Dr. Anne Larson, Director of Kinesiology and Nutritional Science and Associate Athletic Director at California State University Los Angeles, reviewed our MindBreakz series and here are her conclusions along with her list of references:
QUICK SNAPSHOT OF UNIQUE FEATURES – WHAT MAKES MINDBREAKZ BETTER?
• Multi-dimensional physical, cognitive and emotional benefit fostered by proprietary elements intentional to rhythmic movement and drumming
• Developmentally appropriate activity sequences and learning progression
• Created according to scientific principles of growth and development
• Alignment to Common Core principles, e.g. writing/critical thinking/problem solving through:
• ‘Read alouds’ infused into videos
• ‘Skip counting’ variations to count repetitions
• Daily/weekly movement-related vocabulary words
• Movement challenges – ‘drum while balancing on different body parts’
MINDBREAKZ BENEFITS (macro):
• Academic achievement / School success
• Self-esteem/Self-confidence
• Positive classroom climate
• Health-related fitness
(Micro)
Increased focus and attention
Enhanced memory and reasoning
Strengthened critical and analytical thinking
Motor skill development
Stress reduction
Social skills
OTHER BENEFITS:
• MINDBREAKZ ALIGN TO STUDENT LEARNING STYLES
85% of K-12 students are predominantly kinesthetic learners.
• MINDBREAKZ ALIGN TO FEDERAL INITIATIVES TO IMPROVE STUDENT WELLNESS:
Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP), sponsored by CDC/SHAPE/National Association of Sport and Physical Education
Local School Wellness Policy, dictating the implementation of a healthy school nutrition and physical activity environment, required for each local education agency taking National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program, in accordance with the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004/ Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.
• MINDBREAKZ DELIVER THE FREQUENT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY REGULAR EXERCISERS NEED
Sitting too much is health-averse even for regular exercisers. Physical IN-activity is detrimental to all fitness levels.
• MINDBREAKZ ALIGN TO CREATING A POSITIVE SCHOOL CLIMATE
Schools offering more physical activity have a healthier climate than schools offering less (eg., better standardized test scores, fewer incidence of aggressive behavior, students better able to regulate conflict resolution)
• THE TIME DEVOTED TO ENERGY BREAKS LENDS ACADEMIC SUCCESS
Regular intervals of physical activity during the school day improve academic performance.
• ENERGY BREAKS SUPPORT KIDS’ NEED TO MOVE TO COMPLETE MENTAL TASKS
Storing and processing information triggers physical movement (watching a movie doesn’t). Fidgeting supports cognitive processing, thus ‘sitting still’ disrupts learning.
• STUDENTS RECOGNIZE THE BENEFIT OF ENERGY BREAKS
Students corroborate the benefit of brain breaks on academic performance.
Students report: Enjoying physical activity, feeling they helped with learning and focus, looking forward to school knowing they would be doing them, and feeling better about themselves as students: it was easier to work independently – so they finished their work more quickly.
And were observed to demonstrate: Increased motivation to complete assignments, increased attention, consistent effort, independent work, task completion, and improved quality of work.
REFERENCES
Bittman, B., Berk, L. & Felten, D. (2001). Composite effects of group drumming music therapy
on modulation of neuroendocrine-immune parameters in normal subjects. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 7, 38-47.
Bittman, B., Berk, L. & Shannon, M. (2005). Recreational music-making modulates the human
stress response: a preliminary individualized gene expression strategy. Medical Science Monitor, 11, 31-40.
Brain Research: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/health_and_academics/pdf/pape_paper.pdf
California Department of Education. Physical Fitness Testing. http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/pf/,
retrieved July 25, 2014
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010). The association between school based
physical activity, including physical education, and academic performance. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Dennison, P. & Dennison, G. (1994). Brain gym teacher’s edition (revised edition). Ventura, CA:
Edu-Kinesthetics, Inc.
Ekblom-Bak, E., Hellenius, M. & Ekblom, E. (2010). Are we facing a new paradigm of inactivity
physiology? British Journal of Sports Medicine, 44, 834-835.
Gibbs, K. (2007). Study Regarding the Effects of Brain Gym on Student Learning. Education and
Human Development Master's Theses. Paper 413.
Hamilton, M., Healy, G. & Owen, N. (2008). Too little exercise and too much sitting: inactivity
physiology and the need for new recommendations on sedentary behavior. Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports, 2, 292-298.
Hannaford, C. (2007). Smart moves: Why learning is not all in your head (2nd ed.). Arlington, VA:
Great Ocean Publishers.
Madigan, J.B. (2000). Thinking on your feet. Murphy, TX: Action Based Learning.
Mitchell, D. (2012). Learning through movement and music: Exercise your smarts. Champaign, IL:
Human Kinetics.
Rapport, M., Alderson, R., Kofler, M., Sarver, D., Bolden, J. & Sims, V. (2008). Working memory
deficits in boys with ADHD: The contribution of central executive and subsystem processes. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 36, 825-837.
Ratey, J. (2008, 2013). Spark: The revolutionary new science of exercise and the brain. New York,
NY: Little, Brown and Company.
Restak, Richard (2009). Think Smart: A Neuroscientist's Prescription for Improving Your Brain's
Performance.
Reynolds, Gretchen (2012). The First 20 Minutes.
#participation #learning #brain-development
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