Skip to main content

Our History

Learning Foundations was founded in 1969 by Fran Tarkenton, former NFL quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. He had a child who struggled with learning in the traditional public school setting. He gathered a team of educators, psychologists, reading specialists and school counselors to develop a learning system to help students master the skills of reading and math word problems in a private after school setting.

For over 40 years, Learning Foundations has developed a reputation for successfully helping students age 6 to 60 improve not only reading skills but underlying cognitive skills necessary to become comfortable and independent learners. As research in brain plasticity and learning methods evolved, Learning Foundations instituted new methods and protocols to help students learn.

By 1999, Directors Hugh and Diana Ames began implementing research based, thinking and learning programs to help students who struggle in school with attention, dyslexia, auditory processing and logic and reasoning skills. Thousands of students have benefited from the 1-on-1 methods employed by learning specialists at Learning Foundations. Degreed specialists with backgrounds in education, special education, school counseling, psychology and other related disciplines compose a staff of motivated, friendly and genuinely dedicated team members.