes to the home or teaches live online. The site describes it as "a Sylvan Learning brand", and the footer names the operator as Sylvan In-Home, LLC. The About page gives the parent company's background in its own words: "For over 40 years, Sylvan Learning has helped more than 4 million students get results through our 750+ locations," and calls Sylvan "the leading education company for results". The marketplace takes that brand out of the learning centers: independent tutors, many of them trained in Sylvan's own teaching approach, work with families "right to your door or online". The pitch to parents is short: "Life is crazy busy. That's why we come to you online or in-person."

What families can book

The subject list covers most of a school curriculum. In math it runs from elementary and middle school math through pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, Algebra II, trigonometry, pre-calculus and calculus, Calculus AB and BC, statistics, and AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC and AP Statistics. Language arts covers reading and writing composition at elementary, middle and high school level plus high school literature. Science runs from elementary and middle school science to biology, chemistry and physics, including AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics 1 and 2 and both AP Physics C courses, along with geography, earth science and physical science. History covers U.S. and world history with their AP versions. There is homework support and study skills for younger students, and foreign languages: Spanish and French levels 1 to 3 and up, Mandarin Chinese, and English as a Second Language.

Test prep includes SAT and ACT preparation by section, plus the HSPT, SSAT and ISEE private school admission tests and the GED. The subjects page also frames the service as help "filling skill gaps lost from the disruption of school".

The Sylvan Method, Sylvan Insight and SylvanSync

What sets the marketplace apart from a generic tutor directory is the Sylvan Method, described as Sylvan's "proprietary approach to helping children improve skills, grades and confidence". The site says "Most of our tutors are certified in the Sylvan Method", and certification is optional but strongly recommended to tutors. A certified tutor works with three tools:

• Sylvan Insight Assessment, which "will pinpoint your child's exact skill gaps" and places the student on Sylvan's learning progression by scaled score, producing a personal learning plan.
• SylvanSync, the instructional system, with interactive lessons and adaptive exercises delivered on an iPad. Tutors also get adaptive lesson plans, pre-tests, practice tests, a content library and activities.
• Progress reports, so parents see skill mastery, challenges and successes. At the end of every SylvanSync session the tutor gets data on the student's performance and skills mastered.

The results claim is attributed to the centers, not the marketplace: "in our Sylvan centers, independent research shows that Sylvan students can see up to three times more growth in their math and reading scores than their peers." The home page repeats it as "our in-center students can see up to three times more growth than their peers." Families should read it as Sylvan's center research rather than a measured result of marketplace tutoring.

How it works for parents

The parent journey has four steps on the home page: find "an experienced, vetted tutor who is a perfect match for your child", book sessions when convenient, get instruction tailored to the child's needs, and keep the learning going. Searching is free. Tutors are described as "carefully screened, background checked and Sylvan-approved". Each tutor's profile shows a photo, headline, description and hourly rate. Scheduling, payment and messages with the tutor all run through the platform.

The Great Tutor Guarantee covers the first session, under the headline "your first session is FREE!" If the tutor is not the right fit during the first session, the family receives a full credit, which the small print says is "to be applied toward a second session with a new tutor. Limited to one time per customer." A parent testimonial from Elizabeth S. in Baltimore, MD, recalls that her daughter once asked her to do the reading and now announces "I'm going to read you this book!"

Prices

Every tutor sets an hourly rate, shown on their profile, and families pay online. The site publishes no rate range or typical price, so cost depends entirely on the tutor chosen.

Tutoring on the marketplace

The other half of the marketplace is the tutor. The Become a Tutor page says "Sylvan has the lowest commissions in the market", though it does not state the commission, and promises "a community of thousands of certified K-12 educators". Sylvan handles the business side, from connecting tutors with families to online payments, so tutors do not have "to ask families for money". Tutors set their own rates, choose online or in-person jobs, pick student ages and subjects, and get a profile page they can promote themselves, with social media suggested. A Baltimore tutor, Wendy, says she loves that "I don't need to prep any materials" because she can deliver the personalized plan SylvanSync provides.

Sylvan looks for tutors with a bachelor's degree related to their subjects, with a state teaching certificate "a plus". The application takes "15-20 minutes" and is answered within two business days. A phone interview and background check through a third-party provider follow, which can take "as little as 24 hours (most typical) or up to two weeks". Accepted tutors sign the paperwork, set their availability and appear in local search results.

Who it suits

mySylvan Marketplace+ suits parents of K-12 children who want one-to-one help at the kitchen table or online, especially those who trust the Sylvan name and want a structured diagnostic before tutoring starts. Families looking for AP support, SAT or ACT prep, private school admission tests (HSPT, SSAT, ISEE) or a GED tutor will find those subjects listed. Parents who want to pick their own tutor from profiles, with a free second try if the first one does not work out, get that through the guarantee. To use the Sylvan Insight assessment and SylvanSync lessons, choose a tutor certified in the Sylvan Method, since not every tutor is. Families who want a fixed price list before searching will have to compare tutor profiles instead.