"REWIRING" THE BRAIN
to help solve learning problems
PACE training procedures are intensive, fast-paced, non-academic exercises that strengthen mental function and effectively improve the following cognitive skills:
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attention
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memory
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comprehension
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auditory processing
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visual processing
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logic & reasoning
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processing speed
The PACE program uses exercises organized from simple to progressively more complex. The cognitive training makes demands on the student's processing ability, and requires attention and reasoning throughout. Once the student has mastered a task, he is presented with a higher level challenge that targets the same cognitive functions. The trainer increases the demands either by increasing the speed of the task, by adding a second mental function simultaneously, or by adding distractions which the student must ignore while focusing on the primary task at hand.
The most important aspect of PACE training is immediate feedback. This is why the training is never done with more than one student at a time. The brain responds to positive reinforcement, which is provided by the trainer when a new skill is done correctly (either verbally, with high-fives, or small rewards). When an error is made, immediate correction is imperative so that the student is not allowed to practice a skill incorrectly.
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Students average a 3.6 year gain in deficient |
Rewiring the Brain The concept of "rewiring the brain" may seem somewhat abstract. If you’d like to see a visual demonstration of the brain’s neurons being wired together, watch the seven minute video featuring Dr. David Walsh. Dr. Walsh explains that the brain’s “hard wiring” is determined by genetics, and “soft wiring” occurs as the result of experiences. You will see how neurons (brain cells) are wired together to form complex circuits that enable us to learn. Dr. Walsh says, “Neuroscientists have a phrase to capture the phenomenon of soft wiring. ‘The neurons that fire together wire together.’ The more they fire together, the stronger the connection becomes.” This “firing together” of neurons is what happens in the brain as a result of the experiences during PACE cognitive training. The trainer leads the student through mental exercises, working at precisely the right level of challenge and drilling repeatedly to create new connections, thus strengthening weak cognitive skills. Go to Youtube.com Search David Walsh brain power
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