Brain Gym

Brain Gym

Simple, Fast, Effective

 

Where Whole-Brain Solutions Become Reality

 

Research shows how our brain’s neuro-plasticity is amazingly adaptable. Almost anything is possible with the right skill base to assist you.

Brain Gym’s simple and profoundly effective 26 movements assist in switching on your brain for optimal living and learning.

Enjoy, Powerful and quick techniques from 20 seconds to 5 minute applications that de-stress, reconnect you for thinking, speaking, listening, perceiving, increasing function, focus, memory and learning skills.

Combined with Educational Kinesiology ‘5 Step Balance format’, long-lasting changes and impacts may be achieved with any learning challenges and disabilities.

With Children, Adults, Businesses, Athletes, Clubs, Family, Relationships and social events.

Great success has been achieved over many years through the expertise of practitioners at ‘The Brain Gym Centre of WA’ Western Australia and Kinesiology Perth WA therapists.

 

Individual or group sessions in Brain Gym ®  to assist:

*Children, Adults, Families, Schools, Sporting Clubs, Professionals, Teachers, Therapists, Business & Corporate Groups*

Brain Gym is currently used in over 80 countries effectively.

So… why not ‘switch on your brain for optimal learning!’

Brain Gym ® is a registered trademark of The Educational Kinesiology Association www.braingym.org

Teachers please refer to:              www.braingymwa.com.au

Research

“For many children the Brain Gym movements along with words of encouragement

 

and compassion made the difference between life and death.” Dr S. M Musgotova.

See below this amazing story of courage.

Russia: “You Are A Winner “

Moving Beyond Survival with Brain Gym Dr Svetlana’ Masgutova’s story.

 

Reference list of research articles on Brain Gym in Scientific Journals, Published Books and University research theses – also listed are other articles on movement and learning.

 

Scientific Journals:

Beigel, D., Steinbauer,W.&Zinke, K., 2002. The effects of brain gym on reading and comprehension. In: The Moving Classroom: Results of a Research Project with Suggestions for School Implementation. Freiburg: VAK Verlags GmbH Kirchzarten.

Donczik, J., 1994. KönnenedukinestetischeÜbungenLegasthenikernhelfen? Die Sprach-heilarbeit V 39, p 297–305.

Donczik, J., 1997. “Können Brain-Gym-ÜbungenLegasthenikernhelfen? – KontrolluntersuchungzueinerPilotstudie.” Die Sprachheilarbeit , V42, 230-237

Hannaford, C. 1990. The Brain Gym® option for Hyperactivity, ADD, E.H, SpEd L.D. and FAS. The Australian Journal of Remedial Education, V 26. p1 – .

Khalsa, G.C.K, Morris, D. &Sifft, J.M., 1088. The effects of Educational Kinesiology on the static balance of learning-disabled students. Perceptual and Motor Skills, V 67, p 51-54.

Moore, H. &Hibbert, F., 2005. Mind Boggling! Considering the possibilities of brain gym in learning to play an instrument.British Journal of Musical Education, V 22, p 249-267.

Sifft, J.M. &Khalsa, G.C.K., 1991. The effect of Educational Kinesiology upon simple response times and choice response times. Perceptual and Motor Skills, V 73, p 1011-1915.

Wolfsont, C.A. 2002. Increasing behavioural skills and level of understanding in adults: A brief method integrating Dennison’s Brain Gym® balance with Piaget’s reflective processes. Journal of Adult Development, V9, p185-201.

Published Books: List of books which contain research data on the effects of Brain Gym. These are available in the UK from Body Balance Books http://www.bbbooks.co.uk. (Please note that there are many other books on Brain Gym not listed here)

Dennison, P.E., 1981. Switching On. Ventura, CA: Edu-Kinesthetics, Inc.

Hannaford, C., 1995. Smart Moves: Why Learning is not all in your head. Arlington, VA: Great Ocean Publishers.

 

 

University Research Theses:

Dennison, P.E., 1975. Covert Speech and Beginning Reading Achievement. Unpublished Ph.D. thesis, University of Southern California Graduate School, USA.

Dustow, J., 2007. Do bilateral exercises that cross the midline decrease off task behavior with special need preschoolers with diagnosis under the autism spectrum within a classroom environment on the island of Oahu, Hawai’i? Unpublished Doctorate in Education thesis, Argosy University, Hawai’i, USA.

Hailwood, V. 2003. Evaluation of a Physical Programme designed to Integrate Primitive Reflexes. Unpublished M.Sc. thesis in Educational Research, University of Manchester, England.

Irving, J., 1995. The effect of PACE on self-reported anxiety and performance in first-year nursing students. Unpublished Ph.D. thesis, Oregon State University in Corvallis, USA.

Peace, S.W., 2006. Moving Learning Along: A study of Educational Kinesiology (Brain Gym®), Unpublished M.A. thesis, University of Bangor, Wales.

Taylor, M.F., 1998. An evaluation of the effects of Educational Kinesiology (Brain Gym®) on children manifesting ADHD in a South African context. Unpublished Ph.D. thesis, University of Exeter, England.

 

Research and user reports on Brain Gym on the web:

Martin Brown, 2003, Wiltshire Journal of Education (online)

“Investigation of the use of Brain Gym to aid learning in a Secondary School environment” http://www.teacherresearch.net/tr_wiltsjournal2.htm#Inves

Report on Brain Gym: “Returning Teachers’ Favourite techniques to gain pupil’s attention, making class time valuable and enjoyable for children and teacher alike.”  In:  Return to Teaching (published by Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA)) Spring 2006.  Pages 8-9.

http://www.tda.gov.uk/upload/resources/pdf/r/return_to_teaching_magazine_spring06.pdf

 

 

Non-peer-reviewed articles on Brain Gym in the Press:

 

Osborn, K., 2005. Brain Gym   Massage and Bodywork, V 20, Issue 4, 138-144. (Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals Inc., publishers)

Brooksmith, G., 2004.  Brain Gym: how a programme of physical activities can enhance learning ability  Montessori International Magazine, V 73, 18 (Montessori Centre International, publishers)

Maskell, B. Shapiro, D. R. Ridley, C., 2004. Effects of Brain Gym on overhand throwing in First Grade students. Physical Educator, V 61 (part 1), 14-22. (Phi Epsilon Kappa Fraternity, publishers)

Effect of Brain Gym on cognition. Canadian Nursing Home, 2003. V 14 (part 1) 36. (Health Media Inc., publishers)

(www.campion.northants.sch.uk) reported that conducting Brain Gym sessions had mood controlling outcomes, (Klein, 2000).

Diana Hinds, Times Educational Supplement 24 November 2006 “I turned my’ wrong’ into read and write”

http://www.tes.co.uk/search/story/?story_id=2316562

Jennifer Hand, Times Educational Supplement 26 May 2006 “A workout suited to the grey cells”

http://www.tes.co.uk/search/story/?story_id=2244265

 

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Russia: “You Are A Winner “

 

Moving Beyond Survival with Brain Gym Dr Svetlana’ Masgutova’s story.

 

For many children the Brain Gym movements along with words of encouragement

and compassion made the difference between life and death.” Dr S. M Musgotova

 

This is the story of how this courageous Dr of psychology saved several lives of severely burned and traumatised children. She was the head of the psychological team at the major hospital in Ufa, near the Ural Mountains in Russia in 1989. After one of the world’s most tragic and severe train accidents in history.

 

As hundred’s of children were dieing, she had to find a new and inovative way to work Watching children screaming in intense pain and dying was too shocking.  Dr Musgotova was well experienced to lead the recovery emergency team as she’d had great success with organizing, training and assisting the psychological survival teams for Chernobyl and Baku. This exerience in Ufa though, was far worse, taking ever resource she could muster to even cope on a personal level with this level of trauma and tragedy.

 

Dr Masgutova discovered that by using two simply Brain Gym movements, the children on the hospital floor she was in charge were surviving, while others were still dieing. Her patients came out of shock within a few days, increasing their chances of survival dramaticly. Children who were left by others to die, Dr Masgotova drew number eights in front of, finding them vital signs stabilising and many ore’lived!’

 

Even though she was in shock herself, she was encouraged by her success and continued to find more ways to use Brain Gym developmental movements. Some children even found laughter in five days while others took months. The success rate of the children her team used Brain Gym with was five to one compared to those of trauma patients on other floors of the hospital.

 

Dr Svetlana Masgutova’s scientific research on Brain Gm & Neuro-Kinesiology has been published in over 60 professional

journals in Russia and Poland.

 

More of this story will continue as this web page is under development.

 

Articles and books on the interaction of Brain Function, Learning and Movement:

 

Bower, J.M. and Parsons, L.M., 2003. Rethinking the Lesser Brain. Scientific American, July.

Goddard, S.A., 2005. Reflexes, Learning and Behaviour. Fern Ridge Press, USA.
Goddard Blythe, S.A., 2005. Releasing educational potential through movement. Child Care in Practice, Volume 11/4: 415 – 432.

Jehue, D. and Carlisle, C. (2000). Movement Integration, The Key to Optimal Development, Teaching Elementary Physical Education, 11 (1).

Jensen E., 1998. Teaching with the Brain in Mind. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Alexandria, Virginia USA.

Jordan-Black J-A. 2005. The effects of the Primary Movement programme on the academic performance of children attending ordinary primary school. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs ; 5(3): 101-111

McPhillips M, Sheehy N. Prevalence of persistent primary reflexes and motor problems in children with reading difficulties Dyslexia 2004; 10(4): 316-338.

McPhillips M. The role of persistent primary-reflexes in reading delay. Dyslexia Review 2001; 13(1): 4-7

McPhillips M, Hepper PG, Mulhern G. Effects of replicating primary-reflex movements on specific reading difficulties in children. Lancet 2000; 355: 537-541

Pica, R. and Short, K. (1999). Moving and leaning across the curriculum, Teaching Elementary Physical Education, 10(1) 5-7.

Potts, M. and Leyman, L. 1977. Intervention in the motor domain: A training study with first- and second-grade slow readers, Psychology in the Schools, 14(2), 200-206.

Rosenbaum, P. (1998). Physical Activity in Children with Disabilities: A Neglected Opportunity for Research? Child Development, 69 (3), 607 – 608.

Schmahmann, J.D. and Sherman, J.C., 1997. Cerebellar Cognitive Affective Syndrome. International  Reviews of Neurobiology. 41, 433-40

Taylor, M., Houghton, S., Chapman, E., 2004. Primitive reflexes and Attention Deficit Disorder: developmental origins of classroom dysfunction. International Journal of Special Education (Vol. 19/1)

Thomas, F. (1998) Une question de writing: a comparative study. Support for Learning, 13 (1), 43-45.

Van Praag, H., Shubert, T., Zhao, C., & Gage, F.H. (2005). Exercise enhances learning and hippocampal neurogenesis in aged mice. Journal of Neuroscience, 25, 8680-8685.

 

 

Web Resources on the interaction of movement and cognitive performance.
Report on use of gymnastics to improve academic performance by Susan Jones (2006) http://www.susanjjones.com/growbrain6.html

Does Gymnastics enhance reading? Yes! By Ralph R. Barrett May 2000 issue of Technique, Vol. 20, No. 4  http://www.usa-gymnastics.org/publications/technique/2000/4/ngd.html

 

3.Brief review of results of some selected research studies on the effectiveness of Brain Gym ®  to aid learning.

1. Study on response times of 52 children of Primary age with Special Needs. Comparing visual response times for a control group who engaged in random movements and a Brain Gym group who performed a specific sequence of movements. Children exposed to Brain Gym activities improved to statistically significant levels while those in the control group did not.
2. Year-long study on effect of Brain Gym on reading abilities of 205 children. Students in the experimental group did 15 minutes of Brain Gym per day, while control group did not. Children in the Brain Gym group improved their reading abilities, as measured by standardized test, twice as much as did the control group.
3. Year-long study on effect of Brain Gym on reading, comprehension and maths. Brain Gym was incorporated into the teaching for 19 year-5 students with Special Needs. Pre- and post-testing was carried out using the Brigance Inventory of Basic Skills. Post-tests showed a 1-to-2 year growth in skills on reading, comprehension and maths, significantly greater improvement than experienced for special needs students in other schools. Behaviour patterns also improved.
4. 8-month study on word recognition, hand-eye coordination and self-esteem. Brain Gym exercises were introduced into the classroom for 10 Special Needs students in years 2 and 3. Results showed significantly greater improvement on standardized tests than the average reported improvement for these age groups.
5. Year-long study on behaviour, attention span, coordination and academic skills. 4 groups of students experienced i) Brain Gym, ii) yoga, iii) random movements and iv) no movement. Each group contained 12 Special Needs students of secondary school age. Results showed marked improvement much greater than that expected over a year’s development in the Brain Gym group in all areas, the two other movement control groups showed small areas of improvement, while the control group with no movement showed no improvement above that expected. Four years later these students were again assessed, and the Brain Gym group showed a 4-5 year growth in reading, maths and spelling (in other words they were keeping up with non-special needs students) and more than 7 years growth in comprehension.
6. Questionnaire reporting of effects of Brain Gym in the classroom. Participants were teachers who had used Brain Gym in Primary school classrooms for 6 months following a training session. All reported improvements in several areas. Some examples are: improved concentration; improved relations between teachers and children; improved performance of children in tests on motor skills, speed in solving puzzles, maths, reading, writing and sports.
7. Study of effect of Brain Gym for Special Needs students. A study of over 600 children in 10 schools incorporated Brain Gym into the school day. Perceptual tests, parent feedback and teacher and student assessments were used to evaluate the success of the programme. Results indicated many improvements for individual students and whole classes in many different areas.
8. 8.Effect of Brain Gym on self-reported anxiety and performance in nursing students. 27 first-year nursing students were divided into 3 groups in a nine-week study. The Brain Gym group experienced a 70% reduction in self-reported anxiety and a 19% increase in performance on fourteen technical-motor skill tests was measured. The two control groups reported continuing high levels of self-reported anxiety and higher failure rates in motor control tests.

Brain Gym ® is a registered Trade Mark of the Educational Kinesiology Foundation www.braingym.org

Several positive studies have been completed by Master’s and PhD Students at Universities around the world, and are in the process of being written up for publication.

INCREDIBLE BRAIN GYM STORY