{"id":10769,"date":"2013-12-25T02:08:55","date_gmt":"2013-12-24T19:08:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/?p=10769"},"modified":"2013-12-25T02:08:55","modified_gmt":"2013-12-24T19:08:55","slug":"improve-kids-focus-with-brainbeat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/improve-kids-focus-with-brainbeat\/","title":{"rendered":"Improve Kids Focus with BrainBeat"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"Brainbeat<\/p>\n

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There’s a new product on the market called BrainBeat<\/a>, scientifically proven to improve kids’ focus through fun cognitive exercises and interactive games through the use of controlled clapping. \u00a0As with any skill, a person’s focus can actually be improved to help make him\/her more successful. \u00a0BrainBeat’s computer based game, BrainBeat Conquer\u00a0<\/b>combines\u00a0“cognitive exercise with synchronized body movement and coordination activities that involves multiple senses, and to provide immediate feedback with\u00a0<\/em>unsurpassed accuracy\u00a0<\/em>about their precision, which improves kids\u2019 timing skills.”<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

BrainBeat \u00a0is geared towards kids aged 6-12, to help give them the ability to concentrate longer at home and in school. \u00a0Kids play the game Conquer to conquer different animated worlds while syncing the brain’s timing to absorb information more easily and increase kids focus.<\/p>\n

\"Brainbeat<\/p>\n

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Kids place a green button on their hand and put on headphones to hear a beat that they must clap to. \u00a0The beat is the same throughout each timed exercise. \u00a0To play, you must listen carefully and try to clap exactly on that beat. \u00a0Children are taught to swing their hands in a circular motion to create a rhythm to clap to the beat. \u00a0Although the action of clapping can be repetitive throughout the game, BrainBeat makes it interesting by telling you how close you were to matching the \u00a0beat. \u00a0You can either be too fast, too slow, or just right. \u00a0But even within these three categories, it tells you by milliseconds how far off you were.<\/p>\n

\"Brainbeat<\/p>\n

To make each set even more interesting, there are different objectives \u00a0for each game. \u00a0In one game your clapping pops a balloon for each beat you get right. \u00a0In another, you splash colors of paint on a blank canvas to create a famed picture, like the Mona Lisa. \u00a0Later you will be a frog and catch flies with every beat…or launch rockets…there is so much variety to make keeping a beat fun. \u00a0BrainBeat \u00a0has many different unique games which make it fun and very interactive.<\/p>\n

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Improve Kids Focus<\/span><\/h2>\n

BrainBeat \u00a0is based on Interactive Metronome (IM), a neurotherapy program that uses attention and coordination to increase performance. \u00a0IM has been used by healthcare professionals for years to treat Autism and ADHD, but also used at many elite high schools, the US Navy, professional, and college athletic teams to enhance their performance. IM has also been used to help adults who\u00a0experienced brain injury,\u00a0stroke, a diagnosis of Parkinson\u2019s disease, or other neurological disorders in a clinical setting. \u00a0There are over 20,000 IM certified providers in the US and Canada. \u00a0 BrainBeat \u00a0used this Interactive Metronome method and refined it to make it more interactive and engaging for children.<\/p>\n

According to BrainBeat,<\/p>\n

“BrainBeat improves brain timing and rhythm through real-time, millisecond feedback. By training the brain to focus solely on a target tone in frequent, intense time-frames, BrainBeat forces the <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

neurons on both sides of the brain to talk to each other more efficiently. With practice, the areas of the brain that control functions such as attention and learning become more synchronized, <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

like the inside of a clock. In other words, the brain learns to focus on demand. In younger brains, this can be especially powerful. And just like riding a bike, it\u2019s a skill with staying power.”<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Over time, BrainBeat \u00a0\u00a0synchronizes the “decision-making” parts of the brain to help quiet busy minds and learn to block out distractions and improve kids focus when taking tests or working on their homework. \u00a0In playing the game, kids are motivated through instant feedback, scoring, badges, interaction, and an animated tutor who helps guide them in their journey.<\/p>\n

\"Brainbeat<\/p>\n

After every exercise, BrainBeat \u00a0\u00a0delivers feedback to give kids their scores. \u00a0Kids can then use this info. to see how they improved in the next exercise. \u00a0Kids love the instant feedback BrainBeat gives.<\/p>\n

There’s no doubt, kids focus when playing video games. \u00a0They love the instant feedback and opportunities to be the best. \u00a0According to Sherrie Hardy, an education therapist and creator of Hardy Brain Camp, who tested BrainBeat with groups of students at several Boys and Girls Clubs,<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cBrainBeat 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\u2019 timing skills. This takes their engagement to the next level; and the gaming aspects challenge them the way they like to learn.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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Playing BrainBeat<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Brainbeat<\/p>\n

BrainBeat consists of fourteen 20 minute episodes, giving kids the opportunity to conquer worlds, measure their progress and coordination, and learn from their advisor, Nigel. \u00a0Upon completing the program, BrainBeat can be used in maintenance mode to help kids keep their focus before upcoming sports games, tests, etc.<\/p>\n

BrainBeat caught my eye because of its unique way to capturing a child’s focus through sequentially-timed learning. \u00a0My kids are pretty good in school. \u00a0They are attentive and really want to please their teachers. \u00a0But at home, I’ve noticed that my son’s attention span is short. \u00a0I repeatedly ask him to do a chore and when cornered after the third time, he says, “I forgot.” \u00a0I also noticed that he easily gets distracted when doing his homework, especially with his sister around. \u00a0 As I thought about it more, I realized that my own attention span is not what it used to be. \u00a0With the pressures of work, my kids and husband’s schedules, working out, and engagements with friends, I have been guilty myself of forgetting a few things.<\/p>\n

My 10-year-old daughter and I have really enjoyed playing BrainBeat. \u00a0We have gotten quite good at it. \u00a0Interestingly enough, my son, who needs it the most, got frustrated after tying BrainBeat \u00a0\u00a0once and didn’t want to play again. \u00a0I thought he was embarrassed that his score was much lower than my daughter and I and he wouldn’t try it again.<\/p>\n

\"Brainbeat<\/p>\n

I offered my son several dollars to use at the dollar store if he passed so many levels. \u00a0All of a sudden he was more interested. \u00a0It was a win-win because I knew the game would help him with his focus and he knew he could spend that money! \u00a0He accepted but soon\u00a0became frustrated while playing and I realized it wasn’t because of his low scores that he was so upset. \u00a0The reason was because he couldn’t keep a beat \u00a0for the life of him. \u00a0I found this very interesting. \u00a0He could catch the rhythm for perhaps 3-4 beats at a time, but then would lose it and he had no rhythm. \u00a0He’d hit the hand clapper faster and faster, even beat it down on his chair. \u00a0Tears started streaming down his face. \u00a0I could see he had enough.<\/p>\n

\"Brainbeat<\/p>\n

I couldn’t help but wonder how my son would perform in band. \u00a0In two years he will be able to join our elementary school’s band if he wants to. \u00a0He’d love to play a horn instrument or the drums. \u00a0But,will he be able to keep the beat? \u00a0I believe that BrainBeat\u00a0may have helped my husband and I stumble upon a learning opportunity with my son. \u00a0It could be his age, I’m not sure. \u00a0But I do know I want to do what I can to encourage him to keep playing BrainBeat. \u00a0I can see how BrainBeat \u00a0can teach him to have better focus and to get past his own mental stumbling blocks.<\/p>\n

\"improve<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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BrainBeat is available through the BrainBeat website <\/a>for $249.99 and comes with a total satisfaction guarantee<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\"Family<\/p>\n

A Mom’s Perspective<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

I found BrainBeat to be similar to the Splash Math Apps<\/a> we reviewed. \u00a0Initially, they are pretty fun, but as it gets harder, my kids’ attention wanes. \u00a0It’s not quite like Sklyanders or Disney Infinity, where my kids could play for hours and are self-motivated. \u00a0Kids are always suspect when they know something is good for them. \u00a0If they know that BrainBeat\u00a0improves kids focus, they are likely to be less interested. \u00a0There’s nothing like a little motivation and parent participation to help sweeten the pot when a child plays with a learning toy, such as BrainBeat.<\/p>\n

At WellConnectedMom.com, our policy is only to print reviews on products where we either overwhelming love the product, or at least the pros outweigh the cons. \u00a0We let you know exactly what we think of the products. \u00a0If we don’t like a product, we send it back to the manufacturer. \u00a0With BrainBeat , I received such an extreme reaction from my son…one I didn’t expect. \u00a0He rarely cries playing PC or video games…unless his sister is creaming him. \u00a0But despite my son’s reaction, I truly believe that Brainbeat is a viable product and has the potential to help my son attain more focus. \u00a0BrainBeat\u00a0provided me with some valuable information and insight into my son’s personality and behavior. \u00a0Will BrainBeat\u00a0help him with his focus? \u00a0I hope to find out, but I’ll have to do it gingerly.<\/p>\n

I suspect most kids will not take to BrainBeat as my son did. \u00a0I can definitely see BrainBeat as an incredible tool for helping your child…or yourself…learn to focus more intently.<\/p>\n

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* \u00a0 I was given the BrainBeat product to tryout in our family. \u00a0All opinions are my own.<\/p>\n

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Improve kids focus through BrainBeat’s engaging exercises, interactive games, and sequentially-timed learning.Timed hand clapping enhances concentration.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11853,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[793,6,971,10,13,14],"tags":[2065,2066,694,2783,2067],"class_list":["post-10769","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-accessories","category-dads","category-health","category-how-to","category-kids","category-moms","tag-brainbeat","tag-focus","tag-games","tag-kids","tag-pc-games","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/p-content\/themes\/atahualpa342\/images\/articles\/2013\/12\/Brainbeat-box.jpg?fit=265%2C198&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10769","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10769"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10769\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11853"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10769"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10769"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10769"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

In one study, conducted at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme<\/a>, CA, elementary and middle school students increased their reading and math skills by as much as 20% and increased their ability to pay attention, communicate their ideas, and manage their frustration by 30%. \u00a0Clearly, this new method of \u00a0“play,” though a bit unconventional, may be the key in helping your bright or focus-challenged child do better on homework, projects, tests, and reading.<\/p>\n