The Science of Learning

The online intervention from Scientific Learning Corp. helps school districts close achievement gaps and reduce special education referrals  8/19/15 Media Contact: Hallie SmithDirector of MarketingScientific Learning Corporation(619) [email protected] Oakland, Calif. — Aug. 19, 2015 — Research shows that children who are not reading on grade level by the end of third grade are likely to have trouble learning in all classroom subjects in higher grades. To help students build and strengthen their reading skills and the foundational cognitive skills they need to succeed, a rapidly growing number of Ohio school districts are implementing the Fast ForWord® program from Scientific Learning Corp. One of the most recent districts to launch the program is Franklin City School District in Franklin City, Ohio. “We’re a high-poverty district. Many of our students entering kindergarten are not prepared for kindergarten and our test scores are lower than we’d like,” said Superintendent of Schools Michael Sander. “We see the Fast ForWord program as a key component of our efforts to address Ohio’s Third Grade Reading Guarantee and reach the goal of having 100 percent of our students reading at a third grade level by the end of third grade.” Franklin City School District, where more than 60 percent of students are economically disadvantaged and 18 percent receive special education services, will implement the Fast ForWord program this fall in the Early Childhood Center and all five elementary schools. It will be used by all K–3 students and struggling readers in grades 4–6. “This will be the third district where I’ve implemented Fast ForWord,” said Dr. Sander. “I’ve had great results with the program in my previous districts in closing the achievement gap and reducing the number of students who qualify for special education. We hope to achieve the same results here.” Fast ForWord uses the principles of neuroplasticity — the ability of the brain to […]

Schools using the Fast ForWord educational software program can accelerate learning for students in a wide spectrum of ages and abilities, and improve spring test scores 3/29/11 Media Contact: Jessica LindlSenior Vice President, Marketing and Product ManagementScientific Learning Corporation(510) [email protected] Investor Contact: Bob FellerChief Financial OfficerScientific Learning Corporation(510) [email protected] Oakland, Calif. — March 29, 2011 — On state tests administered each spring, even bright young learners worry about their performance. Take Garrett, for example. The son of an elementary school principal, Garrett had the benefit of a strong preschool education and dedicated parents who read with him every day. Yet, Garrett struggled with reading in first and second grades, and scored below grade level on the Idaho Reading Indicator (IRI). Then, in the third grade, everything changed. Garrett gained 3.7 years of growth, jumping from a second-grade to nearly a sixth-grade reading level. For the first time, he also scored at the proficient level in reading on his state test, the Idaho Standards Achievement Test (ISAT). What changed? From September to April, Garrett participated in a brain fitness program called Fast ForWord® that exercised his cognitive muscles and improved his brain function. This allowed Garrett to better take advantage of the content presented to him in school and at home, and maintain an accelerated rate of learning even after the program ended. As Garrett’s story illustrates, successful preparation for state tests involves more than high quality, standards-based subject area instruction. Forward-thinking schools are accelerating learning and improving performance on high-stakes tests by building students' brain fitness. By exercising the parts of the brain that contribute to learning — memory, attention, processing and sequencing — schools can improve students’ ability to learn and retain knowledge. At Discovery Elementary, the Title I school in Idaho Falls where Garrett’s father, Ken Marlowe, serves as principal, students began using the […]