Brain Games Old & New:
Enhancing Connections Between Movement & Learning
AAHPERD National Convention
St Louis, MO
2014
Dr. Deborah Stevens-Smith
Clemson University
Clemson, SC
Tommie Bowling
Springfield Elementary School
Greenwood, SC
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Be sure you download a copy of the power point presentation
that goes along with this presentation.
I. INTRODUCTION: We initially began to be interested in brain research about 20
years ago when the research evidence that linked movement and learning was just
starting to be verified. There was a sufficient amount of research then and over 200
studies today that link movement and learning. I did a presentation over 12 years
ago, similar to what we are presenting today, so I felt there has been a lot added to
the research field and that it was important to share this new information with you.
We are going to take a look at what some of the research says about the brain
and learning, then we are going to do some brain games that will show us, both how
the brain learns, and how we as physical educators can help to enhance the brain’s
ability to learn.
II. WHAT THE BRAIN LOOKS LIKE:
Power Point Slide #2: Let’s get started by looking at the brain. We have all
seen pictures of the brain, but it helps those of us who are visual to see it and the
kinesthetic learners to feel what the brain looks like, in order to better understand
how the brain learns. So, lets start by making a brain...
(Jenson) make a brain
-extend both arms with palms open and facing down
-lock your thumbs
-curl your fingers to make two fists
-turn your fists inward until the knuckles touch
-while the fist is touching, pull both toward your chest until you are
looking down on your knuckles.
This is the approximate size of your brain!!! The thumbs are the front and are
crossed to remind us that the left side of the brain controls the right side of the body,
and the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body. The knuckles and
outside part of the hands represent the cerebrum or the thinking part of the brain.
Spread your palms apart while keeping the knuckles touching. Look at the
tips of your fingers, which represent the limbic or emotional system. Note how this
system is buried deep within the brain.
The wrists represent the brainstem where vital body functions (such as body
temperature, heart rate, blood pressure) are controlled.
Rotating your hands shows how the brain can move on top of the spinal
column, which is represented by your forearms.
This model can give our students and us a good idea of the brain we use each
day. Our main concern is how to help this brain learn in more effectively.
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Power Point Slide #3:
Dr. Paul Dennison describes brain function in terms of three dimensions:
Laterality: the ability to coordinate the lf/rt sides of the brain, this
skill is fundamental to a child’s ability to read, write, listen or
speak. Both sides of the brain are important for children to
learn….INTEGRATION
Centering: the ability to coordinate the top and bottom areas of the
brain, this skill is related to feelings and the expression of
emotions, clear responses and ORGANIZATION.
Focus: the ability to coordinate the back and front area of the brain,
focus affects comprehension which is the ability to blend
details so that they have meaning and to understand new
information in terms of previous experience. People without
this skill are often said to have attention disorders and an
inability to comprehend...COORDINATION & FOCUS
Normal brain function requires efficient communication between all the dimensions
located throughout the brain. Learning disabilities occur when information does not
flow freely between these centers of the brain.
III. HOW THE BRAIN LEARNS:
Power Point Slide #4: This is a picture of several neurons or nerve cells in our brain.
If you remember your basic biology the basic process involves the nerve cells, which
have thousands of branches that proceed from its core called dendrites.
The dendrites receive information and transport it along the axon. This
enables numerous connections to be made for learning. Babies and young children
naturally perform what experts in early childhood education call developmental
movements. These movements develop the neural connections in the brain, which
are essential to learning.
The neurons in a child’s brain make many more connections than an adult as
they absorb their environment. The greater the environments the greater numbers of
interconnections are made.
As a child approaches puberty, connections the brain finds useful become
permanent, those that are not are eliminated. This process is greatest between the
ages of 2 and 11. All of this neural stimulation takes place in response to movement.
What does all of this stimulation mean? The neural development in a
newborn versus that of a 2 month old is greatly multiplied. The greater the
movement and stimulation, the greater number of interconnections are developed
and therefore, the greater capacity to learn.
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Power Point Slide #5: The best way to enhance learning is to create more of
these synaptic connections in the brain. The more connections you have, the better
and faster you become at using the information, solving problems, and thinking.
One of the best ways to develop these neural connections is to use movement
and brain games. Research has found that we grow new brain cells through exercise.
Every time you learn something new, you grow a new dendrite. Repetitive gross
motor movement strengthens these secondary dendrite synapses.
Power Point Slide #6: The neuroscientist, kinesiologists and doctors are now
able to use brain scans and electrodes to actually see what is happening in the brain
during physical activities. Know what they are finding? That we have been right all
of these years... Movement is essential to learning!!!
Scientists have found that children use certain parts of the brain when they
learn, but have also discovered that they use the same parts of the brain when they
move.
Power Point Slide #7: This is determined by connecting an elaborate
computer-mapping program to the child’s brain. The child wears a skullcap with
numerous electrodes connected to the program. They ask the child to read and they
map out what areas of the brain light up. The same process is repeated with math,
jumping, throwing or other physical skills. After all of the data is analyzed, they can
see that the same areas of the brain that light up when a child reads, writes or
computes math are the same areas that light up when they move. This provides
much of the needed evidence that movement and learning are connected.
How do we know movement and learning are connected? We now have actual
visual evidence that we grow new brain cells when we are physically active. Power
Point Slide #8: Here you can see details in the actual growth of a new neural
connection after the stimulus of physical activity. There is no longer a question of
IF we know for sure if activity impacts the brain...we can now see it on brain scans
(click!!) and see the growth of a neural connection.
Power Point Slide #9: Can we change the Brain’s of our students? The
answer is yes, through everyday experiences in our classes. What happens? The
brain responds just like muscles in that they grow with use and wither with
inactivity. It’s the ‘use or lose it’ mentality. The brain is not set to function at birth;
environment plays a big role in what the brain will be. So as Physical Educators, we
are sculpting the brain everyday!!
BRAIN GAMES THAT UTILIZE THE 3 DIMENSIONS OF THE BRAIN:
Let me have you participate in a few activities that will help us understand how the
three brain dimensions work...
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Power Point Slide #10: How the brain works from Left Side/Right Side
Activities: INTEGRATION OF BOTH SIDES OF THE BRAIN
OLD Games…
Face Touch & Index Finger:
Touch the left side of your face with your index finger & raise
your right hand SWITCH (easy or hard...why?) we did not have to
cross the midline
Thumb & Index Finger:
Point your index finger straight out, on your other hand have
your thumb up, SWITCH, (easy or hard...why?)
Got Cha”: Get the group into a circle, shoulder to shoulder (or get a
partner). Raise your right hand, place it palm up and palm flat in
front of the person to your right, place your left index finger in the
palm of the person to your right, when I say GOTCHA try to grab
your neighbor’s index finger and withdraw your left finger before
getting caught, switch and do same with left hand flat, etc.... (easy or
hard...why?) we did not have to cross the midline
NEW GAMES…(page numbers correspond with the Energizing Brain Breaks
by David Sladkey)
Power Point Slide #11: Letter Spots…p. 31 find a partner, partner A will
use the following spot values: A=right shoulder, B= right ear, C= nose, D- left ear,
& E-= left shoulder, partner A will think choose one of the words provided on the
overhead, and using the spot values & w/o talking touch the spots as partner B spells
the letters & word.
Thumb & Pinkie…p. 22 put your hands out in front of you and make a fist
w/ each hand, put your thumb up on your lf hand & your pinkie up on your rt hand,
switch back & forth as fast as you can.
Power Point Slide #12: How the brain works from Front/Back Activities:
OLD GAMES:
Pencil Top: w/ partner #1, sitting across from each other, one student will
hold the pencil between themselves and their partner. On the signal, begin to
slowly move the pencil toward the partner’s face until it is almost touching
their partner’s nose and then slowly move the pencil backwards.
Star & Octopus:
Hold one hand out in front of you, so that you can look through your
fingers at the wall. Look at the palm of the extended hand and pretend that
there is a starfish in the palm of that hand. When I say octopus, look though
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your fingers at the wall beyond the hand. Wait a few second & then look at
the starfish again.
With both this activity and Pencil Top, you can quickly feel the pull on
the eye muscles that results. Focusing on the star is the same focus necessary
to focus on letters and words on a page.
NEW GAMES:
Paper Twirling…p.17 this game forces you to move a piece of paper
around you w/o grabbing it. Take the piece of paper under your chair &
stand up, put your rt hand out w/ your palm out, put the paper on top of your
hand w/o grabbing it, keep the paper at a level height & move it around your
waist, transfer the paper to the other hand w/o grabbing it, do 3 rounds in one
direction and then reverse.
Arm Wrap…p. 2 reaching your arms behind your back then closing
your eyes to touch certain fingers to each other (a lot like finger find). Place
your right arm behind your back resting on your lower back at a 90 degree
angle, w/ the left arm, take your ring finger and try to touch your other hand’s
pinkie, take your middle finger and touch your thumb behind your back, take
your pinkie and touch your other hands ring finger.
Power Point Slide #13: How the brain works from Top/Bottom Activities:
OLD GAMES:
Stomach Rub and Head Stomach: age old activity that has always been
done, try and reverse the rub and pat or reverse the hands used.
Circle Name: draw a circle with your foot on the floor, while trying to write
your name in the air with your hand. Here the foot will want to do the same as
the hand.
NEW GAMES:
Iron Curls & Toe Tap (rt/lf): curl your arms as if you are lifting weights
and doing iron curls, at the same time tap bot feet right and left.
IV. Power Point Slide #14: HOW THE BRAIN WORKS: Picture of the 2
sides of the brain and their functions
Everyone understands that the brain is split into 2 sides that have special
functions. The left side of the brain is the analytical side that specializes in
organization, detail, structure, and logical thinking patterns.
The right side is the holistic or big picture side that develops the thought
patterns and provides intuitive comprehension of the pieces of information.
This slide also shows an excellent VISUAL presentation of the functions and
specialty attributes.
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Even though we can identify specialty functions for each side of the brain,
both sides are important for learning to take place. For example…If I read a story I
have to pick out the details of the information using the left side of my brain that
might include red, truck and store. The right side of my brain is what takes the
details (red, tuck and store) and puts them together to provide a picture of a man
driving a red truck to go to the store for his wife.
Children that have learning problems often have not developed the neural
connections for use of both sides of the brain. You can see how if both sides of the
brain are not working together in an integrated way, then learning is going to be
altered in some way.
As physical educators, the brain games we are going to show you can assist
children in the development of both sides of the brain because they use activities that
cross over the midline of the body.
Power Point Slide #15: The process of crossing the midline is known as
Bihemispheric Lateralization:
Where is the midline? right down the center of your body
Crossing the midline is automatic for most adults, but children are different.
Why is this important? the brain uses the same connections to process in
reading, writing, and math. These activities strengthen and prepare the brain for
learning.
Crossing the midline is very important. If we take this concept of crossing the
midline to the gym, then we can establish a connection with the classroom teacher.
What we do in the gym does enhance learning in the classroom.
Power Point Slide #16: Children that have difficulty crossing the midline
may have reading and writing problems. This slide shows a an example of a child
with a midline problem in writing. All of the letters are squeezed into one corner of
the page.
Power Point Slide #17: How the brain works using Cross Lateral Activities:
Nose & Ear Touch:
Hold your nose, reach over or under and grab your ear, SWITCH, (easy or
hard...why?) we had to cross the midline
Finger Touch:
Get a partner, one person clap and miss, thumbs down, scoop up the ice
cream, turn to partner, have partner to point to different fingers (without
touching them) and you try to move those fingers. (easy or hard...why?) we
had to cross the midline. Your brain things those fingers are still on the other
side, but they are not.
Figure 8: Explain figure 8 significance...show Lazy 8…Show pic form Jean
Blaydes and how it is used in hallways of school
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Got Cha’ Again:
In this activity you can almost feel the brain switch from right to left
hemisphere. This activity helps you to see whose brain is working fastest. Do
the activity as above only this time cross your right hand over the top of your
left arm...p.16 Miller…when you cross the midline you have to concentrate
harder. This helps your brain perform faster and learn problem-solving
techniques.
Slap Count:
Integrated game for math and spelling, this activity involves cross
lateralization and attention. Want to know why you cannot talk and listen at
the same time. The brain prioritizes what it gives attention too. It can think of
one thing at a time when there is competition for attention.
#1 Find a partner, face partner with hands extended palms up, Partner 1
slaps his right hand into the hand of partner 2 and then the left hand,
Then partner 2 repeats the same pattern, count out loud to 25.
#2 Now skip count using the same right-left pattern, counting by 3’s,6’s.
#3 Do the same with spelling...partner 1 slaps his name 2 letters at a
time into the palms of partner, notice how much harder your brain has
works to not think about what your partner is spelling.
#4 Finally, think of an 8 letter spelling word (baseball) and slap it out in
each others hands...when finished, can you tell your partner the word
they spelled??? This activity helps to train your brain for thinking
longer and harder.
Alphabet Clap:
Facing a partner, put your right hand on your right knee and your left
hand on your left knee. The person that goes first will begin with the letter
“A”, reach across to partners opposite hand and clap and say the letter “A”.
The same person will reach across with the other hand and say the letter “B”.
The partner does the same while reaching across and saying the letters “C”
and “D”. Continue until the entire alphabet is complete. Repeat by letting
the other person go first. Susan Miller has documented that 100% of the
students who are struggling to read cannot do this activity. They do not
own their alphabet and cannot move and say the letters at the same time.
This activity can be repeated with counting for younger children, count
by even numbers, odd numbers. etc...
Shoe Tie:
This is a cooperative activity that strengthens communication skills. Sit
by your partner and untie one shoe, partner 1 uses his right hand, partner 2
uses his left hand, tie the shoe in a bow, repeat using the other hand...when
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you use your non dominant hand you force blood into both sides of the brain
causing better concentration and longer attention.
Power Point Slide #18: NEW GAMES…
Finger Aerobics Ripple… P. 10 moving your fingers on both hands in
a ripple effect. Hold your arms crossed in an X out in front of you. Turn your
palms toward you with your fingers up in the air, you will move two fingers at
a time in this order…rt index & lf pinkie, rt middle-lf ring, rt ring-lf middle, rt
pinkie lf index (can do in reverse order and as fast as possible.
X Bob & Wiggle…p. 25 you will be making an X w/ your arms out in
front of you, move your rt. hand up and down while you move your left hand
side to side
Slap Count & Say 21 & win…p. 38, slap count with the goal of being
the person that says 21 at the end, you can slap count one or two numbers into
your partners hands.
Power Point Slide #19: Figure Eights…p. 9 passing a piece of paper
at fast as can around your legs in a figure 8, then reverse directions, try not to
look at the paper
Power Point Slide #20: Pretzel…p. 18 outlining a pretzel w/ your
index finger, imagine a large 12 inch pretzel in front of you on the overhead,
put your index fingers at the 2 ends of the pretzel, outline the pretzel w/ your
index fingers, hands should be working at the same speeds and move at same
time, do this as fast as you can together
Bizz-Buzz…p. 26 need groups of 4, count from 1-40 using the
following rules, say BIZZ for every multiple of 5 or for every number that has
a 5 in it, say Buzz fro every multiple of 7 or every number that has a 7 in it,
you will need to say BIZZ-BUZZ when the number is a multiple of 5 and 7
V.
Power Point Slide #21: How to Use Brain Games to Enhance Learning:
When to use:
Prior to staring lesson (Shoe Tie)
Instant Activity (Criss-Cross Clap)
Brain Break during lesson (Figure 8)
Culminating Activity (Slap Count & Say 21)
Where to Use:
Physical Education (Hand Shake)
Classroom Brain Breaks (Pretzel)
Recess (Alphabet Clap)
Lunch Room (Finger Find)
Waiting (Thumb & Index Finger)
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Other Brain Resources:
Brain Games for Learning:Google and see the numerous sites
that will come up especially to use with children.
National Geographic TV Show:Brain Games (Mon. night at 9:00)
Lumosity…App
Brain HQ by Posit Science…App
Fit Brain…App
CONCLUSION:
The purpose of this presentation has been to present the current information
regarding brain research and it’s link to movement and learning. We have seen many
situations where cognition and movement are major players in enhancing a child’s
ability to learn. You may think that you do not know how to incorporate these brain
facts into what you do each day, but the fact is that they can be built into our
teaching every day. Following is a list of a few of the activities that involve brain
enhancement.
All of the sample activities we have just done connect movement with
learning. Specifically we just used rhyme, cross lateralization, dominance, eye, hand,
foot, ears, integrated learning, brain gyms, left side, right side, top, bottom, front,
back. It is not difficult to integrate brain activities into what we do everyday.
Children need movement experiences to connect learning.
Power Point Slide #22:
Marc Jeannerod...The Cognitive Neuroscience of Action (1997)
Defines what it means to be physically and mentally active.
We know that intelligence
is not merely a mental phenomenon
and that the mind cannot be educated
without the participation of the body.
Use Brain Games!!!!
For more information, please contact the presenters:
Dr. Debbie Smith
Ms. Tommie Bowling
Clemson University
Springfield Elementary School
Box 340708
1608 Florida Ave.
Clemson, SC 29634-0708
Greenwood, SC 29646
864-656-5124
864-941-5535
Stevens@Clemson.edu
bowlingt@gwd50.org
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Cromwell,S. (1989). A new way of thinking: The challenge of the future.
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http://www.pelinks4u.org/news/bgbrain.htm.
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