Program – C8Sciences

Unlock your students' potential and enhance their focus, self-control, and memory!

ACTIVATE™ improves focus, self-control, and memory skills through a combination of computer and physical exercises based on the latest neuroscience research from Yale.

Measures and Improves Executive Function Skills
Delivers Real-time Cognitive Data
Greatly Improves Academic Outcomes
More Cost-effective Than One-on-One Tutoring

Assesses Needs and Abilities

ACTIVATE™ provides an early assessment of a student’s special needs and abilities. Conventional assessment processes are time-consuming and very expensive, and so they are reserved for children who demonstrate clear signs of cognitive or emotional issues. Most kids just sink or swim until a problem is noticed. By then they have already fallen behind.
Think how valuable it would be to have a simple, immediate, low-cost assessment. Think how many kids could be put on a success trajectory at the beginning of their formative years. Think how many kids could be saved from high-cost, disruptive traditional education intervention programs.

Scientifically Designed Tools

Assessing cognitive growth requires scientifically designed tools. Upon review of tests widely used in the scientific research literature, the C8 Sciences™ cientific Advisory Board choose 4 tests to assess different dimensions of executive function in children. The Flanker test of Attention and the Working Memory test are designed based on procedures described in the NIH Toolbox™ of tests of executive function, and the Go/No-Go and Bubblegum tests of Self-Control and Risk Taking are designed according to procedures in the cognitive science research literature.

Every student who uses ACTIVATE™ takes the 4 cognitive assessments at the beginning and end of their cognitive training course.

This allows us to report:

Measurable Growth

The cognitive assessments show measurable growth for all students enrolled in the program.

Return On Investment

Allows you to see results in increased attention and focus that reduces behavior and discipline events.

Individualized Results

Individual student data is provided to classroom teachers and district administrators.

How Do the NIH Toolbox™ Tests Work?

ACTIVATE™ incorporates 4 key assessments

The Flanker Test

The Flanker Task was developed more than 15 years ago as an assessment of inhibitory control and attention. Students see five arrows in a row, all of which are pointing either to the left or right. Using the arrow keys on their keyboard, the students need to identify which way the arrow in the middle is pointing. In order to do this they need to mentally block out the arrows on either side of (flanking) the one in the middle.

The Go/No-Go Test

The Go/No-Go Test is a simple and fun test of speed of information processing, inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility. Students are instructed to tap the space bar as soon as they see the letter P – but to refrain from tapping when they see the letter R. Once they’ve completed a series of trials with “P” as the target, then they must switch and tap when they see R – but not P.

The Working Memory Test

The Working Memory Test: Working Memory is the “scratch pad of the mind” – the ability of the brain to keep and hold information needed to perform any given task – standing in a line, working at a math problem, or quietly sharpening a pencil. The Working Memory Test measures the strength of each student’s “scratch pad” by asking them to repeat sequences of pictures shown on their screen in a different order than shown.

The Balloon Analog Risk-Taking Test

Excessive risk-taking is a major cause of medical problems and even death in adolescents because it contributes to drug and alcohol use, unsafe sex and motor vehicle accidents. The Bubblegum Analog Risk-Taking Test for Children (BART-C) is used to assess risk taking. The test is based very closely on the Balloon Analog Risk-Taking Test (BART) developed by CW Lejuez .

The Brain Behind the Brain-Training

Click here for more information on Dr. Bruce Wexler, the founder of C8 Sciences.