The Academic Gym Literacy Skills

Here's how movement creates mastery. In the academic gym we use VITAAL-K reading coaching (Visual, Interactive, Auditory, Adaptive, Linguistic-Kinesthetic) integrated with analytical spelling for reading. Students use a variety of exciting cognitive athletic activities to  embed the spellings and sounds into their heads.

AG VITAAL-K Coaching™ delivers the science of reading through rhythmic, full-body routines that activate cognitive, emotional, and linguistic systems simultaneously.

According to research published in the Biomedical Journal, systematic exercise routines during and after school are the best non-pharmaceutical intervention for students with ADHD. While “walking around the classroom” and other “movement breaks” are well-intentioned, their effects are nominal and transient for students facing complex cognitive and executive functioning challenges. Scientists recommend that schools and families implement consistent cognitive exercise programs.

If Miracle-Gro helps plants thrive, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) helps brains bloom. BDNF is a powerful brain protein that supports learning, emotional regulation, and social development. It’s not something we teach—it’s something we activate. And for teachers, that activation starts with movement. Research shows that just a few minutes of aerobic activity—running, dancing, even playful jumping—can flood the brain with BDNF, priming students to absorb new informat

If your child has ADHD, they don’t need to “try harder”—they need a system that works with their brain, not against it. The Academic Gym®’s VITAL-K™ Reading Coaching Program does just that. It transforms reading from a struggle into a strength—one jump, clap, and syllable at a time.

Analytical spelling helps children to develop the following skills: Children learn to focus and listen intently because the words are being pronounced. So analytical spelling enhances focus and listening skills. Intensive auditory training is essential to help children overcome reading difficulties and disorders such as dyslexia. Kids diagnosed with dyslexia should learn to spell well so that they can read well.

Between kindergarten and second grade, your child is developing the foundational skills that will shape their reading future. But sometimes, subtle signs can signal that they’re falling behind—and early intervention can make all the difference. If your child is struggling to read, here are some signs to watch for:

Spelling is the road to reading. At T.A.G. The Academic Gym, we teach analytical spelling for reading. Spelling turns sounds into sight, and reading turns sight into sound. Understanding and practicing analytical spelling is the key to becoming a proficient reader, as it helps students master the alphabetical principle and phonemic awareness, which are foundational for learning to read. Students who spell well read well.

Box and Spell™ is part of the broader Vital Kinesthetic Therapy™ (Vital K Therapy™) approach. It’s not just a clever gimmick—it’s a neuroscience-informed strategy that helps kids with ADHD build focus, memory, and confidence through rhythmic, athletic routines.

What if the key to unlocking focus, confidence, and academic success in kids with ADHD isn’t found only in a pill—but in a punch, a chant, and a jump? That’s the promise of VITAL Kinesthetic Therapy™ (VITAL-K Therapy™), a groundbreaking approach developed by educator Brian Vieira, founder of The Academic Gym®️.

Exercise helps kids organize and improve classwork and homework, manage mood swings, make and keep friends, and optimize their brains for learning.

T.A.G.'s V.I.T.A.L. cognitive exercise program offers unique benefits to kids challenged with ADHD. Here's how T.A.G. helps kids to mitigate the effects of ADHD: 1. Improved Focus & Attention

How does T.A.G. help kids with ADHD? At The Academic Gym we use the body to stimulate, train, and strengthen the brain. We use athletic...

reading skills every third grader should know

T.A.G. (The Academic Gym) helps kids with ADHD and reading deficits by blending phonics, fitness, and fun. The Academic Gym help kids win socially, emotionally, and academically.

If you want to know what reading skills your second grader should know watch the video.

Reading skills for first graders Watch this video to learn about first grade reading skills.

This video will help parents learn about the reading skills their kindergarteners should know

We should teach kids to analyze irregular words

First grade reading skills set the foundation for the rest of a child's academic career. Failure here can be devastating in school and in life.