Frequently Asked Questions
How is cognitive skills training from Be Amazing different from traditional tutoring?
Traditional tutoring offers additional help in a particular subject area or with a particular skill. It can be an effective addition to content delivered in the classroom, especially because it can frequently be tailored to a child’s individual needs.
Be Amazing is different because our programs address foundational cognitive skills, rather than academic content. We work on helping children learn better. By developing skills such as working memory, attention, sequencing, and brain processing rates, our programs don’t simply give kids new academic knowledge; instead, they equip kids’ brains to better access and retain content they are exposed to, whether in the classroom or with a tutor.
Additionally, training cognitive skills with Be Amazing is a one-time shot: kids build their brain fitness with the programs, then move on to better academic performance. Once children have cognitive training, they stay “fit” by using their new cognitive skills. Studies have shown that the improvements in cognitive skills we can help your child achieve are both substantial and enduring.
How is Fast ForWord different from other brain fitness products?
New neuroscience research, particularly in the area of brain plasticity, has led to the development of a wide range of brain fitness products. Many are highly effective, and hold great promise for helping individuals young and old get the most out of their brain. However, Fast ForWord stands out from the field because:
-
•It was developed in the lab. The foundational research that led to the development of Fast ForWord was conducted by neuroscientists and neuropsychologists (not marketers) at the University of California, San Francisco and Rutgers University.
-
•The quantity of foundational research on how Fast ForWord software positively impacts the brain during the learning process is significant: Fast ForWord products are mentioned in over 4,000 foundational research studies. Additionally, Scientific Learning (creators of Fast ForWord) has compiled one of the largest databases of measured user results in education today, including skills tested with specific student populations from different regions of the country and abroad.
-
•It is intensive, but flexible. Developing cognitive skills takes work, just like building muscle in the gym. Based on the experiences of over 1 million participants, Fast ForWord offers several tested protocols (schedules) that ensure maximum gains, but allow for the flexibility that modern lives demand.
SharpBrains, a research and advisory firm devoted to the emerging brain fitness field, has developed a brain fitness program evaluation checklist. It’s a great tool for differentiating between the various offerings in the brain fitness arena.
How does Fast ForWord help children learn to read?
Perhaps the most crucial skill any child will learn in elementary school is the ability to read. Yet learning to read is one of the most difficult challenges young students will face in their lifetime. It’s a period of intense learning and a period where critical brain processing skills are developed.
Because reading requires many different events to take place simultaneously in the brain, Fast ForWord programs are designed to develop and strengthen the foundational processing skills of the young learner.
Fast ForWord programs simultaneously develop the processing efficiency AND literacy skills (such as phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, decoding, working memory, syntax and grammar) that elementary students need to learn to read or become a better reader. Teachers note many important benefits beyond reading, such as better focus, better attitude, and even better scores in subjects other than reading.
How is Be Amazing different from other Fast ForWord providers?
Fast ForWord programs are offered for use at home by many clinical professionals, including speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists. These professionals typically offer Fast ForWord programs as part of an array of therapies and services, including advanced diagnostics.
Be Amazing is focused on delivering advances in foundational cognitive skills with the Fast ForWord programs. That’s it. We are educators and education professionals who know how to help kids reach their academic potential, and that’s our focus.
Additionally, we offer a comprehensive service that fits Fast ForWord into your busy lifestyle. We’d like to think we’ve thought of everything, from headphones to motivational suggestions, that your family needs to be successful with these programs.
Finally, because we specialize in providing Fast ForWord, we can do so at a price that’s frequently lower than other providers.
I live in Texas, you’re in California. Can you help me?
Absolutely. Our remote tutoring model allows us to work with families across North America. We’ll ship you everything you need to get started, monitor your child’s progress remotely, and provide regular updates by email and phone. And we’re always available to help if you get stuck or need assistance.
Check out our map to see where in the world is Be Amazing.
Got another question that’s not answered here? Call or email: (800) 792-4809 or info@thinkamazing.com.
