Toronto School Board Considering A Number Of Neuroplasticity Programs
Simultaneously with the Toronto Catholic District School Board axing the Arrowsmith Program, four other neuroplasticity programs are being considered for adoption by the non-sectarian Toronto District School Board. The four are Arrowsmith, Cogmed Working Memory Training, Fast ForWord and Wasdell SMaRts. Two of the programs, Cogmed and Fast ForWord are being used in Toronto schools now. Arrowsmith has been employed in the Catholic Board for the last ten years and had previously participated in a number of studies of effectiveness although none of these studies measured changes in the actual classroom.
Another study assessing Cogmed is scheduled to start this fall under the supervision of Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children researcher Rosemary Tannock. This study in Ontario’s demonstration school will track 120 students who are severely learning disabled. According to Tannock, “The big question is not just whether Cogmed can improve working memory but will it really improve classroom performance.” A further study using Cogmed is set to begin with students at the University of Toronto.