What is Neuron Learning/Fast ForWord/Mathia?
Fast ForWord® is an evidence-based intervention program that uses a unique 3-step approach to deliver fast gains to the most struggling students.
Step 1 - PREPARE. Fast ForWord prepares the brain for reading by improving the language and cognitive skills that are weak in struggling learners (memory, attention, and processing speed).
Step 2 - PRACTICE. Each student receives personalized, intensive practice on a wide variety of language and reading skills — more than any other approach or intervention. Intensity is the key to getting far better results quickly.
Step 3 - REINFORCE. Using speech verification technology, our program listens to students as they read aloud, like a guided reading coach! Learners reinforce new language and reading skills and rapidly build fluency and comprehension.
Fast ForWord is suitable for students learning English as an additional language, struggling readers, intervention students with dyslexia, autism, cognitive development needs and auditory processing (APD) issues.
Recommended Usage
Educational Impact
Additional evidence
 Company | Business Name: Neuron Learning HQ Location: United Kingdom Founded: 2003 |
| Age Range | 5-7, 8-10, 11-13, 14-16 |
 Features | Weekly ReportsAssessments Pre And Post UsageInstant FeedbackImproves MemoryTrains Attention SkillsDevelops Accurate And Speed Of ProcessingPhonemic AwarenessPhonicsSpellingVocabularyComprehensionReading FluencyListeningReading |
 Languages | English |
 Accessibility | Robust features |
 Policies |  Terms of ServicePrivacy Policy |
 Requirements | Internet - Low BandwidthDesktop - MacDesktop - WindowsDesktop - Chromebook Internet access, PC/Mac/iPad environment, headphones with microphones |
 Set Up | 24 hours |
 Training | In PersonLive OnlineWebinarsDocumentationVideos 30 minute video and 2/3 follow up phone/conference calls |
 Support | EmailFAQs/ForumKnowledge BasePhone Support |
| Home Learning | Parent AccessParent Supervision Anyone can create the account. We work with parents of children with dyslexia to empower their child to improve reading so that they can overcome academic difficulties and build the confidence to reach their potential in school and in life. |
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Neuron Learning/Fast ForWord/Mathia PricingPricing Plans Paid Subscription Neuron Learning/Fast ForWord/Mathia pricing starts from £30 / per-pupil Prices vary based on numbers and support levels  Optimised for a quick response | |
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Neuron Learning/Fast ForWord/Mathia Reviews
from 13 Verified Reviews
User rating
Country
Paola
Relationship manager / teacher / therapist
Used Neuron Learning for 4 months
Aug 2019
One of my learners on the programme arrived at me with a reading age of 9 months below his chronological age. After doing the programme for two months, he was retested and the reading age improved to 4 months above his reading age. He was also flat lining at 58 - 60% in his English cycle tests and his last English cycle test boasted 84% after 2 months of using the programme. This programme is amazing!!! However, this child was totally committed and stuck to the protocol for which he had enrolled. He never missed a day! Another learner has stopped all extra lessons and therapies after completing 4 months of the programme - also a totally committed learner.
Paola found Neuron Learning:
- Significantly builds student knowledge“Knowledge on how to read and interpret comprehension questions so that they can be answered correctly”
- Significantly improves teaching efficiency and productivity“Less time is spent on one-on-one remediation / intervention”
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“Since the programme contributes to help learning across the curriculum, teachers don't have to sit and think and prepare extended exercises or examples for learners to consolidate specific concepts”
- Significantly improves teacher knowledge and skills“Neuron learning delivers exactly what it says it does. When a teacher reads up on its benefits and how it works for example the importance of sounds of letters in words to help reading, teachers can become conscious of this and consolidate it in their teaching reading time”
- Significantly saves school money“Neuron learning does the work of speech and hearing therapists and remedial or learning support therapists. A school can certainly save money by using the programme. ”
Mar 2019
It accelerates the learning process in early years and its content motivates the kid to move forward. However, if the student is +12 years old and has not reached yet intermediate competence levels, the relevance of the online services decreases significantly for new comers. The platform develops a follow through process which is hard to assimilate if the steps aren't completed in order since early years (level-age). For example, a 13 year old who is a basic user and uses the platform for the first time, will find its content an useful support but won't experience substantial improvements. I find it excellent though for 6-12 year old students
Chema Pérez found neuron-english:
- Moderately builds student knowledge“Fast progress on students continuously using the platform since early years”
- Moderately improves teaching efficiency and productivity“It is a significant support to the teaching-learning process”
- Moderately reduces teacher workload“Students learn grammar structures implicitly through the usage of the platform when learning takes place in early years”
- Moderately improves teacher knowledge and skills“Extended vocabulary from various domains and semantic fields”
- Slightly saves school money
Mar 2019
Mihaela Geicu-Drig found neuron-english:
- Significantly builds student knowledge“Students learn naturally certain grammatical structures and can use them without efforts and without special attention to forms.”
- Significantly improves teaching efficiency and productivity“Students are more receptive to class and to the new concepts they are being taught. They can ”
- Moderately reduces teacher workload“ ”
- Significantly improves teacher knowledge and skills“ ”
- Moderately saves school money“I would say that it helps learning stay efficient. Parents can see results quite fast and are content about that.”
Feb 2019
Neuron Learning offers the kind of school we deserve to have in the 21th century. It is modern, online, highly effective, fair, frequently updated.
Carolina Costa found neuron-english:
- Significantly builds student knowledge“Students enhance their memory and logical skills what is translated into higher grades at school and exams.”
- Significantly improves teaching efficiency and productivity“The reports generated by the softwares reduce the time a teacher spends evaluating each student. Not to mention that the details offered in the errors reports guides the classroom work to each student's need. We save time, by skipping previously learnt points and skills and accelerate the whole course by giving the students exactly what they need to improve at each step. I have never worked with such an effective teaching tool before.”
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“Reports are ready, errors are corrected, lessons are planned and the teachers do what they are supposed to, intervene and show how to overcome obstacles. The ideal of education since Piaget and Vygotsky.”
- Significantly improves teacher knowledge and skills“Teachers can always improve their cognitive skills by using the program as well as being updated on the latest researches on education by reading and participating in web seminars, frequently offered by Neuron Learning. ”
- Significantly saves school money“As it is an online course, many students prefer having the intervention lessons online as well. Teachers and students create a digital environment, saving paper and other classroom materials.”
Helen Naughton-Green
International Educationalist
Used neuron-english for 12 years
Feb 2019
I teach Internationally, over 5 continents each year. I am able to work in this way as I have absolute trust in John and Joyce Kerins, as exemplary colleagues and I know they would be able to formulate a plan to overcome any professional dilemma.
Helen Naughton-Green found neuron-english:
- Significantly builds student knowledge“Enables students to maximise their own potential through consistently providing skilled and knowledgeable personal feedback”
- Significantly improves teaching efficiency and productivity“Every single student gains proficiency and motivation. I marvel at the long-term gains made by every student following a program with Neuron Learning.”
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“The data generated by Neuron Learning is of the highest calibre and delivered in a timely fashion. I use the data in ‘real-time’ to inform my decision making , as a responsive and reflective teacher.”
- Significantly improves teacher knowledge and skills“I have used Neuron Learning for my own continued professional development, alongside extensive post-graduate training. I am a product of the excellence of the Neuron Learning Approach.”
- Significantly saves school money“I am always able to seek a second opinion within 24 working hours.”
Feb 2019
because is better to learn with this program
marta found neuron-english:
- Significantly builds student knowledge“student with different levels”
- Significantly improves teaching efficiency and productivity“learning more”
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“programation easy”
- Significantly improves teacher knowledge and skills“help them more efficient”
- Does not significantly save school money“not now ”
Feb 2019
Mary found neuron-english:
- Slightly builds student knowledge
- Slightly improves teaching efficiency and productivity“ ”
- Moderately reduces teacher workload“ ”
- Moderately improves teacher knowledge and skills“ ”
- Does not significantly save school money“ ”
Feb 2019
For a young person yes. But for older students I still think the content is juvenile. I lost a couple of excellent prospects because companies found the content not mature enough for adults.
Catherine Ruckert found neuron-english:
- Significantly builds student knowledge“Students in Germany are required to learn English. For those who already experience problems in their mother tongue due to auditory processing disorders, or dyslexia show significant improvements in both languages. The best explanation I heard from a very bright, mathematically gifted but dyslexic student was that “ all the teachers started to speak more slowly as I started to listen more quickly””
- Moderately improves teaching efficiency and productivity“Reduction in time spent doing homework, as attention span improves and less time is needed proof reading. ”
- Moderately reduces teacher workload“Participants need less individual attention, are better able to participate in class and understand instructions more easily. ”
- Significantly improves teacher knowledge and skills“Absolutely. Very few have any idea of the root cause of dyslexia, have little idea of how dyslexia co-exists with other learning disabilities. Especially noticeable if a workshop has been given. ”
- Slightly saves school money“Not applicable. ”
Feb 2019
Because is an excellent method that improves phonetics and the prosody of speech. It also improves cognitive skills-basically attention and memory.
Marta Fusté found neuron-english:
- Moderately builds student knowledge“The biggest impact is on listening and speaking. ”
- Significantly improves teaching efficiency and productivity“Monitoring progress and reading recordings. ”
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“Only looking at the dashboard you have all the information of every student and you know how to intervene. I would appreciate having the grammar explication about the specific errors that the student does. That would be very useful.”
- Significantly improves teacher knowledge and skills“Pronunciation and vocabulary.”
- Slightly saves school money“Not applicable”
Feb 2019
I love the products from Neuron Learning especially the FatforWord/Foundations. The science and evidence behind it speaks volumes!
Marinet found neuron-english:
- Significantly builds student knowledge“vocabulary, following directions, concept development”
- Significantly improves teaching efficiency and productivity“Better listening and processing skills”
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“Repetitive daily training with feedback - better than any direct therapy programme”
- Significantly improves teacher knowledge and skills“About the child/student's profile - strengths and weaknesses”
- Significantly saves school money“If you have to pay for regular intensive therapy sessions it would be much more expensive.”
Feb 2019
I haven’t found another ‘off the shelf’ programme which so comprehensively covers all targets. I am especially impressed with the working memory and phonological awareness training.
Karen Faulds found neuron-english:
- Significantly builds student knowledge“Literacy attainment significantly improved. Also incidental general knowledge while using Reading 5 and Reading Assistant.”
- Significantly improves teaching efficiency and productivity“Several children who need additional support can be supervised at the same time, while working through an individualised programme.”
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“There is no need to plan and prepare sessions as everything is already covered by the built in tutor.”
- Slightly improves teacher knowledge and skills“I can’t comment as I use the programme and other teachers are too busy to participate .”
- Slightly saves school money“I am not sure that it saves us any money, but it is good value for money.”
Jan 2019
It has been my pleasure and privilege to have worked with thousands of students using the Fast ForWord program for the last fifteen years. It changes lives for the better!
Joyce Kerins found neuron-english:
- Significantly builds student knowledge“We use a program called Fast ForWord which builds the cognitive skills of memory, attention, processing and sequence. Improving listening, speech, reading, reading comprehension and writing. It holistically builds the students knowledge of the English Language.”
- Significantly improves teaching efficiency and productivity“Students become better learners and proficient in English. Teachers are therefore able to present more content achieving far better results overall.”
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“Students are able to process more of what is being presented to them, they can remember more and concentrate better in class. Teachers are therefore able to teach more and get better results. Here are some examples of how teacher workload is reduced. 1. All of their students will have one to one tuition. 2. Progress is monitored automatically so teachers can easily access reports for their individual students and groups. Saving them a lot of valuable time. 3. Students will be far more able to access what is being presented to them in class. 4. Students will be in a better position to respond to questions they are asked with far more comprehensive answers. 5. Their students reading and study skills will improve enabling them to present more content. 6. Progress will be easier and faster. 7. Better results.”
- Significantly improves teacher knowledge and skills“Teachers can access student reports on line to see how they are responding to exercises. In the reading modules, for example, students work on reading, reading comprehension, spelling, grammar and punctuation. All of their mistakes are recorded and teachers can work with groups or individuals with appropriate interventions. On the Resource section of our website there is a reservoir of information including teacher manuals, off line resources, training videos and webinars by specialists in the fields of neuroscience and education.”
- Significantly saves school money“Implementing the Fast ForWord program saves time and money as students become more proficient learners and English speakers. Less manpower is needed to help those who need it most. ”
Jan 2019
We have been using MyScilearn products for the past five years and can highly recommend the system to anyone striving to ensure efective support to students with EAL
Luba Leadbeater found neuron-english:
- Significantly builds student knowledge“It helps to close the gap between the available input in lessons and student individfual needs and hence supports building student knowlegge”
- Significantly improves teaching efficiency and productivity“We use Neuron English programmes ( FFW) as an effective differetiation strategy to address individual needs that cannot be otyerwise adressed in group sessions following prescriptive curriculum”
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“FFW sessions are self-sufficient and require little teacher intervention overall, which is a bonus in itself and allows additional time to focus on other aspects of the programmes administered at Moseley School”
- Slightly improves teacher knowledge and skills“Raises awareness on a range of concepts some teachers may not be familiar with”
- Moderately saves school money“Given the system is adaptive, students do not have to be grouped according to their levels of need and ability, with the group size limited only by the capacity available in the physical space provided; this means that fewer teaching staff is required to run sessions and hence is an effective way to save money at the school level.”