What Educators Say (11-20)

Just to let you know I have been working with two small groups of children (6 in one group; 5 in the other) for three weeks and already I am seeing improvements. One group of children from Year 2 were chosen because of their very poor (almost non-existent) concentration and listening skills. They are now able to work with me for 30 minutes and have learned the exercises very well.

The other group is in Year 1 and I can see an improvement in their self-esteem. They tend to be a group of children who are very shy and reserved and in the lower ability group. The class teacher is amazed with the confidence that these children are now showing in the classroom — after only 2 weeks! Fantastic! — Kelli Hichens, Peterborough, UK, 26 January 2005, commenting on Schoolblox, an abbreviated version of the Audiblox classroom program.

This program has had tremendous effect on all the pupils' self-image and self-discipline. When I think back where we started, for example with memory exercises, and I see the progress the pupils have made, I am totally amazed. It has also done a great deal for the pupils' concentration.

I can highly recommend the Audiblox class program in any school situation, since it concentrates on colour, shape, number, spelling, mathematical concept and language development, which are an integral part of any child's development and education. — C. J. Muller, Principal.

I hereby wish to report on the value of the Audiblox classes presented at our school. This is the fourth year running that she has been conducting these classes, with excellent results.

Children attending these classes have shown progress in the following areas:

• They are able to concentrate better.
• They have better listening skills.
• Their visual discrimination abilities are better.
• They are able to complete tasks better.
• Their memory skills are better developed.
• They are able to count meaningfully.
• They are also able to recognise numbers far above their expected level of development.
• They have a better concept of laterality.
• Their perception of spatial relationships is better.
• They are able to work independently.
• Their ability to grasp new concepts is very good.
• They also have better planning skills.
• They develop a more positive self-image.

— Annerina van Niekerk, Die Wingerd Pre-primary School, Somerset West.

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Since starting with Audiblox, the children at our school have shown noticeable progress in their discrimination of left and right, number concept, colour recognition, form perception and spatial relations. — Mrs. R. Visser, The Little People Christian Nursery School, Somerset West.

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I am writing to attest to the fact that we are seeing steady progress and success with the Audiblox program.

I am currently using it with a first grade student. This student is repeating first grade and was reading at a pre-primary level. He is now on grade level in both reading and math. Sight vocabulary is excellent and memory skills are improving. Both the classroom teacher and the parents have noted steady improvement. I am anxious to start other students on this program. Gains may also be due to maturity, repeating a grade level and continued individualized instruction. — L. Patfield, Teacher in White County, GA.

When I started teaching Roland in April this year, he was very unsettled and kept turning around or walking around in the classroom. I have noticed a vast improvement on this aspect. He has become a responsible boy who sits in his desk until a given task has been completed. He is a perfectionist and sees that all work is completed to the best of his ability.

Roland was previously very reluctant to write longer stories due to the fact that there were always so many errors. Toward the end of the year, he was writing stories of a page and more with few spelling or grammatical errors. Roland has learnt to concentrate and carefully choose his sentences. He had also gained confidence with regard to spelling, as his phonics has improved remarkably. — Mrs. Djudmanz, Teacher.

Since he was small Hendri's parents realised that he was slower than his brother, sisters and peers. From the first day at school we gave extra attention to Hendri. He attended several remedial classes as well as other aid programs. These did not yield any results. Then we heard about Audiblox.

The first and most important improvement was Hendri's self-confidence. Through support, encouragement and praise Hendri changed from a quiet, reserved boy to a child with self-confidence and courage. His schoolwork has improved. His reading and spelling has benefited tremendously. His oral work improved due to the gain in self-confidence.

The regular Audiblox program that I followed with him every day taught him discipline and later also self-discipline. At first I had to plead with him to begin, later he unpacked and put everything ready himself and he became very positive. — Mrs. N. van Niekerk, Teacher.

Just a few words to tell of the good progress that we are making with the Audiblox classes. Each year our school gives a book prize in the Junior and Senior Primary classes for the child who has made the best progress during the year. The 7 children who were nominated this year were all Audiblox children. In the Junior Primary class Shelton Key got the prize. In the Senior Primary class it was awarded to Reinette du Plessis. Some of these children's aggregates improved with as much as 11% during the year! — Mrs. C. G. C. Breedt, Teacher & Audiblox Tutor.

I would like to stress on behalf of our teachers by saying it is super. Very excellent.

Since we implemented it at our school with 218 pupils having serious problems in learning it proved itself to be the best exercising program in developing our black community pupils in the various learning skills.

Parents in our village, since the introduction of this program, are very much happy because they realised that all the problems their children were faced with will be eradicated. Some of these problems caused parents to be confused, not knowing what to do with their children. As long as the child fails to cope with the school work his interest in schooling deteriorates until at last he decides not to come to school any more. This process has been taking place all the time in our black community schools because the real medicine was not there. Instead of developing our children into better people we developed criminals.

I sincerely recommend Audiblox so that the gap previously created can be closed. — Mr. J. M. Legodi, Headmaster, Hlabje Primary School.

I have been working with youth for over 16 years in both Queensland and Victoria. I have worked in both primary and secondary schools, residentials, suicide intervention units, drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, and disability services; also in specialist schools for the intellectually handicapped. I am a 3rd year psychology major and a single mother of 3 grown up sons. I moved to Victoria 3 years ago and found myself working in Secondary College here in Mildura. I found there were an increasing number of students who even at reaching year 9 (15 years of age), still could not read or write very well let alone spell. These students were the ones who were continuously kicked out of the room for misbehaving. I spoke at length to the teachers of these students and began my own research project. It turned out that many of these kids had been exhibiting this same behavior right through primary school. (Being labeled constantly as trouble-makers.) I worked quite closely with a group of boys in several classes and found out that they were indeed very bright young men, who were in fact afraid to say anything because they knew that if they did let anyone know then they would be labeled stupid and be taunted for their lack of understanding and knowledge.

I instead began looking for different ways to help kids learn, as I believe that every person learns differently. Some learn visually, some have to touch things, some have to hear it said over and over, etc. It was during this time 18 months ago that I found the Audiblox website and began contacting Corna Wynne in Perth.

I was appointed in a position here in Mildura in March of 2003, running an alternative education centre. So I set about looking for innovative ways that students would be allowed to learn at their own pace and be able to build their sense of self. Very controversial for Mildura but with the backing of the local community and a lot of hard work I managed to get a group of kids from a variety of different backgrounds, but all shared the same goal: ‘To want to be able to read and learn’. All the kids knew they were not dumb even though they had been told that they were for most of their lives.

Early this year, I again contacted Corna and managed to get chances for children here in Mildura to fund an Audiblox home program. I began using Audiblox with these students on an individual basis. The results were amazing as the confidence built. One 12 year old boy had never been able to read in his life. He struggled in schools and had been sent to me because of his behavior problems. No one knew what his academic level was because he refused to do any work, so no testing had been done on him.

All my staff at my centre were so impressed with Audiblox that they all individually put up their own tutor fees and asked me to try and get Corna to come to Mildura and do a training course. It was then I decided to go to the local principals and attempt to show them how Audiblox would benefit so many students if just used for a small part of every school week. Only one school was open to the idea as they had a Parents Dyslexic support group, and thanks to the parents also pushing the principal Audiblox was received in that school. But it only takes one school and if they continue to run with Audiblox other schools will take the program on board.

Corna came in November and ran the training course and now Audiblox is being used at the Lake School every day. The Aboriginal Corporation here in Mildura is also using Audiblox and is having great success. I am also teaching Audiblox to the students at my setting and the change in attitude is amazing. I have all male students this year, and although at first they did not like the discipline and the concentration needed, but now they can’t wait to do their Audiblox.

The 12 year old at my setting is getting wonderful results and can say and spell nearly all of the level 1 cards. His confidence has grown and his mother is very happy that she has a smiling child back.

I will continue to promote Audiblox in Mildura and Sunraysia as I really believe that it is an amazing program that should be in every school across the country. Our literacy levels in this country are appalling and there needs to be a major shake up in the way we are teaching our youth. These kids are our future and our future needs to be preserved.

I have since had a lot of interest from border towns in N.S.W. and schools wanting to know more about Audiblox. One of my staff members who did the training is dyslexic and it has helped him unbelievably. Another of my staff is diabetic and her concentration is ten times better since learning Audiblox. So Audiblox has the capacity to help every one, not just the kids. — Sally Poole, Mildura, Australia, 28 November 2004.