Posted by Terrence Dalton
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to one of our own members and the life changing program that he operates at our Tuesday, March 30th weekly club meeting.
 
Presenting along with Mr. Buie, were Susan Costello and Andrew Durr, staff of Success4Kids, an offshoot of LearningRx.   
 
 
 
What is Brain Training?
 
If you are not sure what “brain training” is, Steve explained that you are not alone. “A lot of prospective clients come for brain training with questions about what exactly it is that happens. Though the programs are complex, what they do is fairly straight forward: the training exercises strengthen the cognitive skills that are integral to thinking, learning, reading, memory, and attention. There are many underlying skills that are critical to performance, and our wide variety of brain training programs target them all.”
Steve stated, “Clients at our Akron brain training center work one-on-one with their own personal brain trainers who guide them through challenging—yet enjoyable—mental exercises that target the client’s specific weaknesses. Our programs are like a fitness routine for the mind. Neuroplasticity of our brain – Use it or lose it!”
 
Well, isn’t this just another name for tutoring?
 
Another misconception Steve noted is that many individuals think they are a tutoring service. Though Success4RKids recognizes the benefits of tutoring, what they do is much different. Their brain training center focuses on an entirely different set of issues. Tutoring is best for redelivering difficult subject matter—or reteaching material that a student might struggle with—while cognitive skills training focuses on strengthening the brain to make learning and performance easier. “We get at the root of problems and customize a plan that targets each client’s specific needs.”  “Our programs are more about training versus teaching.”
 
What Brain Training Programs Are Available?
 
Success4RKids offers a variety of cognitive skills training for school-age children.  These programs target and strengthen weak cognitive skills. Programs consist of fun, challenging mental exercises done in the context of a one-on-one training relationship. These mental workout sessions are customized to address the unique needs and abilities of each client and are designed to strengthen the foundational cognitive skills that enable our brains to think, learn, read, remember, pay attention, and solve problems.
 
These skills — attention, memory, auditory processing, logic and reasoning, processing speed, and more — impact our mental performance in every area of life, including school and work. The result? Dramatic, measurable improvements in mental performance.
 
Success4RKids – A Program for Every Student:
 
“While each situation is unique, most clients spend 12 to 34 weeks training with us. Best of all, Success4RKids offers a variety of programs to meet the needs of our clients.”
 
Here’s a short description of some of the programs as taken from their website:
  • ThinkRx® is our core program. Offered over a minimum of 12 weeks, this program works on all the core cognitive skills. Every client who is over seven years of age and in a full program trains with ThinkRx.
  • ReadRx® incorporates ThinkRx® with ReadRx. A powerful reading intervention, ReadRx trains the cognitive skills of auditory processing (the skill that allows the brain to analyze, blend, and segment sounds) as well as other skills that are critical to reading success.
  • ComprehendRx® takes reading intervention to a new level, focusing on the cognitive skills that are critical for reading comprehension. This program works on many cognitive skills, including visual processing, reasoning skills, sequential processing (the ability to understand and integrate information in order), working memory, and metacognitive strategies (the development of self-awareness and the ability to self-assess).
  • MathRx® trains the cognitive skills needed to efficiently and effectively develop numerical fluency, learn math concepts, solve problems, and perform calculations.
  • LiftOff® is available to preschoolers through first graders and works on the foundational cognitive skills and early reading skills so important for early learners. These include auditory processing (the skill that allows the brain to analyze, blend, and segment sounds), attention, memory, processing speed, visual processing, and reasoning.
  • StudyRx® helps clients develop stronger study skills. The program teaches clients 14 test-taking tips, 12 top learning strategies, as well as eight core study skills based on fictionalized stories of historical figures and the habits, skills, and perspectives that contributed to their success.
  • Brain Booster programs are offered in two formats. The first is for adults who do not have a need for a full program, and instead are interested in doing mental exercises with a trainer at their own convenience. The Brain Booster program for adults is offered in 12, 18, or 24-session segments. Brain Booster is also offered to clients who have completed one of our other full programs and are interested in additional one-on-one training.
  • BrainSkills® is a digital brain training program that can be used to supplement the one-on-one training that is the cornerstone of all our programs, or as a maintenance program for those who have completed one of our full one-on-one programs.
 
Success4Rkids is a non-profit formed with the express purpose of working with schools to equip school-age children with necessary strong, foundational, cognitive learning skills.
 
Success4Rkids is currently conducting a pilot program with the I Promise School to help 10 students become skilled and confident readers.
 
For further information on LearningRx Akron-Bath, I encourage you to go to their website www.learningrx.com/akron-bath.
 
Yours in Service - 
 
Terry Dalton
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