Mindprint Learning Democratizes Access to Personalized Learning

PRINCETON, N.J. - June 2, 2015 - PRLog -- Mindprint Learning, LLC, a Princeton-based educational technology start-up focused on personalized learning, announced the launch of its new cognitive evaluation and learning platform for children ages 8 to 21. The Mindprint assessment, the first ever valid online cognitive test that can be administered anywhere, enables families and schools to reap the benefits of the latest advances in neuroscience research to help all children learn more effectively.

Cognitive assessments like Mindprint measure the abilities and processes required for learning, whereas standardized school tests measure what has been learned. Experts consider cognitive assessments the only reliable and objective way to identify a child’s unique combination of learning strengths and needs, the crucial insight needed to effectively understand and address learning struggles and areas of giftedness.

Historically cognitive assessments were too time consuming, inconvenient and expensive to be administered to most children. Mindprint solves this problem with a one hour assessment that can be taken anywhere, whether at school or home, at a fraction of the typical cost of alternatives.

“A Mindprint is a blueprint of how your brain works. And like a fingerprint, each one is different,” said Nancy Weinstein, Mindprint’s Founder and CEO. “Everyone can learn, but not everyone can learn the same way. Schools historically focused on a single way to teach, and you either got it or you didn’t. Now schools understand the need for personalized learning, but they don’t have the objective tools to tell which approach will work best for each student. Our solution pinpoints how a student learns best, and we offer the specific learning strategies that children need to be confident and successful in school and in life.”

Along with a detailed Mindprint learning profile, children who take the assessment receive a list of research-based strategies written by our team of psychologists and learning specialists. Recommendations include how to prepare for tests and how to read more efficiently, all customized to that child’s unique needs. For those that want extra practice with school work, we recommend apps, workbooks and websites. Those recommendations, like our learning strategies, are specific to the child. In total, Mindprint’s team of teachers and specialists has created or reviewed over 1,500 learning strategies, educational toys, games and tools that help children tackle academic challenges more effectively.

“The most successful children are not always the ones with the strongest skills. But they are the ones who understand how to use their strengths. And they aren’t afraid to ask for help either,” Weinstein added. “We help parents understand why a bright child may not be living up to perceived potential. Others want advice on how to get through homework without a daily struggle. All children have strengths and weaknesses. No two minds think alike. And no one excels at everything. Being successful is all about knowing who you are as a learner and using that information wisely.”

Mindprint’s assessment was developed by researchers at The University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. It has been validated and normed in over 10,000 children,published in the most respected academic peer-reviewed journals and used by major research institutions around the world. Mindprint assesses ten cognitive skills across four domains, including speed, executive functions, complex reasoning and memory. The cost for the assessment, a comprehensive written evaluation of the child’s strength and needs, and a one year subscription to customized learning solutions is $199, far less than the $5,000 price tag of many psycho-educational evaluations.

“We weren’t sure how schools would feel about Mindprint when we started, but teachers love the objective insight Mindprint provides. It makes it much easier for them to understand individual learners and differentiate instruction. The same with tutoring chains and adaptive curriculum providers. No matter how much educational content and services are available today, what good is it unless you can map each student to the right resource? Educators know there are multiple ways to teach any given topic. We take the guesswork out of which approach to use for a struggling learner. Once teachers understand exactly what a student needs, they can focus on helping the student master the material. We know that using our solution will help every type of learner,” concluded Weinstein. “This is a much smarter way to invest in a child’s future success.”

For more information about Mindprint Learning, or to get started with a Mindprint assessment, visit https://mindprintlearning.com.