Brain Gym!
It's like gym class for your brain! How Miss Almeida starts every day after day after Morning Meeting, and a part of our routine throughout the day!
What is Brain Gym?
Brain Gym® movements, exercises, or activities refer to the original 26 Brain Gym movements. These activities recall the movements naturally done during the first years of life when learning to coordinate the eyes, ears, hands, and whole body. The twenty-six activities, along with a program for “learning through movement” were developed by educator and reading specialist Paul E. Dennison and his wife and colleague, Gail E. Dennison who say that the interdependence of movement, cognition, and applied learning is the basis of their work. Clients, teachers, and students have been reporting for over 20 years on the effectiveness of these simple activities. Even though it is not clear yet "why" these movements work so well, they often bring about dramatic improvements in areas such as:
- Concentration and Focus
- Memory
- Academics: reading, writing, math, test taking
- Physical coordination
- Relationships
- Self-responsibility
- Organization skills
Attitude
What Does It Look Like In the Classroom?
At the beginning of each day, we take 5-10 minutes to do a series of Brain Gym exercises, including "Brain Buttons," "Cross Crawl," and "Hook Ups" to name a few. These exercises are simple to do and help us to activate all parts of our brain, while relaxing us and preparing us for our day of learning! Students take turns being the "leader" and running Brain Gym for the day.
What is Brain Gym?Brain Gym® movements, exercises, or activities refer to the original 26 Brain Gym movements. These activities recall the movements naturally done during the first years of life when learning to coordinate the eyes, ears, hands, and whole body. The twenty-six activities, along with a program for “learning through movement” were developed by educator and reading specialist Paul E. Dennison and his wife and colleague, Gail E. Dennison who say that the interdependence of movement, cognition, and applied learning is the basis of their work. Clients, teachers, and students have been reporting for over 20 years on the effectiveness of these simple activities. Even though it is not clear yet "why" these movements work so well, they often bring about dramatic improvements in areas such as:
