I sent my son to Simon Academics for four years in high school and he was loving it. It was the most useful classes he ever had in his high school years, as he told me. Thanks to Jon Simon for his guidance, my son now is very strong in his English writing and read WSJ everyday. Notes: Comments and constructive feedback can be harsh on the homework but that's how his strong writing skill had helped him did so well in high school and in college. read more

I feel Mr. Simon is one of the best kept secrets for Fremont students and parents, so I was torn about writing this review. But in the end, he truly deserves to be more well-known than the franchise tutor mills. Our two sons have been in Mr. Simon's classes for the last two years, and we just enrolled them for another year. We can see their improvement in fictional writing style and persuasive organization. Their school teachers have also commented on how articulate they have become. With input from our kids, our thoughts on why his classes are so effective: * Mr. Simon's expectations of disciplined work, enforced with a sense of humor, motivates his students. Oftentimes my kids would tell us the jokes Mr. Simon told them. * Mr. Simon provides personalized feedback for each student, but done in the class such that all can benefit from his teachings. * Mr. Simon also advises the parents not to intervene with students' work. Initially it was hard on our helicopter parenting style, but soon I found that without our meddling, our kids became quite proactive in doing their assignment. Mr. Simon provides for both in-person and live online during class hours, but I'd recommend students attend in-person whenever possible. read more

Mr. Simon is one of the best teachers I have ever had, and he has left an indelible impact on my life. His humor keeps the class actively engaged, but he cares very much about our leaning. I'm writing this a couple years later than I had initially intended, but still remembering the lessons I gained from this class now goes to show how lasting it can be. Not only did my writing improve by a lot, which saw my scores improve even further than before, but I grew a deep appreciation for writing that will stick with me for the rest of my life. read more

The teacher is average and the schedule is not flexible. spider smart seems to. e bettwe.

I've personally met Mr. Simon, my child had a jolly good time here. My son said "This teacher icy as on god". I'm unaware as to what that means, but I assume that's good! Regardless, I can tell his academic ventures have vastly improved since the time he had his appointment. read more

My son goes there and he has improved his writing skills a lot and mr Simon is very professional and this place has more than 400 students and i highly recommend all. read more

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Mr. Simon isn't an exceptional teacher because of his educational background, teaching metholodology, or sense of wit. Rather, it is because he goes above and beyond what a tutor should do. He takes time to actually understand a writer's weaknesses and strengths, individually tailoring lessons that help students not just write better, but be able to express themselves in a way not limited from the "by-the-book" teaching styles in school. I can safely say he truly believes in bringing out the best qualities from every student. read more

My son has been in public schools where he couldn't get enough attention and instructions on how to write and improve essays. We realized we need a private tutor to improve his critical reading and writing skills. A friend recommended us Mr. Simon (his son was with Mr. Simon and very happy about his experience and improvement with Mr. Simon). After one year small group class with Mr. Simon, my son can easily get A in AP English class and got score 5 in the AP exam. Mr. Simon, please accept our sincere appreciation! You made my son a different person, who is not only strong in STEM but also good at critical reading and writing! Thank you so so much! read more

Mr. Simon, Thank you for your classes. Your AP prompts are very creative and original, as are your labels, which give students plenty of room for developing their own writing style. The labels have been such a great help, especially at school, where our chunk formats are essentially the same thing. And your jokes--they're great. Especially the ones about my chest. I like Abercrombie, and even more than that, being called "moose-chester." Clearly, you place all of your focus on our writing, not anywhere else. The comments you leave are especially encouraging as well. As an Asian, I feel that it is necessary to be brought down in order to climb back up. "Loser." "You suck." "Idiot." "YOU GO DIE!" Whether these statements are directed toward myself or my classmates, I have found all of them to be particularly motivating. Never once have I felt frustrated or insulted. Of course, if I mentioned you, I should probably mention my other teachers as well. Mr. Zybul gives particularly generous comments. Being in his classes is the complete opposite of being in yours. Almost all of his feedback is positive, and there is rarely ever any criticism. I love how almost each one of my writing pieces, no matter how little effort I put into them, is essentially flawless. I feel like I have truly mastered writing. Why else would I receive such positive feedback? Ms. Advani is probably the most normal and balanced teacher. Her feedback always contains constructive criticism that always points me in the right direction. Eighth grade year was probably the year during which I got the most out of my tuition. I don't know if other students feel the same way, but I'm sure I'm not the only one out here. I'm a person who hates crying in public, but the classes I've been in, taught by yours truly, really pushed my limits. On several occasions, I felt my eyes well up as a result of your "jokes," but I could only laugh along with the rest of the class. These classes aren't suitable for people, Goldilocks, like me. But if there's someone who can take the extremes--either total brutality or complete niceness--then I'm sure they'll find this place especially nice. Thank you for making the few years I've been here memorable. I mean it. read more

I thought I was pretty good at English when I signed up for Mr. Simon's classes the summer after sixth grade. I prided myself on my writing abilities, especially when it came to stories (I remember I really liked to post my stories on Fanfiction.Net). I was totally confident of my skills when my mom pushed me in the door that day. An hour later, I left nearly in tears. Mr. Simon's teaching style is mercilessly effective. I say "mercilessly" in part because it works so beautifully well, but also because he doesn't try to flower up his statements when critiquing the essay. He gets straight to the point, showing what works and what doesn't work, and explaining how to fix it. I think that's the part that distinguishes him from everyone else. Most of my English teachers would identify the error, but they would not clearly explain what to do from there. Mr. Simon would go through the steps again and again ("OK, write the topic sentence, write the context because the audience needs to know what's going on, then give the proof - don't make it too long because the real meat of the essay is the analysis, make sure you even analyze..."), showing how each step matters, giving examples along the way to aid understanding. This isn't to say that Mr. Simon lectures the whole time during the class either. Instead, he spices up the discussion with anecdotes, sarcastic remarks, random exclamations ("'Elicits'! I love that word! My other favorite word is 'persimmon' because it has 'Simon' in it...") that really can be quite funny in context. Classes are engaging, and I think the humor also helped me remember a lot of elements (such as pathos/ethos/logos). For me, he also introduced the standard essay structure, which was helpful because none of my English teachers really did. It didn't matter much to me in the beginning, and - because of the need to stand out - I rather wanted to write the essays my own way, but I soon found that that format saved my English grade on multiple occasions (while my classmates were struggling). In fact, it's one of the only reasons I ended with an A last year in English. Also, thanks to him, I managed to get full score on both the SAT Reading and Writing sections, and a 10 essay score! His tips for efficiently take apart passages were so helpful that multiple times throughout the SAT, when I encountered a hard question, I would ask myself how he would understand and answer it. So, in conclusion, Mr. Simon was really helpful! read more

After a long search for tutoring in the Tri-City area for my second grader, I chose Simon Academics as they specialize in reading/writing instruction. My son has been taking private writing lessons with Ms. Advani since September 2017. My son was struggling with penmanship, letter formation, and proper capitalization/punctuation, all of which impacted his self-confidence when writing. I felt this caused him to shy away from his writing homework, which in turn impacted the amount of effort he put into these assignments. Three months into the tutoring sessions I can already see significant progress. More than anything I have noticed an attitude change. He is more conscientious about trying to write well, aware of what areas he needs to pay closer attention to. His letter formation and penmanship have improved, apparent just by flipping through his assignments from week 1 to date. Whereas before he would put in minimal effort to complete his writing assignments, today he takes a genuine interest in writing his stories and improving them through proofreading. He adds in extra detail to more clearly convey his thoughts and make them more interesting. This is all leaps and bounds above what I was expecting! My experience has been that Simon Academics helps children develop a healthy respect for the written word and an appreciation for the craft. I credit Ms. Advani with developing my son's confidence with fun challenges and activities. She is also very kind and patient; my son always tells me he looks forward to his tutoring sessions. Thank you Simon Academics - we are glad we found you and you are exactly what we needed. I look forward to continued progress in the months ahead. read more

Very good! My student likes how he teaches humourously

Mr. Simon is a fantastic teacher with an incredible sense of humor that is sure to make students passionate and enjoy learning. In the 4+ years I've known Mr. Simon, he has taught me much more than just analytical and research writing, he has helped me develop my social skills, networking skills and especially my ability to manage time. From helping me with creative writing to analytical writing to critical reading to college application essays, I cannot thank him enough for all the help he has given me and the tremendous strides forward that I have been able to make with his help. I definitely recommend Simon Academics without hesitation to anyone who wants to become more proficient in writing and reading. read more

Both my daughters have been seeing Simon since they were four yesrs old. They started reading after only a few weeks! Since then, they have also taken creative writing classes and one-on-one math classes with Ms. Advani all with great results. This is a one stop shop to help your child succeed and of course get into a great college. Simon is absolutely brilliant and he is on top of every aspect of the learning center. Much love and respectbfrom the Sangha family! read more

My son goes here for a writing class once a week. After being in the program for a year. I see My son not only improve his writing skill, but also boost his confidence to do good at school. I am so grateful for all of the help and the challenges Mr Z entourage him to help him to become a better student. Mr Simon helped my nephew for his college application. He is going to start college in UC Santa Curz after summer. He was not the top student at his class and his GPA is not that good. We were very worried. Mr Simon's guidance, insight, knowledge and encouragement were invaluable to help him to achieve his goal. We are very grateful to all the time Mr Simon took in making sure the application was the best it could be. If you are looking for a writing class or college counseling, I am sure you will find 5 star service at Simon Academics. read more

This center does help my kid improved his writing skill but what we don't appreciate is that kids learn bad manners from Simon who harass the kids by calling them 'stupid' and 'idiot' and a bunch of other trash words. Kids learn from adults especially from adults who teach them. Besides, those words can hurt their feeling and create low self esteem in them. Some kids might even pick that up and use those words on their friends, school mates or even parents. Not good. read more

Jon Simon is patient, understanding and takes a great interest in helping his students learn how to do their best. He is excellent at diagnosing the areas a student needs help on and will work with your budget and schedule to accommodate the needs of the parent and student. Thanks, Jon! read more

Mr. Simon is a great teacher. He is very patient and understanding of his students, and he is willing to spend extra time in order to make sure students get the necessary attention they need in order to for them to do well. I feel that the 2 years with Mr. Simon has taught me not only literary skills and essay writing, but also about social skills and how to connect with other people as well. He is a wonderful teacher that I appreciate very much, and would recommend to anybody who needs helps with their English tests , essays, and college applications. read more

I have only been at Simon Academics for a year, and I love it. Mr. Simon teaches us with humor, making us pay attention without forcing us. He teaches advanced subjects, and still makes it very fun. I always look forward to Wednesdays now because of his classes. He lets us have candy for our hard work, making us want to try. I also understand more of the outside world because he makes us read the news as homework. His classes are always fun because of his jokes in class, so we learn in a fun way. My writing grades have gone up because of his going deep into the topics we are learning about. Now, I am moving out of this area, but I will try to use Skype to continue his classes. Thanks a lot, Mr. Simon! read more

I highly recommend Mr. Simon for college essay consulting and as a writing coach. He provided guidance to my daughter during her senior year in high school, with the application process such as coaching on essays and application process. He took our daughter through the process from start to finish.He helped my daughter extensively through multiple drafts of her application essays and supplements. My daughter felt extremely comfortable with him. His skills as a tutor and college admission counselor is spectacular. We are so lucky that we found Mr. Simon as a college admission essay coach and we really appreciate all his help and guidance. read more

I have been studying under Mr. Simon for 3 years, since the start of my freshman year, and I have improved in so many ways. Mr. Simon emphasizes on clarity of thought and critical thinking to make his students good writers. He sets up his students not only how to write well for high school essays, but college and beyond. Through thought-provoking prompts from real AP exams, SAT/ACT tests, and colleges, his students learn how to approach a wide range of responses. During his lectures, he teaches the foundations of approaching, organizing, and executing these prompts. However, in the end, it is up to the student's patience and dedication to truly improve. His best students learn through putting in their effort and time in the homework assignments, which constitutes of only 2 paragraphs and news a week, and applying his advice. In fact, his advice and lectures have helped me to earn straight As in my honors English courses and score consistently above 95% on almost every essay. His SAT Prep class has even helped me to earn a 1540 on the new SAT. Asides from school, his lectures have helped me to expand my understanding of the world. Mr. Simon enjoys utilizing sarcasm and humor to engage his students in the lessons. While his criticism is often harsh, he pushes everyone to improve and achieve their best. All the time and energy invested has become a fulfilling and life-changing learning experience. read more

Both my sons (ages 9 and 11) has been attending Mr. Simon's writing class for about 6 months. I feel that they have both improved tremendously in their critical thinking and writing mechanics. Mr. Simon is great at helping them organize their thoughts into essays that are meaningful and creative. Mr. Simon teaches his students to express themselves properly with correct syntax, grammar, and vocabulary. My older son said that since attending Mr. Simon's class, he rarely makes a major grammar mistake in his school work and grammar has become his easiest subject. When my younger son needed some extra help, Mr. Simon was generous with his time and suggestions and helped us get the proper help. Most of all, both of my sons actually enjoy their writing classes and never complain about going there and doing the extra work. They both agree that Mr. Simon makes his classes not only helpful but also entertaining. read more

As a former student of Mr. Simon, I can confidentially say that he is the best teacher I've ever worked with. He has been teaching me for over seven years and I would definitely recommend him to anyone seeking tutoring. He makes classes enjoyable with his jokes and witty remarks, but at the same time he points out every single mistake that I made in my homework. When I first started with Mr. Simon in elementary school I absolutely hated writing, but after attending his classes (he even taught me via skype when I moved to China) I have become a lot more confident in my writing and my ability to convey my thoughts. I went from getting C's in writing to a 5 on AP Lang and a 35 on my ACT. The results speak for themselves, and I truly believe that Mr. Simon brings out the best in his students whether it be in writing or any other subject. In fact he even taught me all of the highschool geometry curriculum in a few weeks over summer break. Mr Simon is truly an amazing teacher and I would not hesitate to recommend him to anyone seeking tutoring. read more

Fifth grade: I fail one essay on a topic I cannot even remember anymore, and my mom says "You're going to get help - writing is clearly your weakest subject." And despite plentiful protests, my mom signs me up for a writing class with a mysterious "Mr. Simon". "Mr. Simon" to my fifth grade self meant a middle-aged, balding white man who would grill me on grammar until I pleaded mercy. Thankfully, I quickly found out the real Mr. Simon exhibited none of the above qualities. Instead, I found a young(ish) man who was as fond as cracking jokes as he was at deleting my commas, who grew up playing Diablo and reading science fiction just as I had. I found a friend as well as a teacher. Fun and games aside, we did a lot of writing. There was homework every week. From persuasive essays to short stories to limericks, Mr. Simon managed to cover a lot of ground. He taught me the basics of writing - never assume your audience knows what you know ("You're reader is stupid!", he would say). Explaining everything in a crystal clear manner goes a long way, especially in high school English classes. Teacher's love it when they don't have to re-read your sentences to understand what you mean. In middle school, he introduced to me the concept of first stating relevant anecdotes/hard evidence, then analyzing this evidence a few sentences later. Mastering this "chunk" format is essential to success in high school - being the core requirement of most analytical essays that teachers assign, and Mr. Simon prepared me well for it. However, my favorite part of those Tuesday nights was the short story assignments. Mr. Simon gave my thirteen year old imagination plenty of room to maneuver. I wrote about spork-wielding soldiers who invaded alien motherships, murderous Templar assassins who maybe just happened to match the characters of Assassin's Creed, and my personal favorite, stories that pit my real-life friends against each other in a series of hilarious (and often violent) pranks. It was when writing these stories that I realized how fun writing could be - given you actually enjoy the subject you are writing about. Now I am in my senior year of high school. I look back at my English journey - Honors English 9 and 10, AP English Language and Composition, SAT Writing, and now AP English Literature - and I see a smooth, stress-free ride. I was able to score high marks on nearly all my school essays and an 800 in SAT Writing, largely due to the practice and skills I acquired from Mr. Simon's class. I can safely say that English is no longer my weakest subject, but in fact, one of my strongest. read more

We used to have private 1-1 tutor came to our house to help my older daughter when she was in 2nd-4th grade but her writing it was not good. I remember when she was in 4th grade; she got C's grade expect Science she got an "B" grade. When I heard one of my friend told me about Simon Academics; that was the time I tried to put my daughter goes there. She goes there two years from now when she was in 5th grade; starting in 5th grade her grades changed totally different. She got all straight A's (Gold Honors) in 5th grade and in 6th grades she got straight A's; she received Gold Honors and President reward too. I am so happy and proud of her. I truly appreciated Mr. Simon for everything (teaching, help, and there when my daughter asks/concerns); he's the best teacher that I know. Also my second daughter is taking Chapter Book Reading with Mr. Zybul has endearing teaching style and my daughter is enjoying herself in his class and she's very confidence with her reading. I HIGHLY recommend all parents (students). read more

My 6 year old daughter was struggling with reading and after trying out Kumon for a couple of months, we decided we needed to step it up. She has been attending both 1:1 and a small group class for the past 6 months and has made such great progress. Mr. Simon's expertise, patience and encouragement have helped our little girl grow by leaps and bounds! Ms. Ashley has also been great, we'll be sad to see her go. Our daughter is never reluctant to go to Simon Academics - which really makes me feel like we made the right choice with Simon Academics. read more

Mr. Simon really cares about his students. I have two children that attend his school and both of my children are benefitting from his instruction. My children enjoy the reading class with Mr. Z. In the writing class, my children get very detailed feedback on their work. read more

My sons have been with Simon Academics for a few years now. Mr. Simon is amazing in what he brings out in these kids! My son used to HATE writing! However, since starting writing classes 3 years ago with Mr. Simon, English has been his favorite subject! He has been in Honors English in Middle School the last couple of years earning A's and wants to continue Honors English in High School. I will be honest, my oldest son is pretty laid back. He does not possess a high achiever personality in this district of high achieving students. So for him to want to take Honors English in High School this Fall is a very pleasant surprise. I do believe Mr. Simon has made a huge difference in my son's life and his academic studies in English. My middle son has been with Ms. Erica the last couple of years for writing class. She has been wonderful as well. I definitely recommend Simon Academics!! All the teachers there are wonderful!! read more