Train Your Brain

Michelle Wright, center director at the Louisville-Springhurst LearningRx, shares how cognitive skills affect learning.
 
What can a parent do to help their child who is struggling with their grades?
A cognitive skills assessment at LearningRx evaluates abilities in areas such as auditory processing, visual processing, processing speed, short and long term memory, and processing speed. The results of an assessment can help determine if the grade struggle is due to cognitive skills deficits or behavioral issues. More often than not, students struggle due to cognitive skill weaknesses that are barriers to reaching potential.

Are most schools teaching our kids to be successful learners?
As a former teacher and a lifelong educator, I can say with confidence that schools are working hard to offer students the very best. The challenge lies not in the desire of educators to meet the needs of their students, but rather in the logistics to do so. Classrooms are large and individual needs vary significantly, making it nearly impossible to ensure that every student is a successful learner. Eighty percent of learning or reading difficulties among U.S. students are the direct consequence of cognitive skill weakness. Learning struggles can be overcome through individualized, one-on-one brain training at LearningRx.

What is brain training, and who can benefit from it?
First off, Brain training IS NOT tutoring. It is not content-based, but rather a system of highly targeted exercises used to change the brain’s capacity to think and learn. Studies have shown that intense brain training can increase the IQ an average of 15 points. Strengthening weak brain skills by working on attention, processing speed, memory, auditory processing, visual processing, and logic and reasoning makes learning faster and easier.
 
Typical brain training clients include struggling students, high achieving students, autism, asperger’s, ADHD, traumatic brain injuries, preschoolers, and senior adults. Nearly 50 percent of ADHD students who complete brain training are able to discontinue medication.