Brain Development and Physical Activity Group Project

1
Brain Development and Physical ActivityGroup
Project

• Application
• to
• Teaching
• November 3, 2007

2
This is what we know about how children learn and
develop

• According to Gallahue (2006)
• Fundamental movement skills are basic movement
  patterns that develop around the same time that a
  child is able to walk independently and move
  freely through his or her environment.
• Locomotor, manipulative, and stability skills go
  through initial, elementary, and mature stages as
  they progress from immature to mature.
• Children need opportunities for practice,
  encouragement, and instruction in an environment
  that fosters learning.

3
The Brain Development and Physical Activity
Connection

• In the article, Jungle Gym or Brain Gym,
  author T. Hendy (2000) states that the
  development of motor skills helps to facilitate
  academic readiness and learning. Within the
  article, Dr. Mary McCabe is quoted
• The research suggests that students can raise
  their achievement level, increase their
  motivation, heighten their understanding,
  accelerate their learning time line and expand
  their creativity through motor skills, music and
  proper nutrition.

4
The Challenge of Change

• The METAL model, based on Newell's
  conceptualization of constraints, is a
  transactional model which implies that the
  interactions of the mover, the task and
  environment cause transactions (change).
• Interactions causing change in any part of the
  dynamic triangle result in Adaptive Learning by
  the learner.
• (Carson, 2007)

5
What does this mean to a teacher?

• . . .anytime any child attempts to do anything
  in our class there are factors at work,
  variables that interact and effect that students
  progress/success. Movements are always not one
  thing but relationships between the mover (and
  everything his/her background/genetics have
  contributed to the person that mover is at that
  particular time), the environment (all the things
  the teacher can and cannot manipulate in her
  classroom), and the task (whatever the child has
  been asked to do and, of course, the teacher
  has much to do with this.) The AL adapted
  learning, is that neat thing (sometimes quite
  creative) that we see students do as they
  attempt to succeed in their attempts to
  accomplish assigned tasks.
• (Yazvac, 2007)

6
Benefits of Physical Activity

• Brain based activities and physical activity
• -increase overall coordination
• -assist in the development of academic abilities
• -assist in leveling the academic playing field
  among all students.
• All of these factors assist in setting the stage
  for learners to maximize academic achievement.
• (Worrell, Kovar, Oldfather, 2003)

7
What the research says. . .

• Exercise keeps the energy of the student up which
  allows more oxygen-rich blood to the brain,
  resulting in the highest performance of the
  student. (Jenson, 2005)
• Movement has been proven to be effective in
  improving cognitive thinking by strengthening
  learning, improving memory and retrieval and
  enhancing learner motivation and morale. Motor
  control comes from the cerebellum part of the
  brain which also contains half of the brains
  neurons. (Jenson, 2005)
• Movement affects a childs attention, balance,
  and coordination. These abilities are important
  to later learning. (Fredericks, Kokot, Krog
  2006)
• Activities with balance can be simple but they
  can also help build the learning systems of the
  students. (Stevens-Smith, 2006)
• Physical movement increases blood flow to the
  brain and creates nerve cell networks which help
  with learning. (Worrell, Kovar, and Oldfather,
  2003)

8
Children who are physically active learn better

• The website www.movingandlearning.com states that
  through movement, children can get the body
  involved in the things they are learning. For
  example
• clapping and tapping can help children feel the
  rhythm of the words and sentences in a poem.
• performance and demonstration of the meaning of
  words can help a child understand vocabulary
  (i.e., stomp, pounce, smooth, gentle)
• Crossing the bodys midline helps the right and
  left brain to communicate. This integration of
  brain is essential to the ability to read and
  write.
• (Pica, 2007)

9
Activities to Consider

• Cross Lateral Movement
• Balance
• Aerobic Fitness and Exercise
• Eye Tracking
• Yoga
• Music, dance, and gymnastic activities
• Play, move, exercise, and have fun every day!

10
Balancing Activities

• Balancing activities impact the vestibular
  system, which plays a significant role in
  performance of motor skills, spatial awareness,
  and language development.
• The brain has two hemispheres and each hemisphere
  controls the opposite side of the body.
  Activities in which students cross their midlines
  help students develop connections between the two
  hemispheres of the brain.
• (Stevens-Smith, 2006)

11
Balancing Activities

• Balancing helps students develop concepts of left
  to right, top to bottom, and front to back. This
  promotes learning because left to right brain
  communication is important in developing reading/
  writing skills. Top to bottom communication
  promotes the ability to organize thoughts and
  actions. As students age, these same neural
  connections assist with math and reading skills.
• Examples of such balancing activities tumbling,
  rolling, and static and dynamic balancing.
• (Stevens-Smith, 2006)

12
Cross Lateral Activities

• Crossing the midline facilitates neural
  activation in many parts of the brain and equally
  on both hemispheres.
• The increase in blood flow makes the brain more
  alert and energized for learning.
• (Blaydes-Madigan, 2000)

13
Eye Tracking Activities

• Eye tracking exercises and peripheral vision
  development helps reading.
• Tracking exercises, manipulatives, navigation,
  and target games exercise the eye muscles, making
  the eyes fit to read.
• (Blaydes-Madigan, 2000)

14
Exercise and Aerobic Activities

• According to Dr. Ratey (2007), an expert in the
  field of Brain Development and Physical Activity,
  teachers and parents should
• Get the child outside to have fun and enjoy
  their moving. Help them engage in rough and
  tumble play- encourage the kids to have fun
  running and laughing if that is still possible.
  Help them latch on to wellness and moving as a
  life style by setting the right examples.

15
Whats a parent to do?

• Dr. Greenough explains that rich, new learning
  experiences help to develop receptors for the
  capillaries, thus stressing the importance of
  parents and care takers to provide children with
  physical activity to maximize the potential of
  brain development. (Ray, 2007)
• Additionally, Child Genius Magazine states that
  parents should provide their babies with as many
  movement opportunities as possible but they must
  not pressure them for success. (Developing the
  Child Brain, retrieved 2007)

16
Practical Application

• We know that as physical educators and parents,
  we must provide rich, varied opportunities for
  children, both physically and academically.
• Physical activity is also beneficial in the
  classroom setting.

• Teachers and administrators may have the
  following questions and concerns
• How can teachers provide opportunities for
  physical activity in their classrooms?
• Why would they want to?
• Wont it take time away from academic learning?

17
Brain Development and Physical Activity in Mr.
Andrews Classroom

• Within my regular 4th grade classroom, I have
  found that yoga exercises work best. Yoga is
  safe to do in the confines of a classroom and
  there are many different types of movements that
  can be utilized. To start off, my students have
  learned the beginning steps to the Sun
  Salutation. These movements are a great warm up
  to any day and the students really seem to enjoy
  it. It helps the students to warm up their minds
  and bodies in a controlled manner. When
  finished, the students feel refreshed, awake and
  ready to start their learning activities. We
  concentrate on how important breathing is to yoga
  and how it helps us to get plenty of oxygen to
  our brains.

18
Physical Activity Works Well in the Classroom

• I try to incorporate these activities at the
  beginning of the day, any time before a test or
  quiz, and anytime I feel that the students are
  getting tired and losing their ability to
  concentrate. After the physical activities, the
  students are better able to concentrate and seem
  more eager to participate in class discussions.

19
Yoga Postures

• Once my students were able to practice Sun
  Salutations with good form and breathing, we
  incorporated balancing poses. Poses like tree
  posture, crow and eagle can be done to different
  levels that allow all students to be successful.
  

20
Does it Really Work?

• To test the theory that physical activity can
  improve learning, I had my students participate
  in some simple movement and balancing exercises
  before spelling tests. I compared those test
  scores to the scores of other spelling tests in
  which the students did not participate in any
  movement or balance activities beforehand. The
  graph shows the results.

Table 1.1
21
More Testing

• In another test of the theory, I compared
  vocabulary test scores in which I used movement
  and balancing activities before reviewing
  vocabulary words with my class. (I also used the
  activities just before the students took the
  test.) Those scores compared favorably to those
  of tests in which I did not use any physical
  activity before reviews or the actual test.

Table 1.2
22
Test Results

• As you can see from the previous two slides,
  there was an increase in the scores of tests that
  were accompanied by physical activity.
• There are probably other factors that may have
  contributed to the higher scores, but I am sure
  the activities that took place before the test
  did have a positive influence on the test takers.
• The students were definitely more focused during
  testing and their minds were more awake.
• Most importantly

23
Its Fun!!!
24
Conclusion

• Children learn to move, and move to learn.
  Provide them with a variety of activities and
  play opportunities from a very young age.
• Encourage challenging and vigorous physical
  activity and exercise- several times each day!
• Physical activity, when incorporated into almost
  every aspect of a childs growth, development and
  education, provides an excellent opportunity for
  learning.
• A healthy, active body provides a good home for a
  healthy, active brain.

25
Additional Resources

• For the official Brain Gym website
• http//www.braingym.org
• For sample Brain Gym exercises
• http//esl.about.com/od/englishlessonplans/a/brain
  gym.htm
• Action Based Learning official website, sample
  lesson
• http//www.actionbasedlearning.com/index.shtml
• Additional activities by Jean Blaydes-Madigan
• http//healthierchildren.org/Physical20Activiy/Do
  cuments/SMART20KIDS20Brain20Expo202004.doc

26
References

• Blaydes-Madigan, J. (2000). Thinking on Your
  Feet, Richardson, TX Action Based Learning.
• Carson, L. (2007). Childhood Motor Development
  Course Content Week 2. WVU eCampus WebCT.
• Developing the Child Brain, Creeping and Crawling
  Foundational to Child Brain Development, Child
  Genius Magazine, Retrieved 9,22,2007 from
  http//www.internationalparentingassociation.org/B
  rainDevelopment/mobility1.html
• Jensen, E. (2005). Teaching With The Brain In
  Mind. Alexandria, Virginia Association for
  Supervision and Curriculum Development.
• Franke, M. J. (2005) Motor Activity and Improved
  Brain Function. Missouri Journal of Health,
  Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. 62-75.
• Fredericks, C. R., Kokot, S. J., Krog, S. (2006)
  Using A Developmental Movement Programme To
  Enhance Academic Skills In Grade 1 Learners.
  South African Journal for Research in Sport,
  Physical Education and Recreation, Vol 28, (1),
  29-42.
• Gallahue, D. L. Ozmun, J. C. (2006).
  Understanding Motor Development Infants,
  Children, Adolescents, Adults. New York
  McGraw-Hill.

27
References (continued)

• Hendy,T. (2000).Jungle Gym or Brain Gym? Child
  Development and Physical Activity. Parks and
  Recreation. Retrieved 9,20,2007, from
  http//findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1145/is_6_3
  5/ai_63257092
• Pica, R. (N.D.) Ten Reasons to Promote Emergent
  Literacy through Movement Active Learning.
  Retrieved 9.20.2007 from http//www.movingandlearn
  ing.com/Resources/Articles28.htm
• Ratey, J. (2007). Electronic interview for brain
  development and physical activity group project.
  WVU eCampus WebCT.
• Ray,M. (2007). Rich Experiences, Physical
  Activity Create Healthy Brains, an Interview with
  Developmental Psychologist William Greenough.
  National Scientific Council on the Development of
  Children. Retrieved 9,20,2007 from
  http//www.developingchild.net/pubs/persp/pdf/Phys
  ical_Activity_Create_Healthy_Brains.pdf
• Stevens-Smith, D. (September 2006) Balancing With
  the Brain in Mind. Teaching Elementary Physical
  Education. 28-33.
• Worrell, V. J., Kovar, S. K., Oldfather, S..
  (November 2003), Brain/Body Connection as it
  Relates to Physical Education. Teaching
  Elementary Physical Education. 12-13, 26.
• Yazvac, C. (2007) Childhood Motor Development
  Week 11 Activity. WVU eCampus WebCT.