Brain Gym Thinking Together Thinking for Learning.

Brain Gym

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The Origins of Brain Gym

The programme was put together by Dr. Paul Denison of theEducational Kinesiology Foundation in 1987

Kinesiology is based on the premise that a child’s physical development, language acquisition and achievement in school are interdependent.


LOW GEAR

HIGH GEAR

The Balanced learning state allows the learner to clearly see the learning road ahead and move easily between low and high gear learning states as necessary.


Key ideas

Movement is the door to learning. (de-stress)

There are no learning disabilities, only learning blocks. (stress)

Brain Gym activities are part of a personal program for achieving personal goals.

Individuals set goals and express these in whole brain language.

unsafe, unfamiliar safe, familiar

stopping movement to think thinking and moving together

focus is on parts rather than the whole

focus is on the whole rather than the parts

intentional behaviour

automatic behaviour

The body and the brain together


The body The brain

The body’s 3 dimensions


Left to Rightcommunication

Bottom to Toporganisation

Back to Frontfocus

- the three midlines

The brain’s 3 dimensions


Left to Right‘communication’



Back to Front‘focus’



Bottom to Top‘relaxation’ and ‘organisation’

Pathways to learning

V

A

K


Pathways to learning


V

A

K


V A K 1. Brain Buttons 2. Space Buttons

3. Earth Buttons 4. Lazy 8s

5. Double Doodle

6. The Owl 7. Thinking Cap

The exercises

8. Energy Yawn 9. The Elephant 10. Belly Breathing

11. Balance Buttons

12. Hook ups 13. Arm Activation

14. Footflex

15. Calf Pump

16. Gravity Glider

17. Positive Points 18. The Grounder

19. Cross Crawl

Exercises that focus attention on visual learning


1. Brain Buttons Part 1 - 1/2 minute Right thumb and fingertips – massage deeply the soft tissue under the collar bone to the left and right of the sternum Left fingertips – over the naval Eyes – track a horizontal line or ‘nose-paint’ a lazy 8 at the top of the far wall Part 2 - 1/2 minute Change hands New and Difficult – V – reading, writing, watching, following,


2. Space Buttons 1 minute Right hand two fingertips – above upper lip Left hand fingertips – on tail-bone Eyes – track a vertical line Variations – sitting, standing, lying down ‘draw’ circles around distant objects with your nose move head from side to side with relaxed eye and neck muscles. New and Difficult – V – charts, diagrams, reading drawing


3. Earth Buttons Part 1 - 1/2 minute – four to six breaths Right fingertips – touch under lower lip Left fingertips – rest over upper edge of pubic bone (palm over naval with hand pointing down) Breathing – slow and deep Imagine – An energy fountain moving up midline and showering back to earth) Eyes – Look down for grounding track a vertical line Part 2 - 1/2 minute Change hands New and Difficult – V – reading, writing, watching, following,


4. Lazy 8s 3 times Eyes – first centre the lazy 8 on a point in the room then follow the hand Right hand starts to move up to the left and then completes the lazy 8 Head – moves slightly Breathing – deeply 3 times Left hand starts to move up to the left and then completes the lazy 8 3 times Hands together Variations Head rolls drawing small Lazy 8s to bigger ones Say “Up to the left and around. Cross the middle and up. Around, down and back to the middle” Eyes – closed Voice – humming In the air, on the board, with streamers New and Difficult – V – writing, drawing, painting, reading


5. Double Doodle Guided Squares - Right hand and left hand draw squares Refer to the midline and say, “Out, down, in, up.” 3 times Freeform Squiggles on paper- Neck and eyes – relaxed Hands/arms - Large movements Variations Large paper / board to small Different media Air doodles Use shoulders, wrists, feet Use both hands and feet New and Difficult – V – writing, drawing, painting, reading


6. The Owl Part 1 Hand – squeezes the right shoulder/neck muscle Head – turn back over right shoulder Inhale through the nose Shoulders – pulled back Exhale slowly as the head is moved slowly through the mid-line to come to rest at the left shoulder Eyes – Follows a line across the horizontal Inhale through the nose Chin – drops to chest Exhale Part 2 Change hands Variations Blink lightly Make who-oo sound Listen with left ear when head is to the left, right ear when head to the right, both when chin is down New and Difficult – V – reading, drawing, watching


7. Thinking Cap 1 minute – five times Thumbs and index fingers – gently pull and unroll he ears working from top to bottom Eyes – closed Variations – make low vowel sounds Say new 5 words New and Difficult – A – listening , speaking, inner voice e.g tables, mental calculation, poetry, music

Exercises that focus attention on auditory learning


8. Energy Yawn 1 minute – six yawns Mouth – open in pretend ‘yawn’ Voice – deep relaxed yawn Right and Left hand fingertips – gently stroke away tight spots Eyes – closed Variations – first find the opening and closing muscles New and Difficult – A – speaking, singing


9. The Elephant 3 times Knees – bent Head – ‘glued’ to left shoulder (hold a piece of paper between head and shoulder) Eyes – focused beyond the hand Move from the waist Left hand starts to move up to the left and then completes the lazy 8 Finger – drawing the Lazy 8 as on a flat wall 3 times Right hand starts to move up to the left and then completes the lazy 8 Etc. New and Difficult – A (ears!) listening, speaking Memory (elephant’s!)


10. Belly Breathing 1 minute Hand – on abdomen Inhale through the nose Blow out through the mouth in short puffs to empty the lungs Take a slow, deep but gentle breath through the nose Abdomen and chest – expand on inhalation (count to 3) Hold (count to 3) Exhale through the nose (count to 3) Pause (count to 3) Variation Breathe to the rhythm of music Variation - Breathe to the rhythm of music New and Difficult –– A - listening, speaking Singing. K - calming


11. Balance Buttons Part 1 – 1/2 minute Left hand two fingertips – massage then hold points just above the indentation where the skull rests over the neck (over semi-circular canals behind mastoid area) Right hand fingertips – on naval Part 2 – 1/2 minute Change hands Variations – sitting, standing, lying down ‘draw’ circles around distant objects with your nose move head from side to side with relaxed eye and neck muscles New and Difficult – A – listening to instruction, stories, computer work K – balance, good working posture


12. Hook ups Part 1 – 1 minute Ankles – crossed Fingers – interlaced Hands – hooked up Eyes – closed Breathing - deep Tongue – flat against the roof of the mouth on inhalation Relaxed on exhalation Part 2 – 1 minute Limbs - unhooked and uncrossed Fingertips - touching Breathing - deep New and Difficult – K - emotions

Exercises that focus attention on kinesthetic learning


13. Arm Activation Part 1 Left Arm – held next to the ear Exhale slowly (count 4 ) Right hand presses against each side, front and back of the left arm. Part 2 Change hands New and Difficult – K – writing, drawing, games


14. Footflex Part 1 Right ankle – resting on left knee Fingertips - squeeze the tendons and muscles of the calf Right foot – pointing and flexing Part 2 Left ankle – resting on right knee New and Difficult – K – emotions,


15. Calf Pump Standing Part 1 - 3 times Hands – on a chair or wall supporting the body Right knee – bent supporting the body Left leg – straight in same diagonal line with the back Left heel – off the floor Exhale Move weight onto the left leg and push heel to the floor Part 2 - 3 times Change legs New and Difficult – K – emotions


16. Gravity Glider Part 1 - 3 times Sitting Right ankle - resting on left ankle Legs – straight Arms together reaching forward from the rib cage Exhale ‘Under gravity’ glide down into available space Inhale Lift up the body and return arms parallel to the ground Part 2 - 3 times Change legs Variations Standing Eyes closed New and Difficult – K – emotions


17. Positive Points 1 minute Fingertips – lightly pulling the skin of the forehead taut between two points in line with the eyeballs halfway between hairline and eyebrow Eyes - closed Imagery – think of upcoming stressful situation Think about its successful conclusion Variation – A stands behind B New and Difficult –Memory - recall


18. The Grounder Part 1 - 3 times Standing Torso and pelvis– to the front Feet - right angles to each other Right foot - to the right Right leg - bent Left foot – forward Left leg – straight Head – facing to the right Exhale Right knee – glides out over the right foot Hold Inhale Straighten right leg Part 2 - 3 times Change legs New and Difficult – K – emotions


19. Cross Crawl 1 minute Right arm moves together with left leg Left arm moves together with right leg Eyes – move in all directions Variations Standing, sitting, lying on back, dancing to music, skipping, ‘swimming’ Elbow to knee Hand to thigh Hand to heel Both arm to one side, kick to other Slow motion New and Difficult – VAK – sports, games, dance, keyboard skills, playing musical instruments

Brain Gym

A set of exercises we can use to focus children’s attention on :


the learning skills needed to meet the upcoming challenge – the ‘new and difficult’

themselves as confident ‘driver-learners’.

Brain Gym Thinking Together Thinking for Learning.

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