BrainBeat Launches Innovative "Brain Training" for Kids

CHICAGO, May 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Summer vacation for many children means that much of what they learn during the school year goes right out the window. In fact, students can lose more than two months of knowledge due to lack of daily engagement in educational activities.[i]  This summer, kids can overcome "learning loss" and get an edge with BrainBeat Conquer, a new computer-based cognitive trainer with advanced gaming technology that is scientifically proven to improve kids' focus through fun, interactive exercises.

BrainBeat challenges kids ages six through 12 to self-train their brain by clapping in time with a fixed beat while they conquer different animated worlds. As kids' rhythm improves and training becomes more difficult, they're motivated by instant feedback (through scoring, sounds and light cues), badges of encouragement and a dynamic tutor who guides them along the way. Over time, by sequentially involving the body and mind, BrainBeat synchronizes the "decision-making" parts of the brain and engages the area that handles visuals and sounds, helping kids concentrate longer and absorb information easier.

"By sharpening focus, BrainBeat enhances kids' learning, boosts their engagement and quiets busy minds." said Robert Ryan, Co-Founder of BrainBeat. "After fourteen 20-minute sessions, they learn how to block out distractions and zero-in on important moments like tests or homework."

BrainBeat's underlying technology is supported by a decade of scientific research in child development and learning, with studies demonstrating significant improvements in children's performance and behavioral skills. One study, conducted at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme, Calif., revealed that the technology powering BrainBeat increased elementary and middle school students' reading and math skills by as much as 20 percent, and improved their ability to pay attention, listen, communicate ideas and manage frustration by an average of 30 percent.

"Children enjoyed the fast-paced graphics and success they felt completing the program's exciting levels," said Sherrie Hardy, an education therapist and creator of Hardy Brain Camp, who tested BrainBeat with groups of students at several Boys and Girls Clubs. "BrainBeat is the first product of its kind to offer brain timing exercises involving synchronized body movement and coordination activities that use multiple senses, as well as immediate and extremely precise feedback about their accuracy, which improves kids' timing skills. This takes their engagement to the next level; and the gaming aspects challenge them the way they like to learn."

The benefits of better focus can be immeasurable for kids who are struggling or performing below grade-level, and for parents who want them to feel confident in their abilities at home and in school. "It changed my son's life," said Diane Solomon, Valencia, Calif., mother of a BrainBeat conqueror. "After using BrainBeat, my son David will now sit down and read an entire book, which is something he would have never done because reading was so challenging before. The weight has certainly been lifted off our shoulders."

The technology behind BrainBeat has already helped thousands of people improve their focus over the last 10 years through Interactive Metronome (IM), a neurotherapy program. Because the technology impacts the cognitive and motor abilities in the brain that are broadly important to performance (attention and coordination), IM has been successfully used by more than 20,000 healthcare professionals to treat individuals with various neurological conditions (ADHD, Autism, stroke). It has also benefited more than a dozen elite high schools, the U.S. Navy, and many professional and college athletic teams as a performance enhancement tool. Employing the same evidence-based approach of "sequentially-timed learning," BrainBeat was further refined by a team of gaming engineers and leading medical advisors to strike the right balance between science, motivation and fun for consumers.

BrainBeat is available online for $245. To purchase the product, hear from parents whose kids have experienced positive results from training, or learn more about the science behind the technology, visit BrainBeat.com.

About BrainBeat

Launched in 2013, BrainBeat is a computer-based cognitive trainer with innovative technology that improves users' focus through fun, interactive exercises. The program challenges users to clap in tune with a fixed beat while engaging them with stimulating game-like features, which synchronizes the brain's timing and improves its efficiency and performance. This leads to improvements in learning, behavior, brain speed, and coordination. BrainBeat is powered by the same evidence-based technology as Interactive Metronome, a treatment tool that is currently used by healthcare professionals to improve the cognitive and motor skills of individuals with various neurological conditions. Because of the technology's clinical success, the company recently introduced a program, sold directly to consumers, to aid the developing minds of kids ages six through 12 (Conquer). Visit BrainBeat.com for more information.

About Interactive Metronome (IM)

IM is an assessment and treatment tool used by therapists and other professionals to improve and restore cognitive and motor skills. For more than 10 years, IM has benefited children diagnosed with learning and developmental disorders, as well as adults who have experienced brain injury, stroke, a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease,or other neurological disorders in a clinical setting. Today, there are more than 20,000 certified IM providers in over 7,500 clinics, hospitals and universities throughout the United States and Canada. IM's goal is to educate professionals and contribute to the complete functional rehabilitation of patients.

[i]Cooper, H., Nye, B., Charlton, K., Lindsay, J., & Greathouse, S. 1996. "The effects of summer vacation on achievement test scores: A narrative and metaanalytic review." Review of Educational Research, 66, 227–268.

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SOURCE BrainBeat