A parent guide for families in Shreveport and Bossier City
If your child struggles in only one subject, tutoring may be enough. If your child
- struggles across subjects
- works unusually hard
- forgets easily
- reads slowly
- misses details
- has weak attention, memory, or processing speed
Then cognitive training deserves sincere consideration.
Parents often call after spending months or years trying tutoring, homework help, online programs, accommodations, or extra teacher conferences. Some children improve. Others continue to struggle despite everyone working hard.
So how do you know whether your child needs traditional academic support…or whether the real issue is deeper?
The answer starts with one critical question:
Is the problem with what your child knows—or with how your child learns?
That distinction changes everything.
Tutoring and cognitive training are not competitors. They solve different problems. Choosing the wrong tool can waste time, money, confidence, and precious developmental years.
When Tutoring Is the Right Fit
Tutoring focuses on content remediation. It helps a student learn what they missed in math, reading, science, grammar, or study skills.
Tutoring may be the right choice if your child:
- Missed instruction because of illness, moving, or school disruption
- Understands concepts once they are re-explained
- Struggles in only one academic area
- Performs well on tests once content is reviewed
- Learns at a typical pace but needs practice or organization
- Recently encountered harder curriculum and needs coaching
For example, a fifth grader in Bossier City who missed six weeks of fractions may simply need a strong math tutor. In this situation, tutoring makes sense because the brain can learn efficiently once the information is presented.
When Cognitive Training May Be the Better Answer
Cognitive training focuses on how the brain processes information. This includes foundational cognitive skills such as:
- Working memory
- Processing speed
- Attention
- Auditory processing
- Visual processing
- Logic and reasoning
- Long-term memory
When these skills are weak, children may work harder than peers yet still underperform.
Signs your child may need cognitive training include:
- Struggles across multiple subjects
- Reads but cannot remember what was read
- Frequently says “I studied but blanked out”
- Needs directions repeated
- Works twice as long on homework
- Seems bright but performance is inconsistent
- Test anxiety tied to slow retrieval
- Missing details despite effort
- Difficulty following multi-step instructions
- Has already tried tutoring with limited lasting improvement
Research increasingly shows that these cognitive skills play a key role in academic success. Two significant studies have found measurable gains across multiple cognitive skills following structured brain training. A 2018 study found significant improvements in processing speed, working memory, reasoning, and attention. Another study in 2016 on children ages 8–14 found measurable gains including IQ, memory, processing speed, and reasoning. That matters because academic performance often reflects underlying cognitive efficiency, not simply effort.
The Hidden Trap: “My Child Is Working Harder Than Everyone Else”
This is where many families get stuck.
A child with weak processing speed may spend three hours on homework while peers spend one. A child with weak working memory may understand math while the teacher is talking but then forget the steps five minutes later. A child with weak auditory processing may hear every word, but the brain doesn’t efficiently organize what was heard.
Tutoring can temporarily compensate for these issues. But if the underlying cognitive weakness remains, parents often describe the same cycle. “We keep reteaching the same material.” That is not laziness. That is often cognitive inefficiency. When cognitive weaknesses improve, academic learning often becomes easier.
What Families in Shreveport and Bossier City Should Ask First
Before investing in another semester of tutoring, ask:
-
Has my child already had tutoring?
If yes—and progress fades quickly—dig deeper.
-
Is the struggle isolated or global?
One class? Tutoring.
Multiple subjects? Investigate cognition.
-
Does my child understand—but forget?
That may signal working memory issues.
-
Is homework unusually slow?
That may signal processing speed.
-
Does reading happen—but is comprehension weak?
That may signal auditory or visual processing.
-
Is confidence declining?
Cognitive struggles often masquerade as motivation issues.
What LearningRx Shreveport Graduates Have to Say
“We started LearningRx after Gavin was struggling in school with reading and reading comprehension. We tried several traditional tutoring methods before this, but nothing seemed to make much difference. After completing the program, I have been so impressed with how much he has learned during our time at LearningRx. It was not an overnight change, but a slow gradual process in which I constantly noticed small improvements. He did an oral reading test 2 weeks ago and was reading on a 4th grade level right where he should be. It has been so amazing to see his confidence grow and see how proud he is of his accomplishments. We are so thankful that we found LearningRx!” – Costanza / Arnold family, Stonewall, La.
“We heard about Learning RX from a friend. We had tried all the learning strategies suggested by teachers and tutors to help our son. We were on the verge of exploring medication options when we decided to give LearningRx a try. We were met with kind and caring staff members who explained the process. We discovered little known information about the learning challenges our son was having. Through the course of the program, we discovered many new strategies and opportunities to help him. His trainer was so patient. Though we still face some challenges, he has improved so much academically. He has gained confidence and skills that have helped him improve his grades. We are very grateful and thankful for Learning RX and how it has helped our son.” – Nicole Kyle, DeRidder, La.
* These testimonials are based on past clients and their outcomes. You or your student may not achieve the same results. But we welcome the opportunity to discuss what we can do for you.
What is your next step?
If your child in Shreveport, Bossier City, or the surrounding area has struggled for more than six months, has already received tutoring, accommodations, or interventions, and still works harder than their peers, you should stop assuming that it’s a content problem.
Measure cognition. Because teaching harder doesn’t always fix a brain that is processing slower. And when the brain becomes stronger, learning often becomes lighter.
To measure cognition, contact LearningRx Shreveport to schedule a cognitive assessment. Call 318.797.8523 or email shreveport.la@learningrx.net. You can also learn more on our main website at Get Started.
To keep up with what’s happening in our center, sign up for our monthly newsletter here! You can also see where we will be appearing and what fun activities we’re hosting on our Events and Facebook page.