It’s summertime, and summer means graduation season! Families across the US are celebrating their high school grads and preparing for what’s next, whether that’s a new career, a gap year, or advanced study at a community college or university. LearningRx franchisees know firsthand how impactful a one-on-one brain training program can be for a struggling student. Lisa Branch, owner of the LearningRx Center in Huntsville, Texas, recently celebrated the high school graduation of her nephew, Nicholas. At his graduation, Lisa said,
“In first grade, he struggled to read. It was hard. Lots of tears—his and mine. As an educator, I had to find an answer. Enter LearningRx. A new career for me and an answer for him!An investment that was worth every penny for the results of this evening. 6 months that changed everything. Salutatorian and $89,000.00 of scholarships!”
We sat down with Lisa to hear a little bit more about the family’s experience with LearningRx.
LearningRx: What originally drew you to become a LearningRx franchisee?
Lisa Branch: As an educator, I struggled to help students who didn’t have the natural ability to learn. I would work with them individually, present concepts in a myriad of ways, and have parents work with them at home—all to see little to no improvement. What I did see was a growing frustration. Students who struggle to learn and can’t find the key to unlock that ability eventually give up. The resources that we have to offer in schools just aren’t enough. The problems follow them year after year and increase in their significance. I wanted these kids to have a solid chance—a level playing field. When I found LearningRx, I found my answers.
My sister had struggled with learning as a child and when these same indicators came along in her child, I had to find an answer for him specifically. I had seen what happened when kids couldn’t read both in the classroom and in my family. I was bound and determined to correct the issue with my nephew, Nicholas.
LRx: How did your family decide it was time to enroll Nicholas in a LearningRx program?
LB: I picked my nephew up from school one day when he was in first grade. He climbed into the car, looked at me, and tears began to roll down his face. “They don’t love me here. I can’t read.” His words broke my heart. My business partner and I had just opened the Huntsville LearningRx center and I needed to prove that this system worked. I also needed my nephew to succeed at reading. I called his mom and basically told her (rather than asking her!) that Nicholas was going to be my “practice kid”, that I was going to learn how to operate a center and have great results-especially with reading, and that I needed him to be at the center 3 days a week. She agreed (though I didn’t give her much choice!).
Nicholas completed a 120-hour program with a one-on-one brain trainer. By midterm of his first-grade year, he was reading on grade level. By the end of the school year, he was two levels above in reading. The success that reading gave him spilled over into everything—other subjects, his confidence, even his interest in learning.
His report card had improved so drastically, that teachers began asking what we were doing at LearningRx!
LRx: What possibilities did LearningRx open for Nicholas?
LB: The doors that opened for Nicholas are beyond my wildest dreams. Nicholas has taken several pre-AP, AP, and Dual Credit classes throughout his high school career. He has maintained an “A” in all of those classes and in all of his high school subjects. Nicholas has worked three days per week at a part-time job while managing to study and complete assignments in person and via Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has graduated with honors that include National Honor Society, Dual Credit Achievement, and Salutatorian of his high school class. Additionally, he has been awarded a fully endowed scholarship to attend Sam Houston State University for four years. This includes all of his room and board, books, meals, tuition, and other fees. Additionally, he has earned other scholarships that will provide for his needs while attending the University. He has a total of $89,000 to use for his educational expenses.
LRx: Complete this statement: If not for LearningRx, Nicholas would never….
LB: This is a hard statement, but my thoughts come because of experience. Nicholas has an older brother who was grown by the time that LearningRx came into the picture for our family. Nicholas’ brother struggles to this day with reading, learning, and life in general. It is my belief that Nicholas would have traveled a similar road without the benefit of LearningRx. I don’t believe that he would have become a confident reader. I don’t believe that his reading level would have enabled him to be an interested learner. I don’t believe that Nicholas would have achieved this overall success in life.
If not for LearningRx, Nicholas would never have experienced all that life has opened up for him. Success in learning led to high grades and an interest in academia that would have escaped him!
Everyone’s brain training experience is different and results may vary. To see our research results, visit www.learningrx.com/brain-training-results
LearningRx Atlanta-Buckhead’s owner and executive director, Susie McDaniel, has good reason to believe in the benefit of cognitive skills training. She’s had personal experience with it.
When her son Matthew was young, Susie enrolled him in brain training with LearningRx.
Here’s their story.
LearningRx: What made you begin your search to help Matthew?
Susie McDaniel: As a child, my oldest son, Matthew, struggled with attention, sensory, and social issues. His weakest cognitive skills were short-term memory and processing speed, and the combination of those weaknesses presented as an inability to focus and impaired executive functioning. Matthew’s attention struggles were so severe that he was essentially kicked out of his preschool because of them! As he got a little older, he also had trouble with spelling (especially reversing letters), and he would often forget to turn work in once he finished it.
Because he routinely forgot to turn in work, his teacher failed him in conduct one term. That did a number on his self esteem, and threatened his chances of getting into the private high schools he wanted to attend. His struggles affected his sense of belonging as well — he always felt like an outsider, and it seemed like he was always in trouble for something.
Matthew was having so much trouble in school that I began having panic attacks. I wanted to find the most natural way to improve his attention, with medication as a last-resort option. As a physical therapist, I began researching tools within the field, trying a wide range of interventions, including occupational therapy, speech therapy, vision therapy, auditory programs, social thinking classes, and tutoring. You name it—we tried it! I was seeing some benefits from everything we tried, but I knew a big piece of the puzzle was still missing.
That was when I learned about cognitive skills training and LearningRx from a friend in another state. I traveled there to see it firsthand and immediately knew this was what Matthew needed. There were no LearningRx centers near me, so a friend and I started the first LearningRx center in Atlanta in 2007.
LRx: What kind of results did you see for Matthew?
SM: Matthew started with ReadRx (the LearningRx program designed to address the skills needed for reading) at 7 years old. While he didn’t have specific reading difficulties, he was attending private schools and learning at a faster pace, so I thought that improved reading and comprehension skills could only benefit him. I knew that the cognitive skills LearningRx programs strengthen to improve reading and comprehension would also help Matthew with his other learning struggles.
Matthew’s one-on-one brain training program made his reading much stronger, enabling him to read and comprehend at higher levels. And the higher-level English language rules addressed in the ReadRx component helped him better execute school writing assignments as well. In addition to improved reading and comprehension skills, brain training with LearningRx has helped strengthen Matthew’s short-term memory and processing speed, and his attention and executive skills improved as a result.
LRx: What possibilities did LearningRx open up for Matthew?
Matthew graduated from a private high school,tackling a challenging curriculum and making the honor roll.He is now a sophomore in collegemajoring in Robotics Engineering.
SM: He has made the dean’s list and earned a Hope scholarship. In addition, he experiences less stress with schoolwork (even with the amount of work required at the college level) and better organizational skills. He never had to go on medication for his attention struggles.
When Matthew took the SAT, he received top scores in the reading portion. I am confident this is due to the cognitive skills training he received at LearningRx.
It has been my pleasure to watch Matthew thrive as a child and now as a young adult. As any parent can attest, there is nothing better than seeing your children thrive.
Everyone’s brain training experience is different and results may vary. To see our research results, visit www.learningrx.com/brain-training-results
