Sometimes children tend to do these exercises too quickly and rush through them. Movements should be done slow and accurate. After they put their right hand on their left knee, have the child switch by lifting the right knee and putting the left hand on the right knee. Instruct them to put their right hand on their left knee, crossing the midline of the body. Have your child or student stand up straight and lift their left knee. The purpose of this exercise is to improve communication between the right and left hemispheres of the brain for higher-level reasoning (critical thinking, problem-solving, auditory, organization and more). Cross Crawls (Active)Ĭross crawls is one of the most important exercises you can do with your child. This exercise is especially good for children before taking a test or big exam. Have your child or student hold that position for at least 30 seconds or as long as it takes for the child to begin feeling re-energized. Both hands should be on the tummy and the collar bone at the same time. At the same time, have your child take their thumb and index finger and place the two fingers directly under their collar bone (clavicle). Have your child or student stand up straight and place one hand over their navel (bellybutton). Its purpose is to awaken the child and help them to stay alert, especially if they are sluggish, fidgeting, or are prone to low-energy or problems with attention and focus. Brain Buttons (Clear)īrain buttons are meant to stimulate blood flow to the brain and activate the Reticular Activating System (RAS), which is your child’s internal alarm clock that tells the brain it needs to be awake for learning. Sipping Water (Energetic) Photo by Engin Akyurt 2. But, as we are able to step past our limited thinking, we are finding out that simple common-sense solutions often produce the most profound results.” Brain Gym® PACE (Positive – Active – Clear – Energetic) 1. Hannaford says, “If a program is not hard, time-consuming and costly it appears to have less value. Many parents and teachers find physical activities “too simple” and “too good to be true” to actually make a difference in a child’s learning challenges or classroom experience.

In our society today, we often see the body and the mind as separate and that movement has nothing to do with learning. In Smart Moves, Carla Hannaford says, “Brain Gym® facilitates each step of the process by waking up the mind/body system, and bringing it to learning readiness.” Dr Paul Dennison, creator of “Educational Kinesiology” (Edu-K), worked with students early in his career, he found when students were stressed or inactive throughout the day, their learning ability “switched off.” If parts of the child’s brain become inactive, how can they learn? As he began integrating Educational Kinesiology or learning through movement, into his every-day interactions with students, the child’s brain was “awakened” for higher learning.

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