Body/brain BOOGIE –
The Neurobiology of Learning through Movement
MAHPERD -- Monday, March 14 -- 8 to 9 AM – Central Ballroom
Jeff Haebig, Ph.D.
Experience a rhyming, rhythmical sequence of movements showing how body/brain cells and system
work together to learn. We will make dendrites dance, get myelin smiling, synapses singing, and the
cerebellum ringing. Use this information teaching students, parents and staff members how essential
movement is to learn and extend memory. Put hip to lip -- shake, rattle and role-model how body/
brain-enhanced learning looks and feels
Welcome! Neuroscience confirms how the body/brain learns best. Let’s learn this science in the
most memorable way – combining movement, rhythm and rhyme. Feel free to copy the extended
lyrics off my website BrainBoogie.com where extended Conference Handouts are posted.
Neurons – expanded dendrites – dendrite delight -- new receptor sites – more information bytes
Sensory stimulation – elaboration – consolidation – motor activation – learning celebration!
Genetic expression – hip, hip hooray – we revise our DNA -- DNA takeover – molecular makeover –
create neurochemistry – new electricity – zips through the axon
Fat on the Axon – happy, happy fat – smilin’ myelin – myelin insulates – impulse accelerates – with
repetition, repetition – speeds transmission – through the cell – into the gap – synaptic gap
Myelinate primitive reflexes, vestibular, reticular, proprioception, visual, auditory, tactile reception
Neurotransmitter – chemical messenger – excitatory go-go -- inhibitory no-no
Synapses unite – axons to dendrites – keep it coming back – but don’t pack n’ stack
Enhance the synapse – give the gap a nap – take regular breaks – reuptakes
Take time out -- every now and then -- strengthen synapses – Downtime
Learning eases – bits and pieces – hippocampus chomp, chomp – retention tip top – index and file
for a short while – names, faces, times, places – declarative facts – explicit tracks -- bring them back
Splashes of emotion – amygdala – replace threat, fear – celebration, cheer – amygdala de dah
Neurochemical joyrides – body/brain peptides -- good feeling dopamine – endorphin morphine –
serotonin steady – adrenaline ready -- flood the frontal lobes – create Primetime
Excess stress – neocortex hex – I can’t think – obsession, aggression – brain cell death
Learning duress -- Stress for success – create harmony – breathe with ease – coherent energy
Memory down – bring it way up – repeat body acts – ring the cerebellum – grab all the facts – build
implicit tracks – 1, 2, 3, 4 – I can remember more
Body/brain Boogie – shake rattle and show – what you know!
Taken from the Body/brain BOOGIE VIDEO by Jeff Haebig
Body/brain BOOGIE
Neurobiology of Learning
Jeff Haebig, Ph.D., OBBB
Official Body/brain Boogieman
Body/brain Boogie: Starting with a brief overview helps the more global Right Brain Preferred learners get
a reference of what’s ahead. The novel movements, music and playful antics also arouse the Reticular
Activation System (RAS) the attentional part of
the brain which directs the brain to pay closer attention to
anything different or unusual.
Central Idea: Neuroscientific and genetic research is redefining education. By under-standing how
body/brain cells and systems function best, we can determine which teaching practices most effectively
capture attention, boost motivation, extend memory, and enhance reading, writing, spelling, math and other
academic skills for all ages and all learning styles.
Our time has come: Many traditional teaching and learning methods are being replaced with sensory-motor
enriched approaches that create optimal physical, social and emotional learning states. Specializing in these
domains, our HPERD profession can help direct this educational transformation by sharing information with
staff, students and families. Today’s presentation shows a few intriguing ways of doing that. Let’s start with
the ‘neuron’.
Neurons: Rub your palms together – imagine they represent neurons. Say the word ‘neuron’. Research by
Krauss shows that retention can be improved when gestures and words are combined to learn terms.
‘Learning’ consists of growing and strengthening networks of neurons. Showing and saying the word ‘neuron’
expands the new neural network by engaging the visual, auditory, tactile and proprioceptive sensory systems.
Neuronal wave: Wave to your neighbors with both of your neurons. Just as you are communicating with
them, sensory, motor, and intermediate neurons are cells that communicate among themselves, shaping
memories while doing so. The smiles and laughter during this activity adds positive emotions, generating a
fixative that strengthens the connections between cells. Go ahead, wave and smile – create more mental glue.
Dendrite delight: Outline your fingers – they represent 1000’s of branches extending from each neuron
called dendrites. Say the word dendrite while wiggling your fingers -- create ‘dendrite delight’. Go ahead and
smile – create more emotional fixative and RAS matazz arousing your attentional system. Use gestures
showing how dendrites expand throughout life with new experiences. Show ‘routine only’ dendrites and ‘fly-bynight’ dendrites that don’t fully establish themselves – they wither away from disuse.
DNA Aye! Hip, hip, hooray, we revise our DNA! Providing there is enough cellular stimulation leading to
genetic expression, protein synthesis takes place within the neuron, creating new molecules that encode new
message involved with learning. Physical activity provides such stimulation. Extend your arms held up,
representing strands of genes and chromosomes. Cross the arms back and forth showing how these stands
wrap and unwrap themselves. Repeat my gestures and echo my words, “DNA takeover -- Molecular makeover -- Create neurochemistry -- New electricity -- Zip through the axon -- Fat on the axon”. Repeat the
sequence adding ‘RAS matazz’ to further engage the RAS attentional system.
Smilin’ myelin: Grab your wrist – then tickle from the wrist on, the wire-like axon that extends from the
neuron cell body. Image putting ‘fat on’ the axon by patting the forearm.
Echo the words, “Fat on the axon – Happy, happy, happy fat – Smilin’ myelin – Myelin insulates – Impulse
accelerates – With repetition, repetition – Speeds transmission”.
In addition to eating essential fatty acids, repetitive movement myelinate cells, speeding electrical impulses
through the neuron. Mental and physical performance is enhanced.
Rev up the Hems: One key part of the brain to myelinate is the bridge connecting right and left brain
hemispheres called the corpus callosum. This speeds interhemispheric transmission shown to improve
reading, math and musical performance. Cross-lateral movement of extremities crossing the body’s vertical
midline myelinate the corpus callosum. Use cross-laterals and recite, Rev up the hems -- Cerebrum – Move
energy across -- Corpus callosum – Right brain global -- Left brain sequential – Both in sync – Helps me think
Vestibular Antics: The vestibular system located within the inner ear plays a huge part in learning, helping
unify the visual, auditory and body-in-space systems involved with focus, attention, reading, writing, spelling
and math. Test your vestibular system, balancing while standing on one foot -- then standing with toe touching
heel. Do these actions with your eyes closed. A progressive series of rolling, balancing, swinging, jumping
and spinning activities are needed to myelinate the vestibular system, influencing the RAS system.
Prime your brain: One of the most recent discoveries reveals how physical activities involving the lower
brain, sends energy to the upper thinking cortex, and vice versa. This means that exercise involving the basal
ganglia and cerebellum primes the executive frontal lobes involved with mental activity, making playground and
gym time especially important. Downtime away from academics also strengthens the new neural networks
being formed through a process called synaptic adhesion. Show and sing the following, “Take timeout – Every
now and then – Strengthen synapses – Downtime”. Synaptic gaps need their naps.
Neurochemical joyrides: Neurons communicate with each other using chemicals. 98% of these chemicals
are produced within the body, sent to the brain via the bloodstream. Sufficient movement is needed to pump
these chemicals throughout the body/brain, such as, “Good feeling dopamine – Endorphin morphine –
Serotonin steady – Adrenaline ready”. Sitting for more than ten minutes affects physical and psychological
states, according to research by Cranz. “Fidget is legit! Squirm it to learn it!” Recite these chants while
pumping cerebral spinal fluid, rocking back and forth and side to side in your chair.
Amygdala de dah: Stress for success. Produce sufficient adrenaline to stimulate the body/brain, but be
wary. Excess stress causes neocortex hex, diverting energy from the thinking cortex to the amygdala,
readying the brain to fight, flight or free. Replace threat and fear with celebration and cheer, engaging the
‘extended amygdala’ center for motivation.
Ring the cerebellum: Research shows that mental sequencing involved with math, spelling, reading and
writing involve the same neurons involved with motor sequencing. Engaging the cerebellum is especially
important as neurons extend from this area through the emotional mid-brain arousing pleasurable feelings
while turning on the frontal thinking brain. Recite and perform, “Memory down – Bring it way up – Repeat body
acts – Ring the cerebellum – Grab all the facts – Build implicit tracks – 1, 2, 3, 4 -- I can remember more.”
Boogie Woogie: Shake rattle and show what you know. Visit www.BrainBoogie.com for current body/brain
links. Sign up for Body/brain Booster Activities E-MAILED to you FREE.
Copyright © 2004 Wellness Quest
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