In the business of learning
By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com

WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers HOMEWORK HELPER- Scott Yahraus tutors Westlake Village resident Mia Beckerman, 11, at KnowledgePoints.

Justin Wank, a fifth-grader at Willow Elementary School, says math is his favorite subject. The 11-year-old's love of calculating and number crunching was an acquired taste, cultivated through KnowledgePoints, a Westlake Village tutoring company that counts on hightech video games and oneonone attention to reinforce educational concepts, including math.

"It's an exciting program," said Justin's mom, Tammy Wank. "It gives my child the extra attention, extra enrichment and extra learning that, unfortunately, with class sizes so large in public school, is needed to augment (the class curriculum)."

Scott Yahraus, owner of the company that opened in May 2006, said KnowledgePoints has something for everyone in kindergarten through 12th grade, including SAT prep courses.

What separates KnowledgePoints from other tutoring firms is its free online educational software available to teachers, parents and students, he said.

Yahraus said the online games bring subjects to life for kids. The basketball game called "Hot Shots" challenges students to make at least 10 baskets before time runs out. Extra points are earned when more than 10 baskets are made. Justin's at the top of his game and is listed in the Hall of Fame for multiplication 10 through 12.

The games reinforce math concepts, Yahraus said. "You make a shot and get points," he said. The catch is that players can't continue dunking balls into the hoop until a math question is answered.

The scores are logged similarly to arcade or other competitive online games, which hook kids with eye-popping graphics and intrigue but don't necessarily reinforce the ABCs and one, two, threes. Only the top 10 scorers are showcased, which apparently motivates students to answer questions correctly- and fast.

Having your name in the Top Ten is just one motivational tool that is built into the program. Yahraus awards tickets and tokens to students who learn their lessons. Children use the tokens to play a round of Guitar Hero III, and tickets are used to purchase small toys.

Video games and prizes aside, the individualized attention students receive from credentialed teachers has been proven to raise grades in reading, writing, math, algebra I and II, geometry and other subjects. The curriculum also offers study skills training and provides homework support.

For older students, help is offered in preparing for the SATs, ACTs and other college entrance tests.

Yahraus, 28, said the online program has been tested and teachers will soon be able to customize their curricula using the interactive games. "There will be modules where teachers can put in their own content," he said. The program will be ready for teachers to reproduce in two weeks, he said.

Yahraus is so confident about the effectiveness of his program that he encourages parents to try it out for free.

For further information, visit www.knowledgepoints.com, call the company at (818) 292-8627 or e-mail questions to oakpark@knowledgepoints.com.

KnowledgePoints is at 1145 Lindero Canyon Road, Ste. D6, in Westlake Village.