“This book is based on one women’s experience with education in today’s world. She saw first- hand what the education system was like and what it missed with her own eyes. Take for instance her own experience with Alex-his teacher stated that he wasn’t doing what he was supposed to because the teacher didn’t make him. And the mother’s response who is the author as well if you don’t make him do it he will never do it. If you let him just sit in class and not do the work he will never excel. As such his grades were failing. She said her husband and her would fix it. Over the course of the next few weeks, her son improved and that issue was put to bed.

Kimberly Berens is a doctor who has spent time over the years listening to others talk about teaching their students and saying that they aren’t doing what they should be. She has seen how students perform when tested by teachers, herself, and during class participation. Her take was that the education system that we had was failing. It was failing to educate our children, particularly black and brown children. Statistics she shows in her novel consistently show the difference in learning between black and brown children. This is consistent with the Asian population as well. Kimberly Berens wanted to change that.

She talks of her frustration with being told that the students just weren’t smart enough. That the students just would never excel. She talks of frustration when the teachers themselves taught for memorization, for the tests, and then said later that the kids still weren’t progressing properly.

So she studied to find what would work. In comes Fit Learning. In comes Precision Teaching. (PT). In comes Direct Instruction. (DT) In comes Curriculum-Based Measurement. (CBM). In comes the National Assessment of Educational Progress. (NAEP). All of this Kimberly states will help improve your child’s learning capability exponentially. Do you think that many people thought it would work? How they probably asked. Show me they probably said. And so she did.

For over 20 years she perfected this style of teaching. If you give her 40 hours she will double your child’s learning ability to make it as close to fluent as possible to be fluent by years’ end. You’re asking me why I say that. If you read the book she will state that your child will be fluent. I state that your child will be that by years’ end. No I am not the teacher who went to school just the teacher who comes in to cover your class. When you are not there your student will falter sometimes. They will act completely flummoxed and other times they are completely clueless. So fluency is a term when used with your child depends on your child and the day but by years’ end if you were just to walk up to certain students you will get the answer you seek and others will still need time. By the time they hit adulthood that will as she says be ingrained but with Fit Learning, you can show them and teach them to be quicker in their responses because they will have learned it in a way that it is always retained.

I recommend reading this book. As I read I thought of my experience as a student and as a teacher. I thought of me listening to the parents of the children I had charge of that day and what I witnessed of their learning ability. Any distractions are bad but what I saw most was when that teacher was gone the child tended to be at a loss. Some worried that the teacher would never return because the teacher would die. (First time I had that question I didn’t know what to do) Some students missed their teacher because the teacher promised them something that only the teacher could give them to the student. I could but it wasn’t the same. One student literally cried because the teacher wasn’t there. But the children still learned their lesson. Here are the kicker-I know some only did it because I promised free play time. I know that because the lesson would be done with alacrity. I bet you the next day the teacher was like what did you do for some and for others it was business as usual. It wasn’t that I didn’t do my job it was that I had to bribe some of the children to get the lesson done. Here is part of the reason she wrote the book. Teaching methods. We do what works but sometimes what works isn’t what’s best. So, I want you to buy this book because you care- care about race relations, care about education, care about learning- and most importantly because you care about the teachers and the students they teach and the institutions they teach in. Show them that they matter. Buy this book!”

— Nicole Harmon of Nikki's Book Reviews

“A behavioral scientist suggests improvements for the teaching process. In this debut education book, Berens challenges pedagogical orthodoxy and argues that all children, including those with neurological differences, can acquire fundamental skills if teachers understand how learning happens and how to measure it. The volume opens with an evaluation of standardized test data that shows how students fail to achieve proficiency and explains how the educational establishment declines to provide most pupils with an environment conducive to learning. The author, drawing on a behavioral science background, sees learning as a pattern of actions, consequences, and responses selected for the desired outcome—praise and encouragement in some cases, tangible rewards in others, with the educator responsible for determining what the student needs. The book explains, with clear examples, how this works in a classroom setting and in broader human development and how contemporary schools can implement the techniques. The volume also addresses the needs of neurodiverse children, arguing that many diagnosed learning disabilities are actually responses to ineffective teaching that can be eliminated through more helpful instruction. Even children with physiological differences can learn in an appropriately designed environment (“The failure to acquire skills results from ineffective instruction, just like for children without disabilities”). Berens is a successful advocate for the behaviorally informed interpretation of the learning process, both explaining the underlying theory and laying out evidence in favor of her arguments. Traditional educators do not come off well in the book’s portrayal, but they are presented as misguided rather than malicious practitioners of a system based on ideology instead of data. While the frequent mentions of the author’s tutoring business can give the text the feeling of an infomercial at times, they also serve to remind readers that the work’s conclusions are based not only on theory, but also on decades of practical experience with a variety of students. The writing is strong and the topic is intriguing, accessible to readers with little prior knowledge of education practices. A well-argued challenge to educational orthodoxy that calls for a systemic overhaul.”

— Kirkus Reviews

“Kimberly Berens has written a book about education that every teacher, every policymaker, and every parent should read. In a warm and engaging way, she shows us how much more effectively we could be teaching our children. She addresses common myths that have been standing in the way of effective teaching.  Then she describes a set of carefully researched approaches to teaching that can help every child learn.  If you are a teacher that is not satisfied with how much your students are learning, this book could change your life.  If you are a policymaker who is dedicated to seeing that every child succeeds, this book has the information you need to advance learning. If you are a parent, this book will tell you what to look for in your children’s schools and how to advocate for the teaching practices that Dr. Berens describes.”

— Dr. Anthony Biglan, author of The Nurture Effect:  How the Science of Human Behavior can Improve Our Lives & Our World. 

“Kimberly Nix Berens has written a straightforward and highly readable book about the failure of our education system and what it is possible to achieve when science is at the heart of instruction. If it’s true that knowledge is power, then all stakeholders in American education would do well to arm themselves with the information imparted in “Blind Spots”. The first part of the book is a penetrating examination of our public school system and the collective beliefs, traditions, and practices that have failed our children for a very long time. Dr. Berens describes the crisis in American education and its impact, identifies deeply ingrained cultural beliefs that construct barriers to effective change, and tackles myths surrounding education. And, while it may be easy to be critical of the education system, Dr. Berens doesn’t stop there; she goes on to describe practices to address the educational crisis and carefully documents the effectiveness of those practices.  It is only fitting that this book is published in 2020, because while the world may be afflicted with blind spots, Kimberly Berens has a clear vision for what the future of education could look like with effective teaching technology.”

— Dr. Cathy Watkins, Professor Emerita, California State University, Stanislaus - author of Project Follow Through: A Case Study of Contingencies Influencing Instructional Practices of the Educational Establishment

“This book is marvelously written but it is not easy to read. It's infuriating how much our educational, governmental, and medical establishments have failed our children. Fortunately, Kim Berens also shows how we can correct that dismal situation once we focus on the behavioral science of learning. The problem is not the kids, nor their brains, personalities, or learning styles. The problem is the teaching. I've sent three of my kids, all "gifted," to Fit Learning and if you read this book you'll know why. Highly recommended.”

— Dr. Steven C. Hayes, Foundation Professor of Psychology, University of Nevada

“Video games are very difficult to master, much more so than the typical classes taken by children in school.  So why are so many children facile at video games and failures at school?  This book sheds light on questions like this by exposing the mythologies that contaminate classroom teaching across the country. The makers of video games are not influenced by these mythologies; they use only what works.  Dr. Berens position is that educators should do something similar:  use only what works and let science lead the way.” 

— Patrick C. Friman, Ph.D., ABPP, Vice President of Behavioral Health, Boys Town, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Nebraska Medical Center

“In 1984, B.F. Skinner wrote The Shame of American Education, in which he described how the American educational system failed to incorporate scientifically validated instructional practices. Sadly, this paper is just as relevant after almost four decades since its publication. In Blind Spots: Why Students Fail and the Science That Can Save Them, Dr. Kimberly Berens courageously picks up where Skinner left off by shining a light on the dysfunctional practices of the American educational establishment. In doing so, she debunks many popular myths that pervade current educational practices. More importantly, Dr. Berens offers concrete solutions for helping all students learn through the application of the natural science of behavior. This is a book that should be read by every parent, school board member, administrator, and teacher”

—  Matthew J. Cicoria MS, BCBA, LBA, host The Behavioral Observations Podcast 

"Imagine a world in which any student could learn an entire year of any subject matter in a mere 40 hours of instruction… sounds absurd, right? Dr. Kimberly Berens helps translate the roots of the educational crisis in the United States and the world at large into an easy-to-read and evidenced-based book meant for anyone providing or receiving education. You will learn that students struggle not due to issues inherent within them, but rather due to the practices and beliefs of larger establishments and the many myths that are pervasive across these establishments. While learning so much so quickly seems like a stretch, you will be convinced that it’s entirely possible and the results are happy, fluent, and cognitively fit learners of all ages. Dr. Berens explains not only that this outcome is possible, but how it has been achieved repeatedly through a different way of approaching education. Blind Spots is a must-read for any teacher, policymaker, school administrator, or parent that wants to properly educate generations to come.” 

— Ryan O'Donnell, MS, BCBA, Creator and Host of The Daily BA ; The Controversial Exchange; and CHATTcon