BY
Dr Anne Larson, Director of Kinesiology and Nutritional Science
BACKSTORY:
School success largely determines quality of life -- physical activity enhances school success.
Students need a brain break every 25 minutes to spike brain activity that sharpens learning.
Mindbreakz are innovative, short, follow-along videos of motor skills/rhythmic movement/ drumming that sharpen focus and attention, strengthen critical thinking, build self-esteem and develop fitness and motor skills.
Mindbreakz - ‘better brain-breaks’ for uniquely combining different types of physical activity that trigger multiple outcomes – learning, self-development, and wellness.
Energy breaks intentional to motor skills/rhythms/drumming catalyze learning readiness, wellbeing, and a lifelong habit of regular physical activity.
FAQ’S / QNA
WHAT ARE ‘BRAIN BREAKS’?
Short bouts of physical activity in a classroom setting
WHY ARE ‘BRAIN BREAKS’ NECESSARY?
Brain function slows after 25 minutes of sitting. Brain breaks spike brain activity that triggers learning.
Active students are better learners -- Fit kids are smarter kids.
Physical activity throughout the school day increases learning readiness.
With regular physical activity kids are smarter, healthier and feel better about themselves
WHAT ARE MINDBREAKZ BRAIN BREAKS?
4-6 minute follow-along videos of motor skills, rhythms and drumming.
WHY ARE MINDBREAKZ BETTER BRAIN BREAKS?
Mindbreakz are game-changing for melding motor skills, rhythms and drumming into short physical activity bouts.
WHY THESE THREE ELEMENTS?
Each element contributes a unique benefit to learning, personal development, and wellness.
HAVE THESE BENEFITS BEEN PROVEN?
Yes! Mindbreakz were created according to proven scientific principles, and are supported by evidence-based research.
For example, brain breaks are scientifically correlated to positive attention, memory, mood, on-task behavior, concentration, and enhanced scores on standardized, and reading and math tests. (A list of evidence-based references follows the QnA)
Mindbreakz are ‘better brain-breaks’ for the motor skills + rhythms + drumming content that triggers a triple layer of benefit
• Physical activity intentional to motor skill practice:
• Develops spatial awareness that supports reading/language acquisition
• Builds self-esteem and self-confidence
• Increases motivation for regular, lifelong physical activity: the better our skills - the more likely we will participate in physical activity – the healthier we are!
• Structured practice develops skills more effectively than free play – skill development is not automatic
• Fills the void of inadequate physical activity opportunity in K-12 schools, which means most kids do not receive sufficient practice in which to develop motor skills:
• Only 4% of elementary schools, 8% of middle schools, and 2% of high schools provide daily PE
• Nearly 50% of school districts fail to provide elementary students regular recess
RHYTHMIC MOVEMENTS:
Skill movement synched to a beat accelerates skill development by activating all our senses, increasing attention and decreasing anxiety
DRUMMING:
Boosts immunity and reduces stress by increasing alpha and theta waves.
Develops creativity by inducing right brain function.
Synchronizes/balances right/left-brain functioning, which increases IQ in children, and improves memory, attention and concentration.
Fosters self-esteem through self-expression and task-mastery.
Builds hand-eye coordination necessary for skill proficiency.
Q-DOESN’T DOING MINDBREAKZ TAKE TIME AWAY FROM ACADEMIC LEARNING?
A-No! In fact, kids who get more physical activity score higher on academic achievement tests than kids who get less activity! And, schools offering more physical activity throughout the school day (e.g., physical education, recess and brain breaks) achieve higher academic ratings than schools offering less.
Regular, frequent physical activity during the school day aids academic achievement.
Q-HOW SHOULD MINDBREAKZ BE USED IN THE CLASSROOM?
A-Each Mindbreakz video offers a unique brain-boosting, wellness-building series of movement. The videos are effective in a sequence or as stand-alones, and they can be shown repeatedly since kids learn something new each viewing.
Q-I’M NOT VERY GOOD AT SPORTS -- CAN I USE MINDBREAKZ TO HELP MY STUDENTS BUILD THEIR SKILLS?
A-Yes! The pace and clarity of instruction makes each video user-friendly to ALL teachers. The prompts will help you provide enriching, specific feedback to your students.
Q-I DON’T HAVE ANY RHYTHM OR DRUMMING EQUIPMENT IN MY CLASSROOM. CAN I STILL USE MINDBREAKZ?
A-Yes! Each video’s rhythm and drumming (and skill practice) elements access common elementary classroom furnishings, e.g., student desks and books. There is no hidden equipment requirement. However, BrainBeatz has developed a set of 4 MindBeatz Padz which can be set on the desk top and used to increase eye-hand coordination and further support kinetics improvement of the BrainBreakz curriculum.
Q-DO STUDENTS LIKE THESE ACTIVITIES?
A-Yes! Students report:
Enjoying the physical activity…feeling they helped with learning and focus…looking forward to school knowing they would be doing them…feeling better about themselves as students.
Students recognize the benefit of energy breaks
Mindbreakz -- a cost effective, practical, user-friendly, and profound way to nurture smart and healthy kids 85% of school age students are predominantly kinesthetic learners.
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.
Sitting too much during the day is health-averse even for regular exercisers. Physical INactivity stretches are detrimental to all fitness levels.
Schools offering more physical activity outlets 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)
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.
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.
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