Teacher’s Edition RevisedIntroduction ‘The Brain Gym Teacher’s Edition is a companion guide to the Brain Gym book, for the use of parents, educators, and others who are actively working with children or adults, individually or in groups, to help them draw out their full potential as learners. The reader will find this an easy-to-use, self-explanatory reference book whenever Brain Gym is being learned. By turning to any one page in the Teacher's Edition, the educator will find information and teaching strategies which will enable him or her to explain, refine, and vary the activity for a particular individual, situation, or need. Included on each page is information under the following headings: TEACHING TIPS ACADEMIC SKILLS VARIATIONS BEHAVIORAL/POSTURAL CORRELATES ACTIVATE(S) THE BRAIN FOR RELATED MOVEMENTS: HISTORY OF THE MOVEMENT As explained in the histories of the movements, these Brain Gym activities were discovered to either stimulate (Laterality Dimension), release (Focusing Dimension), or relax (Centering Dimension) students involved in particular types of learning situations. Specific activities were observed to be more helpful than ethers for moving through individual learning blocks, and a pattern was recognized. This Teacher's Edition ean guide the educator ot parent to observe and recog- nize these patterns and thus make facilitation of the learning experience more precise and accurate, ‘The human brain, like a hologram, is three-dimensional, with parts interrelating as a whole. Thus, the infant or preschool child is capable of globally taking in the adult world and recreating it; the student easily integrates learning presented from a multisensory, rather than abstract, orientation. However, the human brain is also task-specific, and, for the purposes of applying Brain Gym movements, may be understood to com- prise the left and right hemispheres (Laterality Dimension), the brainstem and frontal lobes (Focus Dimension), and the limbic system and cerebral cortex (Centering Dimension). Within laterality, or sidedness, exists the potential for bilateral integration, the ability to cross the central midline of the body and to work in the midfield. When this skill is mastered, one can process linear, symbolic, written code, leftto rightor right to left, en ability fundamental to academic success (see Edu-K for Kids). ‘The inability to cross the midline results in such identifications as west grquoasnan crt sur nwuananoee | “Teaming disabled” or “dyslexic.” Those movements which will Sng ma ies ery wo enestvas | help to stimulate bihemispheric and bilateral integration are so Meee na ena. wine anno identified under the ACTIVATE'S) THE BRAIN FOR category. Ne ee ee cttSaatn Focusing is the ability to cross the participation midline, which separates the back and front of the body as well as the back (occipital) and frontal lobes. Incompletion of developmental reflexes results in the inability to express aaa ath ease and to participate actively in the learning process. Students who are underfocused are onesel shelled as “inattentive,” “unable to comprehend,” “language-delayed,” or “hyperactive.” Some Children are overfocused and try too hard. Those movements which help to unblock focus are designated st back/front integration activities under the ACTIVATE(S) THE BRAIN FOR category.Centering is the ability to cross the midline between the upper and lower body and the corresponding upper and lower brain functions: the midbrain (emotional content) and cerebrum (abstract thought) Nothing can be truly learned without feeling and a sense of meaningfulness. The inability to stay centered results in irrational fear, fight-or-flight responses, or an inability to feel or express emotions. Those movements which relax the system and prepare the student to take in and process information without negative emotional overlay are identified by the centering or grounding designation under the ACTIVATE(S) THE BRAIN FOR category. Once the student learns to move his or her eyes, hands, and body in concert, the Brain Gym activities have served their purpose, and integration becomes an automatic choice. Some individuals will find Brain Gym helpful over a short period of time to establish a desired behavior. Most students consciously choose to continue the movements for a matter of weeks or months, to help reinforce the new learning. Many Jearners will return to their favorite Brain Gym movement routine when new stresses or challenges appear in their lives. Brain Gym is based upon three simple premises: 1. Learning is a natural, joyous activity that continues throughout life. 2. Learning blocks are the inability to move through the stress and uncertainty of a new task. 3. Weare all “learning-blocked” to the extent that we have learned not to move. Many of us have come to accept limitations in our lives as inevitable, and may fail to find the benefits that positive stress can bring, The Brain Gym movements are a natural, healthful alternative to tension that we can use and teach others to use when challenges present themselves. ‘The educator, in particular, must be an expert at identify- ing behaviors that indicate that the student is having diffi culty moving information through to integration. With Brain Gym, most learning blocks can be released if they are recog- nized and addressed in a supportive manner. The healthy child knows when he or she is stuck, and asks for help by means of his or her behavior. There are no lazy, withdrawn, aggressive, or angry children, only children de- itm Joe 1g ge He BRAN cr Sens poe nied the ability to learn in a way that is natural to them. estat ne eemnaanom tet aion ree Given the opportunity to move in his own way, the child is |_ ue Sernresmrscny nt 17 capable of completing the learning cycle. With support, and with permission to move in the classroom in a positive man- her, he will unfold into his unique and complete intelligence ina way that is natural and easy. He will not be blocked; he will be free to learn.The Midline Movements ‘The Midline Movements focus on the skills necessary for easy two-sided (left-right) movement across the midline of the body. The vertical midline of the body is the necessary reference for all such bilateral skills. The midfield (first defined by Dr. Dennison) is the area where the left and right visual fields overlap, requiring the paired eyes and all of their reciprocating muscles to work so well as a team that the two eyes function’as one. Development of bilateral movement skills for crawling, walking, or seeing depth is essential to the child’s growing sense of autonomy. It is also a prerequisite for whole-body coordination land ease of learning in the near-visual area. The Midline Movements help to integrate binocular vision, binaural hearing, and the left and right sides of the brain and body. Many learners beginning school are not developmentally prepared for the bilateral, two-dimensional skills of near-point work. Sometimes a student is coordinated for play or sports activities (involving three~ dimensional space and demanding binocular vision only beyond arm's length), yet is not ready to use both eyes, ears, hands, and brain hemispheres for near-point work, such as reading, writing, and other skills involving fine-motor coordination, Other students show coordination for academic skills or near-point activities, yet are not ready for whole-body coordination on the playing field. The Midline Movements facilitate completion of developmental skills and give the Midli learner permission to build on the concrete operations al- idline ready established. They help students to increase upper- Movements lower body coordination, for both large-motor activities and fine-motor skills. Cross-motor activities have been used to activate the brain since our understanding of laterality began over a century ago. Noted authorities such as Orton, Doman, Delacato, Kephart, and Barsch have used similar movements success~ fully in their learning programs. Dr. Dennison drew from his knowledge of these programs in developing the Midline Movements series. Paul Dennison has worked closely with behavioral op- tometrists for more than twenty years. He recognizes the value of perceptual-motor and vision training for certain students, and has included his own movement innovations for releasing visual stress and creating eye-teaming skills ‘Some of the Midline Movements have been adapted from activities used in behavioral optometry to increase brain- ee ie mtahmaguertunmes: | — body coordination. Others are borrowed from sports, dance, \StEuuc Sant asec ao neon or exercise programs. Still others, totally unique to Edu-K, ingbannanacrae one enency metre sO be are the innovations of Dr. Paul Dennison.Lengthening Activities The Brain Gym Lengthening Activities help students to develop and reinforce those neural pathways that enable them to make connections between what they already know in the back of the brain and the ability to express and process that information in the front of the brain. These activities are especially effective when used to release reflexes related to specific language disabilities. Learners need to approach the communication skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking with a sense of adventure, curiosity, and risk-taking. Yet some young people perceive these activities as immediate threats to their survival. ‘The survival mechanism housed in the brainstem is well developed during the first five months of life to take in sensory data from the environment. When placed in new situations where there is too much information, the organism will respond by withdrawing or holding back until there is sufficient comfort to proceed. One physiological reflex to danger is to contract the muscles, This reflex has served over the centuries to protect people from real threats to their lives. It affects posture by shortening the tendons in 1e back of the body, from head to heels, thus confounding vestibular balance and the sense of spatial “elationships. This contraction response, known as the “tendon-guard reflex” to doctors of chiropractic who practice he Sacro-Occipital Chiropractic Technique (SOT), can become a habit, and is then difficult or impossible © release without training. What is perceived to constitute danger, thus activating the reflex, depends on patterned responses from infancy, and varies for different in- dividuals. Generally, the tendency to contract is lessened as i individuals experience a feeling of "participation readiness.” Lengthening ‘The front portion of the brain, especially the frontal lobe, is | Activities involved in comprehension, motor control, and rational be- haviors necessary for participation in social situations. The Lengthening Activities have been found to relax those muscles and tendons that tighten and shorten by brainstem reflex when we are in unfamiliar learning situations. This resets the prop- rioceptors, the “brain cells in muscles” that give us informa- tion about where we are in space, enabling us to have better access to the whole brain-body system ‘The Lengthening Activities may resemble those stretching and limbering exercises done by athletes and dancers in their warm-ups. Although these activities may be used for muscle toning before or after physical exercise, they also serve a dif- ferent purpose. Each re-educates the body to make lasting changes in posture, restoring muscles to their natural length. Language used to facilitate these movements should describe “reaching, lengthening, expanding,” or “opening,” rather than “stretching” or “trying,” which suggest efforting beyond the | Sysrnrazeuymansresns ang ren natural capacity. Nemec scires amare enor owe bet ‘ony oneoag ogee Lengthening Activities also help to develop the sense of participation readiness by releasing or helping to complete infant reflexes that emphasize one-sideness, crucial to body differentiation and language development. These reflexes continue to demand first priority on neural pathways when individuals have not successfully matured through them. Lengthening Activi- ties address several developmental responses, including the labyrinth responses (birth to four or five months) necessary for development of the inner-ear mechanism and its relationship to gravity; the tonic neck reflexes (birth to three months) critical to the development of sidedness as well as to flexion and erection against gravity; and differentiated movement (birth through childhood), a gradual process of learning to distinguish among the muscles, tendons, and joints of the body, resulting first in gross-motor control and eventually in fine-motor control. 16Energy Exercises and Deepening Attitudes The Brain Gym Energy Exercises and postures for Deepening Attitudes help to re-establish neural connections between body and brain, thus facilitating the flow of electromagnetic energy throughout the body. These activities support electrical and chemical changes that occur during all mental and phy: events. Left-to-right/right-to-left, head-to-foot/foot-to-head, and back-to-front/front-to-back circuitries establish and support our sense of directionality, of sidedness, of centeredness, and of focus, as well as our awareness of where we are in space and in relation to objects in our environment. ‘The Energy Exercises validate important tactile and kinesthetic information about inner-body relation- ships that are usually developmentally established during the infant's first year. When visual skills are built on this proprioceptive foundation, a match is easily made between what is seen and what is experienced. Without this congruency, conflict among the sensory channels makes learning difficult. The human body is one of the most complex of all electrical systems. All visual, auditory, or kinesthetic input-in fact, all sensory information-is changed into electrical signals and relayed to the brain along nerve fibers. The brain then sends out electrical signals along other nerve fibers to tell the visual, auditory. and muscular systems how to respond. These currents travel at speeds of up to 400 kilometers (248 miles) per hour-faster than the fastest electric trains in use! In the same way that electrical circuits in a house can ‘become overloaded, neurological and physiological signals Energy tan become jammed and switch off, blocking the normal Exercises flow of brain-body communication. Both Western and East ‘ern medical authorities recognize the need to keep the elec tromagnetic circuits of the body (described as meridians in the Chinese system of acupuncture) flowing freely. During periods of increased stress, as adrenalin levels rise, a lowering of electrical potential across the nerve mem- brane occurs, preparing the body for fight or flight. In this state, the body reacts in order to survive, focusing electrical energy away from the neocortex and to the sympathetic ner- ‘Yous system. Energy Exercises and Deepening Attitudes ac- tivate the neocortex, thus refocusing electrical energy back to the reasoning centers. This stimulates parasympathetic function and decreases the release of adrenalin. By increas- ing the electrical threshold across the nerve membrane, thought and action are again coordinated. Additionally, the semicircular canals of the inner ear are ncaa cantveunesranaonananidoncearare | stimulated by electrical activity that occurs during move- SSE eee seme: | ment. These canals, inturn activate the brainstem’s reticular Serna wen aM eA enecomess | formation, which screens distracting from relevant informa- Seo ee we coe te tion and creates wakefulness, facilitating focus and attention in the rational centers of the brain. When the semicircular canals have been damaged or if they are not adequately stimulated by movement, a person may have difficulty concentrating. Energy Exercises and Deepening ‘Attitudes provide a balanced stimulus to the semicircular canals, thus activating and focusing the higher brain centers for fine-motor skills and new learning, Some of the Energy Exercises and Deepening Attitudes are derived from acupressure systems, such as Jin Shin Jitsu and Jin Shin Do. Others were inspired by Touch for Health and Applied Kinesiology techniques. Dr. Dennison combined these exercises with eye movements that enhance the sense of direc: tionality and build visual skills on a kinesthetic basis. He gave playful names to each of the activities while working with students at his reading centers. 23Brain Gym at Work...and Play! READING SKILLS Crossing the Visual Midline ‘Moving the eyes across the page without inhibiting the receptive brain ‘The development of visual skills for reading begins with the ability to move both eyes in tandem from left to right across the midline of the page and across the corresponding visual mic id. For reading, one eye must be dominant for focusing, the other eye for blending. Although both skills are available to each eye, stress in leamming the tasks of focusing and blending for reading may cause visual disorientation. = Brain Batons (ross Craw! Oral Reading Expressive reading with emotion and interpretation The reader must discover that he or she is teling a story and communicating ideas through reading. One must have the concept of a verbal code in order for true reading to be possible. In Western languages, the code includes an auditory as well as a visual and a motor component. All three of these must be used together for reconstruction of the code to take place. The Energy Yawn (ross Grawi 33 “The Rocker oly BreathingReading Comprehension ‘Focused reading involving anticipation and internalization of language Reading is an active reconstruction by the reader of the author's message or code. There's nothing inherently meaningful about the ‘code itself. The success of the communication depends upon the ‘writer encoding something meaningful and the reader decoding it, making it his ot her own. Thus, communication through the written ‘word depends on the reader's active recreation of the work as he or she reads it. ‘The Calf Punp THINKING SKILLS Organization Skills ‘Moving the eyes vertically as well as horizontally without confusion Familiarity with multimodality (visual, auditory, tactile, kinesthetic) and multidirectional processes is @ prerequisite for comprehending math and spelling. Until left, right, up, and down are recognized as unique visual spaces, the learner will have difficulty with words or symbols presented in columns, and with placing symbols in an ordered sequence. ‘The GroundorSpelling The ability fo access visual memory and simultaneously build auditory constructs Forefficient spelling, development of both short- and long-term memory for storage of information about sounds and associations is essential. “The Thinking Cap Math The ability to work in a multidimensional, multidirec- tional medium Math skills are more accessible to the student who has internalized concepts about space, mass, quantities, and relationships. Elephant - p. 8 Tho Owl - p. 17 Calf Pump - p. 20, Neck Rolls «| Gravity Glider - p. 24 ‘The Ow. “The Cait Pump “The Gravity GiderWRITING SKILLS Eye-Hand Coordination Penmanship, cursive writing, fields The learner discovers that symbols (letters or pictures) can communicate meaning. The desire to communicate through symbols is the first step in acquiring writing skills. Gross-motor movement is established as a basis for handedness and fine- motor control. and drawing in the left, right, upper, and lower visual ‘Double Doodle | Creative Writing The ability to express experiences received and stored in the hindbrain as personal language Skills of reading and writing the code develop together, each reinforcing the other. Writing helps to establish the skills of attention (focus), perception (meaning), and discrimination (connecting the code to associations and feel- ings). Writing skills must keep pace with reading skills, and ideally are main- tained at a level no more than two years below the reading level ‘The Energy Yawn ‘The Foottex. ‘The Cait PumpSELF-AWARENESS SKILLS Crossing the Auditory Midline: Clear Listening and Speaking Active listening involves both external and intemal feedback and feedforward ‘Active listening involves both reception and processing ‘of meaning, and is a basic prerequisite to all effective communication. Externally, motor responses are neces- sary for hearing and speech. Internally, one must interpret thoughts and associa- tions to be able to respond from one’s experience. The feedback-feedforward loop allows comprehension and expression to take place. “The Thirking Cap (Gross Craw Self-Concept: Inner Sunshine ‘Self-esteem is both the goal and the means of self-directed learning Having confidence within the boundaries of personal space helps one to feel safe, to know when risk-taking is appropriate, and to respect other people's space. Personal space is the immediate working area ‘round the body, including all the space one can comfortably reach in ‘any direction, Into this space, we can radiate our thoughts, feelings, and self-expression, abe wike Bea wig KS Tamed senshine- Positive Points - p. 32 Cook's Hook-ups -p. 31 Balance Buttons - p. 27Whole-Body Coordination for Sports and Play Basic brain-body reflexes are essential for decision-making while one is in motion ‘The leamer develops a sense of the physical area o! his personal space and defines his boundaries. This safe space has leftright, top/ bottom, and back/front dimensions. Improved visual and kinesthetic figure-ground manifest on the playing field as ease of tracking and hand-eye coordination, The learner discovers greater autonomy while coordinating his brain and body through focused movement. Think of an x ‘cross Craw a A } = / Soy The EnergizerHOME-STUDY SKILLS Memory and Abstract Thinking Integration of silent speech and visualization skills, better known as thinking Silent speech is necessary to interpret abstract concepts and to process language once reading vocabulary exceeds speaking vocabulary (sixth-grade level). Audi tory and visual input must be integrated to enable the storage of information into short-term memory for analytical use and the retrieval of information from long- term memory for verbal expression. Cross Craw! - p. 4 Balance Buttons - p. 27 Positive Points - p. 32 Neck Rolls - p. 9 (Gross Craw! Creative Thinking Integration of what is presented by others with one's own life and thought Focus, attention, and concentration require integration of prior life experiences actual, imaginary, of vicarious) and new information (received by the hindbrain and expressed in language through the forebrain), so that the new is processed and stored as personal knowledge. Foeus (Gross Craw -p. & [ny Lengthening ‘Actos 0. ‘The Energzer p14 ‘The Rocker =p. 11 ‘Gross Craw ‘The Gravity Glider The Energizer 39 The RockerSpeed-Reading ‘Skimming and scanning abilities made accessible In speed-reading, one bypasses as much of the i yar process as possible while still actively taking in information. Skimming is exploring the printed page for meaningful material, while skipping the redundant. Scanning is reviewing the data for anticipated information, such as a name or date. The skilled speed-reader varies his speed according to writing style and subject matter. Lazy 8s Test Taking Relaxing the butterflies Information which has been learned or experienced is stored in the long-term memory centers of the brain. The ability to retrieve and use this information, espe- cially in a situation which tests our skills and abilities, requires focus and pres- ence, without contusion, anxiety, or distraction. ‘cross Craw! The Ow The Calf Pum) ‘Gross Craw 40PERSONAL ECOLOGY SKILLS Productivity at the Keyboard and Video Screen The ability to stabilize homeostasis For the sensitive individual, electronic devices may aggravate visual, audi- tory, or other physiological stresses. The video screen provides only one visual plane, limiting the use of binocular vision, depth perception, and Peripheral vision. The constant hum of many devices switches off auditory skills, while the electromagnetic field of radio-controlled equipment may negatively affect body meridians. Riding in a Car, Bus, or Plane Grossing the moving midline The body must keep its sense of balance in a mov- ing vehicle by compensating with the inner ear for motion left to right, back to front, of side to side. Binocular vision and depth perception may also be affected by this motion. Lay 8s 4 ‘The Thinking Cap