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Description
The Action Based Learning ™ Lab is a series of progressions and stations, each designed to prepare the brain for input and processing. Sensory components of balance, coordination, spatial awareness, directionality, and visual literacy are developed as the child rolls, creeps, crawls, spins, twirls, bounces, balances, walks, jumps, juggles, and supports his/her own weight in space. Levels of physical fitness are increased and academic concepts are reinforced. As students move from station to station with a partner or partners, their self awareness, self esteem, and social skills are enhanced. As a result of a student moving through the station progressions, he/she will experience challenge, feedback, and physical activity, three components that are necessary for optimal brain function.
What People Say About the Action Based Learning™ Lab
Cindy and Jean
Cindy Hess is a physical educator in Ephrata, Pennsylvania at Highland Elementary School. She is the 2006 Pennsylvania Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year. Her innovative, creative ideas have revolutionized kindergarten Physical Education nation-wide. Originally called the SMART Program, Cindy created a program to prepare the early brain for learning by filling in developmental gaps. The program became the Action Based Learning Lab when Cindy and Jean joined forces in 2004.
Cindy and her husband, Larry and daughter, Annie live in Lititz, PA in the heart of Amish country. Larry’s Amish friend, Abram makes all of the Learning Ladders. Cindy’s son Josh proudly serves his country as an award winning sailor on the Navy helicopter rescue team.
Cindy and Jean
History
Cindy and Jean met at a workshop for area physical education teachers near Cindy in Pennsylvania. They knew immediately that they were like-minded and very kid oriented. Cindy invited Jean to Ephrata to do a workshop for all of the district teachers. During that visit, Jean showed Jean the program that she had created that she named the Highland Elementary SMART Program. Amazingly, Jean had been working on a very similar program that she named the S.M.A.R.T. K.I.D.S. Lab. (Sensory Motor Academic Reinforcement Through Kinesthetic Instructional Differentiation Strategies). Unknowingly, Jean and Cindy had developed almost exactly the same program. It was then that they decided to collaborate and mesh both programs together by taking the brain science that links early motor development with improved cognition, layering it with the National Standards for K-2 for Physical Education, and then adding the academic content for K-2 reading and math.
The Action Based Learning Lab is definitely a family affair, a real Mom and Pop operation, literally. Cindy and Jean included their husbands in the process. Larry Hess, a retired physics teacher, engineered and designed the Ladder and equipment. He also supervises the building of the Action Based Learning Ladder and First Steps Ladder which are made by an Amish family in Lancaster County. Steve Madigan is a CPA and Attorney who wrote the seven patents associated with the Action Based Learning Lab including the Ladder and the ABC Pathways Mat. Steve also is in charge of fulfilling orders for Action Based Learning.
The name of the Lab had to be changed to the Action Based Learning Lab after discovering that there are over 500 versions of the name SMART KIDS. There is even Smart Kids underwear! This presented a problem when trying to trademark or copyright. So the Action Based Learning Lab was born and introduced at the Pennsylvania AHPERD in December 2005. It is now in about 40 states and Canada and growing!
Action Based Learning™ Lab Schools
Highland Elementary - Ephrata, Pennsylvania
Contact Cindy Hess at717-627-0289
Prince William County Public Schools - Virginia
Contact Fred Milbert at703-791-7353
Indianapolis Public Schools - Indiana
Contact Audrey Satterblom at 317-902-9477
Titusville Elementary - Titusville, Pennsylvania
Contact Tim McCord at814-827-3001
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