“The human brain is a most unusual instrument of elegant and as yet unknown capacity.”
Stuart Seaton

Research

"A Study of the Effectiveness of Cognitive Skill Development Delivered in a Video-Game Format." Optometry & Vision Development, Volume 38, Number 1, 2007

Purpose:  Demonstrate that BrainWare Safari as a computerized program could produce results comparable to those seen by clinicians with their patients using therapeutic techniques that are  largely paper and pencil and one-on-one.
Subjects:  Male and Female, ages 6 to 13 (grades 1 to 8).
Usage Protocol: 45-60 minutes, 3 to 5 times per week, 12 weeks
Assessment:  Woodcock-Johnson III Cognitive Battery and Tests of Achievement
Findings:  Children in who used BrainWare Safari (study group) showed an average of 4 years and 3 months improvement on the tests of cognitive skills compared to 4 months improvement for the control group, and an average of 1 year and 11 months increase on the tests of achievement compared to an average 1 month increase for the control group.
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Harbor Beach Community Schools and BrainWare Safari -- 2009

Purpose:  Confirm that results comparable to those found in the published study would be achieved by students using the program in a Harbor Beach, Michigan school.
Subjects:  Male and Female, ages 7 to 16, nominated by teachers who felt they could use some extra support.
Usage Protocol:  45 minutes, 4 times per week, 12 weeks
Assessment:  Woodcock-Johnson III Cognitive Battery
Findings:  The students' average improvement on the cognitive tests was 3 years 1 month, and as in other studies, each individual exhibited improvement in his or her intellectual ability. Teachers observed significant improvements in academic performance by students who used BrainWare Safari.
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Evaluation of BrainWare Safari at Edgar Evans Academy -- 2006

Purpose:  (1) Demonstrate how BrainWare Safari fits into the regular curriculum of an elementary school classroom and 2) assess its effectiveness with very challenging users.
Subjects:  Male, 4th and 5th grades, with a history of discipline problems
Usage Protocol:  2-3 hours per week, 11 weeks
Assessment:  Woodcock-Johnson III Cognitive Battery
Findings: The students had an average chronological age of 11 at the time of the pre-test, but tested at an intellectual age of 8 years 2 months. The average post-test intellectual age was measured at 14 years 2 months, an improvement of 6 years (2 years and 10 months above the norm for their ages).
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BrainWare Safari at Glenwood School for Boys and Girls -- 2009

Purpose:  For the first time, show a clear connection between cognitive skill development and improved academic performance.
Subjects:  Male and Female, Grades 2 through 8, economically and socially disadvantaged
Usage Protocol:  30 minutes, 3 to 5 times per week, 8 weeks
Assessment:  Woodcock-Johnson III Cognitive Battery, Visual Motor Inventory
Findings:  Average improvement from the pre-test to the post-test on the academic tests ranged from 0.5 grade equivalents (GE) in 2nd grade to 2.9 GE in 8th grade.  Average improvement on the cognitive tests ranged from 1.5 GE in 2nd grade to a high of 3.0 GE in 7th grade.  The results showed a clear relationship between improvement in the underlying attention, memory, and other mental processing skills developed by BrainWare Safari and performance on academic tests.
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BrainWare Safari and Students Qualifying for a Gifted Program -- 2009

Purpose:  Enable more students to qualify for the Gifted Program.
Subjects: Male and Female, 2nd grade
Usage Protocol:  30 minutes, 2-3 times per week, 17 weeks
Assessment:  CogAT
Findings:  In a school in which no students had qualified for the gifted program the prior year, following use of the program, 2 students qualified for the gifted program based on their composite CogAT score (98th percentile or better); 5 students qualified based on having at least one CogAT scores at the 93rd percentile or higher combined with MAP testing results; and 3 students qualified for additional performance testing based on their scores.  60 of 64 students improved their results on the CogAT.  The average composite score increased by 11 points (Nonverbal -- 8 points, Quantitative -- 9 points, Verbal -- 12 points).
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BrainWare Safari: Broad-Based Improvement of Cognitive Ability -- 2010

Purpose:  (1) Enable more students to qualify for the Gifted Program (2) Assess the impact of BrainWare Safari across the spectrum of pre-test ability.
Subjects:  Male and Female, 2nd grade
Usage Protocol:  30 minutes, 2-3 times per week, 17 weeks
Assessment:  CogAT
Findings:  8 more students qualified for the Gifted Program following their use of BrainWare Safari.  Overall student performance shifted markedly between the two tests, with lower percentages falling in the bottom deciles and higher percentages scoring in the top deciles.  For example, the percentage of students score between the 31st and 40th percentile fell from 15% to 11%, while the percentage scoring at the 91st percentile or higher increased from 3% to 10%.
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BrainWare Safari and Students with Specific Learning Disabilities -- 2012

Purpose: Determine the effectiveness of BrainWare Safari with SLD students using a randomized-control group study design.  The research was designed, implemented and analyzed by Sarah Avtzon, PhD, Assistant Professor and Director of Early Childhood Development at Daemen College.
Subjects: 40 Students from two schools in NYC, male and female, grades 2 – 4
Usage protocol: 30-45 minutes, 3 to 5 times per week, 12 weeks.
Assessment: Woodcock-Johnson Cognitive Battery III Normative Update and Tests of Achievement.
Students were randomly assigned to a treatment group and a non-treatment group.
Findings: Students in the study who used BrainWare Safari for 12 weeks improved their cognitive functioning by 2.8 years compared to 2 months for a control group.  The students improved their overall cognitive proficiency level from 64% to 89%, where 90% is the expected proficiency level for a normally developing student.  Students in the control group improved just 1 percentage point in cognitive proficiency, from 63% to 64%.
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Evaluation of BrainWare Safari at Coleman Academy -- 2008

Purpose:  Determine the impact of BrainWare Safari on progress in reading.
Subjects:  Male and Female, Grades 4 through 8
Usage Protocol:  30 minutes, 3 to 5 times per week, 12 weeks
Assessment:  DIBELS® Oral Reading Fluency
Findings:  The only class in which the program was actually implemented (4th Grade Girls) was the only class that exceeded their DIBELS benchmark scores at the end of the year.  The rate of progress for the 4th Grade Girls accelerated during the second half of the year when they were using BrainWare Safari moving from 9 points above benchmark to 26 points above benchmark.  The teacher observed behavioral improvements in the students as well, specifically in making fewer careless errors, memory, grasping new concepts and communication with parents, peers and teachers, following use of the program.
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Ross Elementary School Pilot of BrainWare Safari -- 2010

Purpose:  Assess the impact of BrainWare Safari on both cognitive development and performance on state assessment tests.
Subjects:  Male and Female, Grades 3 through 5
Usage Protocol:  30-40 minutes, 4 times per week 11 weeks
Assessment:  Woodcock-Johnson III Cognitive Battery Subtests, Kansas State General Assessments
Findings:  Student performance on the WCJIII subtests improved an average of 1 year 10 months, consistent with results from previous research on these specific tests.  On a second post-test following 6 months of non-use, students' cognitive development continued at an accelerated rate,yielding average total growth of 3 years and 2 months.  The percentage of students meeting the state assessment standards improved for both reading (from 56% in 2009 to 65% in 2010) and math (from 26% to 72%).  The average reading score increased at each grade level, moving from below the standard in 2009 into the meets or exceeds range in 2010.  The average math score also increased at each grade level, staying in the meets or exceeds range. 
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Evaluation of BrainWare Safari with ELL Students at Xilin Community Center -- 2006

Purpose: Evaluate BrainWare Safari's effective with English Language Learners (native Chinese-speaking)
Subjects:  Male and Female, ages 7 to 11
Usage Protocol:  45 minutes, 4 times per week, 11 weeks
Assessment:  Woodcock-Johnson III Cognitive Battery and Tests of Achievement
Findings:  The students showed an average of 3 years and 6 months cognitive improvement over the 11 weeks of the study, and an average 2 years and 4 months improvement on the tests of achievement.  As in other studies, every student improved his or her performance on the tests.
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School City of Hammond Bilingual Program BrainWare Safari Pilot -- 2010

Purpose:  Evaluate the contribution of cognitive skill development with BrainWare Safari to ELL students' academic progress.
Subjects:  Male and Female, Grades 6 through 9, all day bilingual program (Limited English Proficiency)
Usage Protocol:  60 minutes, 5 times per week, 8 weeks
Assessment:  Behavioral Rating Scale, Scholastic Reading Inventory
Findings:  Students improved their cognitive skills across the board, especially in: Attention Span and Focus, Ability to Visualize, Desire to Perform and Put in Effort, and Following Directions.  These areas are highly indicative of improvement in attention skills, working memory, and visual processing (especially visualization).  Following their use of BrainWare Safari, 50% more students raised their reading scores on the SRI than had improved during the preceding trimester.
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Evaluation of BrainWare Safari in a School-Based Homeschool Program -- 2011

Purpose:  Demonstrate how BrainWare Safari first into a homeschool program supported by a charter school (COIL).
Subjects:  Male and Female, Grades 5-9, Homeschooled
Usage Protocol:  30 to 60 minutes, 3 times per week, 17 weeks
Assessment:  Behavioral Rating Scale
Findings:  The program was implemented with fidelity to the recommended protocol and students got sufficient time and intensity of usage to impact their cognitive functioning.  The students experienced significant improvement in their cognitive functioning across all of the areas assesses (Memory, Perceptual Processing, Thinking and Attention).  The behavioral trait noted as improving for the most number of students was "Works Independently."   This is a skill that is particularly valued at COIL.
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Use of BrainWare Safari in a Special Needs School -- 2007

Purpose:  Determine how BrainWare Safari can be used with students with significant cognitive deficits in a special school.
Subjects:  Male and Female, Ages 11 to 17, IQs of 70-80
Usage Protocol:  30 minutes, 2 times per week, duration of the school year
Assessment:  Detroit Tests of Learning and Aptitude, Gibson Cognitive Battery
Findings:  Students improved their cognitive skills by 9 months on average over the school year while they used BrainWare Safari.  This type of students seldom experiences cognitive growth, and may even decline of the course of a school year.  Persistence and tolerance for frustration were better than with previous paper-based therapy experiences.
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Fourth Graders' Views of Video Games and BrainWare Safari -- 2009

Purpose: Assess student reaction to BrainWare Safari's video-game format
Subjects:  Male and Female, 4th Grade
Usage Protocol:  30 to 60 minutes, 3 times per week, 12 weeks
Assessment:  Attitude Survey
Findings:  The students overwhelmingly indicated that they enjoyed the experience of using BrainWare Safari and felt that the program had helped them develop new or stronger skills.  They cited both the fun and the improvement in thinking skills for reasons they liked the program.  Most students found the program hard at one point or another. This is experienced when students are working in areas where their skills are not as strong and they are pushing to new levels of automaticity.  Based on the students' average progress through the program (number of levels completed), the group was challenged to the same degree as most students their age.  It was also noted that even though students found some parts of the program hard, they also considered the program fun.
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BrainWare Safari Use with Students with Autism Spectrum Diagnoses -- 2007

Purpose:  Evaluate use of BrainWare Safari with students with autism
Subjects:  Male and Female, ages 5 to 16, range of Autism Spectrum diagnoses (severe to Asperger's)
Usage Protocol:  30 to 60 minutes, 3-5 times per week, 12 weeks
Assessments:  CARS Rating Scale, Behavioral Rating Scale
Findings:  Over half of the students were able to persist in use of the program over the duration of the study.  Subjects 9 and older and those with high-functioning and Asperger's diagnoses demonstrated the most benefit, with improvements noted in perceptual processing, sensorimotor, attention, thinking and life management skills, as well as improved interpersonal relationships and lower levels of frustration.
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Case Study:  Family with ADD / ADHD -- 2008

Purpose:  Evaluate use of BrainWare Safari with students with ADD / ADHD diagnoses.
Subjects:  Male, ages 9, 10 and 11, ADD or ADHD
Usage Protocol:  60 minutes, 3 times per week, 11 weeks
Assessment:  Behavioral Rating Scale
Findings:  Improvements were noted for all three boys, including attention skills, perceptual processing, life management and self-esteem.  the number of levels completed was as high or higher than other children of the same age.  The case study suggest that children with ADD or ADHD can benefit from BrainWare Safari as do children without attention deficit diagnoses, including improvement in attention skills.
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Case Study:  Two Special Needs Students -- 2008

Purpose:  Explore the value of BrainWare Safari for students with significant learning and processing issues.
Subjects: Male, ages 9 and 12, participating in a reading remediation program in which they had plateaued.
Usage Protocol:  30 to 60 minutes, 3-5 times per week, 12 weeks
Assessment:  Woodcock-Johnson III Cognitive Battery
Findings:  Following use of the program, the boys improved their performance on the cognitive tests by 5 years 4 months and 2 years 2 months respectively.  Their parents reported positive changes in attention, tolerance for frustration, pace of work and self-confidence.  The were subsequently able to resume and benefit from further reading remediation.
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Success Stories from Our Users

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Clinicians Say ... Like Calisthenics for the Brain

by Jean-Claude Dutes, PhD, Michigan State University

"BrainWare Safari is like calisthenics for the brain. The exercises 'tone' mental faculties just like physical exercise tones muscles. The brain like a muscle responds to graduated exercises designed to stretch but not overwhelm it. While muscles gain in strength, agility, and endurance as they are conditioned, methodical use of brain-toning activities leads to stronger concentration, faster thinking speed, keener reasoning, and greater mental stamina. BrainWare Safari is toning for the intelligent brain."

Parents Say ... Other Programs Don’t Have the Depth of Research

by Sue D. (Michael, Age 12)

BrainWare is more intensive and strategic in terms of building connections in the brain. It's wonderful! Other games don't have the depth of research behind them."

Parents Say ... A Miracle

by Chana F., Israel

"BrainWare Safari is a miracle. I would have paid anything for it, now that I have seen what it can do to help my son grow his brain right before my eyes. I am confident that it will transform his academic failure into brilliant success."

Kids Say ... I Beat It!

by Adam K. (Age 12)

"It was really fun. Some levels were really easy, but others got harder and harder. I didn't think that I could beat the last level of one of the exercises, but I worked on it and beat it!"

Clinicians Say ... Strengthens Students’ Underlying Cognitive Skills

by Colleen Bain, Enhanced Learning Skills for Kids

"I use BrainWare Safari as one of my tools to transform students into dynamic independent learners. This program has proven itself time and time again to help strengthen a student's underlying cognitive skill set. A lot of my students enjoy using this program. I often recommend it for students who need strengthening within auditory and/or visual memory in addition to other areas."

Parents Say ... They Feel They’re Growing

by Carolyn D. (Drew, Age 11)

"BrainWare Safari built Drew's confidence to know that he could go further even when it was hard. He liked the way the characters grew up. I think it translates to the kids and they feel they're growing."

Parents Say ... This Program Has Been a Gift

by

"Fourth grade was miserable for my daughter. Even though she did her homework every night and had a reading tutor, she wasn't able to retain facts, read at a second-grade level, and rarely passed tests in class. Her teacher requested holding her back. She started using BrainWare Safari two weeks before fifth grade. After just 3 weeks of practicing 4-5 times per week for 30 minutes each session, she was not only telling me her multiplication facts, but figuring out our her division facts. Her reading comprehension has increased and her ability to write paragraphs. This program has been a gift."

Clinicians Say ... Skills Children Will Apply Every Day of Their Lives

by Russell Osnes, OD

"Our brains are constantly changing and developing. The more we exercise them, the faster we learn, and the better we process the information we receive. Working on the 41 cognitive skills encompassed in BrainWare Safari can help kids perform better, do tasks more efficiently, remember what they've been studying in school better, and be able to stay on task longer. The skills children learn in BrainWare Safari they will apply every day of their lives."

Educators Say ... I Could See Changes in Their Ability to Think Logically

by Michelle Fisher-Jones, Teacher, IN

"It is sad, as an educator, to see many students who come into my class lacking the confidence they need to be successful in school. It is imperative that students are given the opportunities to excel. BrainWare Safari was that opportunity and the students definitely took advantage of it. I could see changes in their ability to think logically and to solve problems. They looked forward to practicing the skills in BrainWare Safari. They just wanted to keep going."

Educators Say ... The Program Boosted Their Self-Esteem

by Natalie Cordell, Teacher, IN

"I love BrainWare Safari and so do the students. The program is indeed a great way for the students to learn while having fun. Many of them have shown more willingness to work independently. The program definitely has boosted thier self-esteem as they have graduated many levels. It is rewarding to watch them solve problems and reach success."

Credibility Counts

  • CODiE Award
    CODiE Award
    Best Education Game or Simulation, Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA).
  • American Association of Educational Publishers Distinguished Award Winner
    American Association of Educational Publishers Distinguished Award Winner
    Quality and innovation that embody the 21st Century classroom with technology as a hallmark.
  • Parent Tested Parent Approved Seal of Approval Winner
    Parent Tested Parent Approved Seal of Approval Winner
    Quality products and services with assurance of product excellence as evaluated by unbiased parent consumers.
  • Teachers’ Choice Award Winner
    Teachers’ Choice Award Winner
    Products of exceptional quality and outstanding performance in the classroom and at home.
  • Mom’s Choice Award Winner
    Mom’s Choice Award Winner
    Excellence in family-friendly media, products and services.
  • EdNET Rookie of the Year
    EdNET Rookie of the Year
    Awarded by Quality Education Data/The Heller Reports to the start-up with the most promise for becoming a major future force in the education industry.
  • Parents’ Choice Award
    Parents’ Choice Award
    The Parents’ Choice Foundation honors the best material for children.
  • District Administration Top 100
    District Administration Top 100
    One of the top 100 products of 2011 as chosen by readers of District Administration Magazine.