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Brain research suggests that physical activity prior to and during class, increases students' ability to process and retain new material. One study by John J. Ratey presents research that proves that aerobic exercise physically remodels our brain for peak performance. One of the amazing case studies in his book "Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain" takes place at Naperville Central High School in Naperville, Illinois. The 19,000 students, using the PE4life program, ended up first in the world of science test scores.
A new book by Scholastic "Brain Breaks for the Classroom" by Michelle Gay provides 40 quick and easy breathing and movement activities that develop the natural bond between mind and body. The activities are designed to make the most of the students' energy, to re-energize, and to refocus through the school day.
Four brain break essentials
1. Get grounded. Students will begin all brain breaks in a grounded position. Grounding activities promote balance and transfer weight through the students' center of gravity. Several of the sitting grounding activities, equilateral and isosceles triangle, are similar to yoga poses that also provide equilibrium and promote core strength.
2. Raise self-space awareness. "Children with a good sense of self-space make smart choices about how close to be in relation to people and objects in the room." Brain breaks that improve students' sense of personal space facilitate individual student movement within a classroom and whole class movement through the school.
3. Practice self-control. Brain break activities in this area not only help students practice self-control but also to learn the importance of timing and tempo.
4. Build readiness to participate. The author notes that energy and attention levels vary from student to student throughout the day. This is a challenge for all teachers. The activities are divided into high,moderate, and low energy activities which can be assigned to individual students or the whole class.
The brain breaks are further broken down into those that will refocus, assist with transition, those that are calming and improve concentration, and lastly, those that will facilitate movement through the halls. Each activity has simple step-by-step directions and photos as well as an imaginative prompt. There are variations and tips provided along with a full-color poster of 5 brain break activities that students can follow independently.
Some of the activities are simple things like good posture, a proper seated position, and focused breathing but they will result in increased motivation, cooperation and learning in the classroom.
Scholastic recommends the book for grades K-5; however, students of any age can benefit from some of these exercises.
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