Price: $18.95
Schools
“The power of Brain Fitness Strategies’ school program is
enhancing students’ learning skills so they can
benefit from the school system
that is already in place.”
Conventional Strategies
|
Brain Fitness Strategies
for Raising Test Scores |
| Better Teacher Training | Brain Development |
| Better Curriculum | Build Postural Reflexes |
| Community Involvement | Better Visual Processing |
| More Technology | Better Auditory Processing |
| Better Facilities | Better Ability to Pay Attention |
| Lower Student:Teacher Ratios | Better Coordination |
| Early Childhood Programs | Better Behavior |
| Tutoring | Better Learners |
| Focus: Delivery of Education | Focus: Ability to Receive Education |
It doesn’t take a neurosurgeon to know that students with a healthy, properly developed brain are going to be more successful in school and life. To meet the growing demand for programs to improve student success rates, neurodevelopmental specialists Paul and Susan Phariss of Brain Fitness Strategies have developed a revolutionary enhanced learning program for public and private schools.
Science Behind It
Have a Ball Learning is a movement-based neurodevelopmental activity program for building new neural pathways. These new pathways are in the parts of the brain that process visual information—namely reading. Research has proven that by using specific motor activities, new gray matter is grown in distinct areas of the brain. By building more connections in the brain, students can have higher reading performance, lower behavior problems, and better test scores.
When researching new programs to implement for raising student academic performance, schools are looking for three things: research, relief and results. Research in a real-world, classroom setting; relief from constantly dealing with discipline problems; and results that are measurable. Paul and Susan Phariss provide all three in their cutting-edge Have a Ball Learning program.
Research
In 2009/2010, Paul and Susan Phariss conducted a study using their neurodevelopmental activity program in a public school classroom. Mild-to-moderately emotionally-disturbed fifth graders with learning disabilities participated in the study once per week for 26 weeks instead of an equal amount of reading intervention. At the end of the study, the students who did the neurodevelopmental activity program achieved triple the gain in oral reading fluency that the control group gained.
Relief
The other significant change noticed by the veteran special education teacher overseeing the study was a significant decrease in the behavior problems within the first few weeks of starting the program. This change alone convinced the special ed teacher that the program was effective; the test scores spoke for themselves.
When asked to describe the behavioral changes she noticed during the 2009/2010 study, award-winning special education teacher Melissa Lytle had this to say:
“Tyler came to me as an uncooperative fifth grade student prone to temper tantrums, melting down at the smallest frustration. He would cry, kick, and be generally upset for hours on end. The first change I noticed during the neurodevelopmental study was that Tyler began to recover more quickly from his outbursts. Then I noticed that he began to participate more during group activities with Paul and Susan. Tyler’s teachers noticed that he doesn’t become as easily frustrated and is able to interact with his classmates in a positive way. Tyler went from being a reluctant reader to a student who carries a library book with him at all times. He even reads while he is walking! It is really amazing to think about how much progress he has made in a short time.”
Results
The results from the classroom-based research: The study participants gained 37 words per minute in oral reading fluency. The control group only gained 12. The students in the study were reported to be more participatory in all their classes. Social skills improved. Behavior problems went down. Grades went up.
Results to be expected
- Reduction in Discipline Problems
- Improved Concentration
- More Responsive Students
- Students Love It!
- Increased Participation in All Classes
- Avid Readers
Paul Phariss is living proof of the effectiveness of the neurodevelopmental movements. After a head injury at age six left him with severe brain damage, Paul was unable to read until age 30. At age 54, using the exercises from this program plus individualized coaching, he corrected his convergence insufficiency and no longer has dyslexia.
Paul and Susan Phariss are two of only fourteen certified rhythmic movement training practitioners in North and South America. Their consulting services are in great demand.
Implementation
Collaborating with teachers and administrators, Paul and Susan Phariss will provide options to meet each school’s goals. Services range from classroom programs and teacher workshops, to whole school and district-wide programs. Through a thorough training and certification program, teachers can have the tools to enhance learning skills through neurodevelopmental activities for grades pre-K through 12th.
Ready for a Change
When your school has exhausted all the conventional approaches for raising reading and math proficiency, contact neurodevelopmental specialists Paul and Susan Phariss. Brain Fitness Strategies offers a breath of fresh air to students, parents, teachers and administrators alike. They provide the missing piece of the academic success puzzle.
“My students loved the program. They asked me daily, “Is today a brain fitness day?” They practically cheered each time Paul and Susan entered the classroom. One of my students asked, “Can they keep coming until I grow up?” The strongest endorsement of Paul and Susan’s work came when one of my students asked if he could invite one of his classmates to a session. He explained, “Marco has trouble with reading. He needs to come so he can get better.”
Melissa Lytle
Special Education Teacher
Bixby North 4th, 5th, and 6th Grade Center