Important Student
Improvement August
2006
We have been very pleased with
the results obtained by using the LearningBreakthrough
Program. Overall, we have seen improvements in ability
to focus and in self-confidence among all fourteen students
who have used the program for the past ten months. We
also think that the Learning Breakthrough Program is an
important component in our overall academic program because it
reduces the students' tendency to be distracted.
Koinonia Academy is a tutoring
service (K through 12) for Catholic home-schooling families.
Students typically come to the Academy one or more grade
levels behind in reading, spelling, and math. These
students have previously been in public schools or parochial
schools, or they have been home-schooled. No matter what
the type of educational environment the studnts come from,
they all arrive at the Academy with serious
deficiencies. Many of the children exhibit classic
symptoms of ADD/ADHD and/or dyslexia. The Learning
Breakthrough Program is an important tool in our efforts to
remediate and then accelerate the learning of these
students.
Sincerely,
Leroy "Skip" Spiller,
PhD
Director
Koinonia Academy
Bay City,
Michigan
(989)686-3766
75% Greater Reading
Improvement After 4 Months Program Use
After following the Learning
Breakthrough Program twice each day from January to May 2004,
eighty-three 2nd through 5th graders, all of whom had
Dyslexia, ADD/ADHD or non-specific learning disabilities,
averaged 75% greater progress in reading than the progress of
a control group of non-learning disabled students from the
same grades. Typically, learning disabled children progress at
only 25% to 50% as much as non-learning disabled
pupils.
Here are a few examples of the
dramatic progress experienced by some of the students. Of
sixteen 3rd grade pupils, who were at risk of failing the
state reading test, 9 passed during their first attempt and 3
more passed on the second attempt. One fifth grade child was
only able to master 6 spelling words weekly after intensive
studying before starting the program. Now this child is
mastering 12 words during pre-tests and rarely has to study
the words. He appears to have had the words in memory but
failed to transfer the information into workable material. One
autistic child, who was withdrawn before starting the program,
is now known as a chatty, outgoing young boy. He visits up and
down the hallways now whereas before he was very much to
himself. The school is so thrilled with these early results;
it intends to have the entire 3rd grade (130 pupils, learning
disabled and non-learning disabled) follow the program for the
entire school year, beginning in September. Third grade
students must pass the state reading test in order to be
promoted, therefore, it’s critical that this grade level is
targeted.
“My son also used the program at
home, who has improved 2 years of reading level after only 6
months of use. He was a third grader at the time, labeled
gifted and talented, but in danger of failing the state
reading test and thus being retained due to reading
deficiencies associated with dyslexia. He passed both the
reading and math state tests on the first attempt in spring
2004”.
It’s devastating to see you’re
your own child depressed, frustrated, and losing self-esteem
by the minute. The same thing had been happening to many
children in my school and I just couldn’t sit by and do
nothing to help them".
Mrs. Jeni
Ratliff
Principal
C. L. Milton Elementary
School
Laredo, Texas
Three year pilot study
in Seattle, WA
Dr. Frank Belgau’s Learning
Breakthrough Program was an integral part of a most successful
three-year education pilot study in Seattle, WA. The results
of the program demonstrate its value.
* Student IQ
scores increased an average of twenty- four
points.
* Academic scores increased an
average of four grade levels in spelling and
reading.
* Behaviors negative to
learning were almost totally eliminated.
* All children in the study knew that now they had skills to
learn and were eager to do their school tasks.
Dr. Jerald C.
Winger
Cognitive Rehabilitation Specialist
Formerly
Director of Learning Disabilities
Seattle School
District
Comparative Study of
First Grade Tutorial Programs
In 1993-94, this comparative
study was done to evaluate three tutorial programs designed to
improve First Grade student’s reading performance. The focus
of the study was done to highlight additional gains of First
Grade Students using the Learning Breakthrough Program. The
first two programs – listed as 3 days Belgau and 3 days SOI
were organized as small group instructional units. Programmed
Tutoring, listed at the bottom, however, is organized as a 1
to 1, adult to child, individual structured reading
system.
NCE’S or Normal Curve
Equivalents, (similar to percentiles) were used to average the
results of the Gates Reading Test. The Department of Education
has required us to show an average gain of 3 NCE’S to
recognize our programs as successful.
The gains of the students who
used the Learning Breakthrough Program and accompanying
equipment averaged a gain of 6.5 as opposed to 1.9 NCE’s. The
gains of children using Belgau equipment doubled required
expectations.
[The SOI percentages are
informal, not nationally normed as with Gates, but calculated
to show teachers improvements in activities.]
In summary, the children using
the balance equipment, fared 46% better on a normed reading
test than children supported in small group instruction with
the balance program and 20% better than children in a 1-1
Programmed Tutoring reading program.
Diamond Dale Elementary
School
Diamond Dale, MI
Reading
Specialist
JC was diagnosed with language
delay at age 4. He began the Learning Breakthrough Program
using the Belgau Balance Board in the fall of his third grade
year, reading at a second grade level. At the end of the 4th
grade he was reading at a seventh grade level. He made
straight A's every six weeks, and received a reading award for
top AR points in grades 4 & 5. He also tested out of
Resource Classes altogether this year!!! He scored a 145 on
oral language expression, a difficult feat for a student with
a language delay. God bless you for this wonderful program
that changes lives.
Rebecca Callaway
Reading
Specialist
Nashville, TN
Reading
Clinician
One of the greatest areas of
improvement I have seen with my students has been in the area
of visual processing. This improvement produces more retention
of sight words, word patterns, math facts, etc. in the brain.
My students love to do the Belgau Balance Board.
Anne Benesch
Reading
Clinician
Granby, CO
Private Tutorial and
Consultant Program
This program truly is “brain
games in space”. It organizes the brain, balances the body and
all its parts, builds new neural pathways, focuses, integrates
all the sensory input, improves memory and comprehension, and
develops spatial abilities. And there are other “fall outs”
such as better behaviors in the classroom and more confidence
for the individual. This is not hearsay. I have actually
witnessed these results.
Ruth Cobb Arnold,
Ed.D.
Professor of Education, Emeritus
Stetson
University, Florida
Student
Improvement
My name is AS. I would like to
thank you for the Learning Breakthrough Program because it has
helped me a lot. I have improved my handwriting and my
spelling scores. I use the Belgau Balance Board in the
classroom, in PE and sometimes I take it home. I'm very smart,
but the board has made it easier to get my ideas on paper. I
want to be a Herbalist when I grow up. Without the board in my
life, I might not even be able to pass 5th grade. It has
changed my life. I used to feel bored and now work is more fun
to do. I used to have bad feelings about myself. Now I think
I'm great! So do a lot of other people. It feels good to be
able to do my work.
AS
Student, Boardmaster
Captain
Parent
Report
Two days of board doubled my
child’s reading - Boy, 8 years... (10 minutes time - 2 pages
to 4 pages) Incredible.
Parent Note 10/2/98
Private
Client
Thank you for sending the
Learning Breakthrough Program materials. I received them just
in time to begin the balance activities prior to my upgrade to
instructor pilot. I made 100% on all my tests and had a Q-1
check ride with no downgrades - my personal best. I am forever
grateful to you and appreciate the quick response to my
request. My daughter does pendulum ball activities daily and
she is only 8 months. It is amazing to see her hand-eye
coordination improve.
Air Force
Pilot 3/3/95
