Posts Tagged ‘math success’

Winning Over Learning Disabilities

Jan Bedell, The Brain Coach, Strives For Excellence

Over the years Jan Bedell, founder of Little Giant Steps and leader of the LGS Dream Team, has been inspired by God to create Neuro-Educational Programs.  Each year we change up and improve our educational curriculum that is richly embedded with neurodevelopmental activities, as a means not only to prepare the students to function academically, but to prepare the brain to receive, comprehend, process, store, and recall information in the most accurate and efficient way possible.

• This year is no exception.  The biggest change for 2011 has been the improvement in Early Learning Foundations (ELF).  Now, there are three levels (and expect a level 4 next year). 

* Early Learning Foundations Level 1 – Serves preschoolers and helps them with becoming more school-ready with gaining neuro-efficiency in addition to getting them ready for reading, writing, and math. We’ve added a new DVD to teach you how to use this program more effectively! All facets of the activities within this program will stimulate the brain to improve and enhance your child’s Auditory, Visual, Tactile and Gross Motor abilities. You’ll be amazed at your child’s new found skills when they become neurologically organized. They will be able to stay on task, follow directions and they will enjoy learning. Here’s what one mom had to say about this program:
“I ordered Early Learning Foundations for my “just turned” 4 year old. This is the most incredible curriculum I’ve ever had!! It almost makes me have “momma guilt” for not having it for my two older children. I also ordered ABC’s in a Flash and look forward to using it.”  K. S. in Spring, TX

* Early Learning Foundations Level 2- Serves Kindergarten. ELF is a multi-sensory approach to teaching basic math skills to early learners as well as individuals with challenges. Level 2 begins where Level 1 leaves off.  Rapid Recall System is included in the Kindergarten Level 2 ELF.  This program is not only excellent with what it accomplishes educationally and neurologically, but it is fun! Watch this video and listen to this principal with what she witnesses in her classrooms.

* Early Learning Foundations Level 3- Serves 1st grade.  Again this program is innovative, educationally sound, and the children love it. Watch this classroom’s response to taking a one minute speed and accuracy test with the Rapid Recall math facts program.    More information on the research done in schools on Rapid Recall System is available on LGS Educational Services website.  Have a blessed day.

Incremental Success Builds The Base

One thing that has been so much fun working with Jan Bedell’s neuro-educational programs, is seeing the children improve and succeed each day as we see the lower levels of their brains get organized (they begin to think and comprehend in organized ways ~ a big advantage especially in gaining math skills). While her programs provide curriculum supplementation, like Rapid Recall for math facts, they really ready the child for better processing of what they hear, see, say and touch.  Their short-term memory improves with the practiced design of ”The Brain Coach’s” educational programs.  These programs deliver life-long imprinting on the brain, because they actually create new neuro-pathways.  They close developmental gaps that may exist.  It is exciting to see more and more learning disabilities being remedied via the use of neurodevelopmentally focused supplemental curriculum and educational tools. 

Seeing Is Believeing 

This past year we had the pleasure of working the the Summit Christian Academy.  It is an elementary school (NAUMS) and therefore we had a great deal of participation not only with the teachers, but parents.  We kept hearing reports about how the kindergarten loved doing their Rapid Recall (Math Facts) each day.  So, here it is for you to see for yourself.  Kindergarten 2011 Math Speed Test!

If interested in more information on our work at schools, go to Little Giant Steps’ YouTube Channel.

What follows is the story of one teacher’s struggles to help her students achieve math fact mastery and how the Rapid Recall System revolutionized her approach and effectiveness in achieving that goal.

       Rapid Recall System = Math Facts Mastery

For years I drilled math facts into students without much success. Flash cards and drill sheets were the standard fare. Students were expected to know their math facts and recite them with confidence and accuracy. Students would use their fingers, stare at their paper, or look to the ceiling as if the answers might fall out of the sky for them.

Oh yes, I did send home those flash cards with the answers on the back instructing parents to spend a set amount of time drilling their children. We spent hours on math manipulatives. But at the beginning of the new school year, I would hear from the second grade teachers that the students didn’t know their math facts and would I please work harder this year. This went on year after year.

Last year I had the opportunity to implement the Rapid Recall System in my first grade classroom. We began the system in September with students that ranged from not recognizing numbers to being able to do one or two addition problems in three minutes. The majority of the students were familiar with counting, but that was the extent of their mathematic skills.

Rapid Recall was easy to implement. The first week was spent teaching students about ‘plus zero’ facts. This system had us showing the students addition facts with ‘plus zero’ in all forms. We reviewed ‘plus zero’ facts several times throughout the day. By the end of the week, all my students mastered their ‘plus zero’ facts.

The second week we did the same routine with ‘plus one’ facts and the students did speed drills on ‘plus zero’ facts. My students were thrilled with the perfect scores they received on their speed drill papers!

The third week we began the meat of the program. Each week we focused on five math facts – two reciprocals and one double. We started each day by listening to a two-minute math track with only the five facts for the week. This part was easy. The students were listening while I was able to do those daily tasks like attendance and lunch count that take time but include no educational instruction. When the math track was over, we went on to other tasks.

Later in the morning, I flashed the five math fact cards to the students twice. I read each card. The students didn’t speak; they just listened. It took about a minute and it was on to other activities.

-more of this teachers point of view next time-

       It Works In Schools – It’s Guaranteed – It’s Rapid Recall System

“What a fantastic math facts system!  In 18 years of teaching, (first-graders) I have tried many ways to teach math facts but this system was by far the easiest to implement and I had better results with this system than anything else I have tried – all in just 7 minutes a day!   Even my lower-level students flourished and were successful under this system. (3 students did 100% in 3 min or under.)

Here are just a few of the results that made me sit up and take notice:

   Child #1 – Able to do all 70 problems in 2.5 minutes – 100%!

   Child #2 – Unable to identify numbers at year start. At end of the year, he did better than all the top students in other first-grade classes. 

                      My biggest success story in math! 

   Child #3 – Considered RTI, he was easily able to do math and was  keeping up with the rest of the class.

                   An Exciting and Unexpected Result

After using the neurodevelopmental approach in my classroom this past year, my students improved academically, gained strength physically and matured emotionally.  These students individually were able to complete sequences of tasks without prompting, as well as staying focused on the task that was before them.  Other adults around them commented that their reasoning skills as well as their organizational skills were far above those of peers.  Unlike other first grade classrooms in my past 18 years of teaching and those around us not participating in the program, these students were more respectful of each other and worked together to accomplish tasks without arguments.  Students were successful, so both the students and teacher’s stress level came down.   Together, we were working “smarter”, not harder.”

                                                                                     Tanda Trussell, First Grade Teacher, Plemons-Stinnett-Phillips CISD, Stinnett, TX  

My son was 15 yrs. old with a high IQ and STILL had not memorized his multiplication facts. He was capable of understanding abstract math concepts, but was bogged down figuring out each simple computation because he did not have them memorized.  We tried everything imaginable before Rapid Recall System was recommended to us. I had actually given up and did not expect Rapid Recall System to work either. Amazingly, it did work with just spending a few minutes each day! He now knows all of his multiplication facts.   LS, California

Here is a note from a teacher involved in a research program done in 2008-2009:

After using the neurodevelopmental approach in my classroom this past year, my students improved academically, gained strength physically and matured emotionally.  These students individually were able to complete sequences of tasks without promptings as well as staying focused on the task that was before them.  Other adults around them commented that their reasoning skills as well as their organizational skills were far above those of peers.  Unlike other first grade classrooms in my past 18 years of teaching and those around us not participating in the program, these students were more respectful of each other and worked together to accomplish tasks without arguments.  Students were successful, so both the students and teacher’s stress level came down.   Together, we were working “smarter”, not harder. 

RAPID RECALL SYSTEM

What a fantastic math facts system!  In 18 years of teaching, I have tried many ways to teach math facts but this system was by far the easiest to implement and I had better results with this system than anything else I have tried – all in just 7 minutes a day!   Even my lower-level students flourished and were successful under this system.

Tanda Trussell, First Grade Teacher

Plemons-Stinnett-Phillips CISD

Stinnett, TX

Little Giant Steps has developed many programs utilizing the neuro-educational approach.  These programs not on teach the curriculum, but they are designed to develop improved connectivity between the brain and body by building new neuro-pathways for better neuro-efficiency.  As we say, “It’s in the wiring!”   See what our research from 2008-2009 school term shows:   

 This program is called Rapid Recall System.  It is a very quick and easy program to institute and even easier to carry out daily.  Actually, the teacher is only required to interact twice a day for two minutes.  It even allows for use of the system during typical “non-productive” times.  For instance, the class can be listening to the auditory portion of the daily program while the teacher can be taking roll or doing lunch rosters, etc.

For more information on this exceptional math facts supplemental program, see more details on the website:  Click Here

Math Facts In 10 Min. A Day

Teachers are using this supplemental math facts system and discovering the multi-sensory, neuro-educationally-based system works:    “I like the quick one minute drill to keep focus.  You can see how much they’ve grown for the week.” Maxine Bonner—Grade 2  

“My kids really love the sounds between the rows of the facts.  They will giggle.  Everyone will laugh and predict what is said.  It takes my students two or three days to learn the facts.  They know them by the end of the week.” Jennifer Baggett—Grade 2

Math Facts In 10 Min. A Day

Teacher’s comments after only 8 weeks of use:  

“The teachers seem to like the Rapid Recall programs we have given them and are beginning to see some results. ” Alma Gutierrez—Principal            

 “I have students completing one minute drills that I didn’t think could.  This is surprising me!”  Candi Voyles—Grade 1