"The illiterate of the future will not be the person who cannot read. It will be the person who does not know how to learn." 
Alvin Toffler

Our Mission

To be a resource for students of all ages who desire lifelong learning success.

We Coach Students

Our method goes beyond tutoring and is different than counseling. We coach students on how to make the most of their learning abilities, to increase their capability to learn, and to enhance study skills.

Diane Dean, M.A.

Founder - The Learner's Edge

Diane Dean struggled so much in high school and as a college undergraduate that she was afraid to apply for an advanced degree. After going through counseling, she started to understand how her brain worked. Diane felt like she'd gone to Oz to get the proverbial "brain," - just like the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz!

"That's where my mission began," Dean says today. "Learning is the most important skill in business and in scholastic achievement, and I wanted to be a resource for people who wanted lifelong learning success."

Dean eventually earned that advanced degree (a masters in counseling from Montclair University) - and graduated with top honors. She became a counselor and started working with students of all ages. Whatever the reason -behavioral issues, attitude or running away-learning was at the root of most of her client's problems, and that was affecting their self-esteem.

Looking for Answers in Research

Continuing her search for answers, Dean studied educational kinesiology, the effects of nutrition on learning, brain research, neurolinguistics, classical learning theory and other theories about learning styles. She distilled what she'd learned about the brain and learning methodologies into a model called Expanding Learning Styles^SM that quickly helps students of any age improve and take charge of their own learning.

Her research paid off, and counselors, teachers and parents alike wanted to know "What'd you do to Billy? He's studying and learning now!!". Dean says The Learner's Edge simply evolved as a business from her private counseling practice.

Diane has been a coach since the mid 80's when students - and then their parents - began coming to her. She is a Master Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation, based on her years of experience in coaching, as well as teaching coaches and therapists her techniques. Diane uses humor and a relaxed, honest rapport about her own learning difficulties to gain her client's trust and confidence. She can then tap into their motivation to change. It works because they know she's been there and understands just how they feel.

Kudos from Experts about The Learner's Edge

Dean has developed workshops for students, counselors and teachers based on her discoveries. In fact, her educator workshops were approved by the states of Georgia and Texas as continuing education for teachers and counselors.

Dean also worked with Dr. Mary Ann Block, D.O., who has done groundbreaking work getting students off Ritalin and who wrote No More Ritalin. Dr. Block realized that The Learner's Edge strategies made a big difference to students struggling to learn.

"Diane's methods for evaluation of learning styles and then teaching the person how to best use those styles to their advantage has been very successful," says Dr. Block. "[Her] knowledge in the area of learning exceeds that of most individuals with whom I have worked, and clients I have referred have said many terrific things about Diane and her learning strategies."

Today, Dean teaches study skills, strategies for reducing test anxiety, planning and decision-making skills, and even does the occasional "attitude adjustment" (link to article). Essentially, Dean helps increase a student's ability to take in, retain and integrate information more easily, quickly and naturally.

Here's a few more things they had to say: