VanBrocklin has been using brain-based learning initiatives in her teaching for nearly two decades and has always valued studies in how neurocognition and brain plasticity can benefit early learners. So when she got a chance to evaluate her students’ abilities with a reading research app, she jumped at the chance.
“Over so many years of teaching I’ve seen themes come and go,” said VanBrocklin, a teacher at Edgewood Campus School. “But the brain is the brain, and when I’ve seen functional MRI scans of how blood flows in regions that are attending, remembering or even struggling, it is fascinating to see how learners are wired.”
By knowing more, VanBrocklin said, she can tailor her instruction.
“I can really optimize what we are doing in the classroom. You just have the short window of nine months to maximize (students’) opportunity for growth,” VanBrocklin said. “Brain-based teaching involves the creation of a classroom that enhances how a child receives, processes and outputs information.”
VanBrocklin is partnering with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on an app using games to detect red flags for dyslexia and assess reading readiness in children ages 4 to 8 through an accessible and scalable method. The goal is to eventually make the app available worldwide at no cost.