1. Brain Warm-Ups for Learning
AASSA Conference
March
By: Ana Maria Cruz
Marcella Bahniuk
Academia Cotopaxi International School

2. Can’t sustain attention Quits before finished Frustrated
Overfocused
Trying hard
Stressed
Can’t stop
Worried
Underfocused
Can’t sustain attention
Quits before finished
Frustrated
Confused, easily distracted
Picture:

3. Using Your Whole Brain The Brain has 3 major areas.
Brain hemispheres have different functions.
When we access both hemispheres we are able to function more efficiently.
For example: creativity, language.
Creativity: Not exclusively a right hemisphere function. It is a whole brain process that requires technique and detail from the logic h. and image, flow and emotion from the gestalt h.
Language: requires the words and proper sentence structure from the left and the image, emotion and dialect from the right. This integration allows ease of reading, writing as well as comprehension and creative access.
References:
Course Handouts The Physiological Basis of Learning. Carla Hannaford Ph.D. 2010
Smart Moves. Carla Hannaford Ph.D. 2008
Brain Hemispheres picture:
Triune brain picture:

4. Purpose and Objectives
In this workshop we will:
Share activities
Share exercises
Share ideas
Our objectives
Become more aware of the learning process.
Realize that a simple short warm-up activity can help students learn.
Give you some more tricks for your teaching bag.

5. How can teachers benefit from brain warm-ups?
Increased attention from students.
Students are focused on their work.
Gain time when teaching new concepts.
Processing of information using both hemispheres for optimal brain use therefore optimal learning.

6. Benefits for Students:
Students become aware of their own needs.
Students become aware of personal learning strategies.
When self awareness is present accepting of differences is created.
Students feel ready and focused for learning.

7. Activities and Exercises
Activity
Writing
Reading
Math
Attention
Water *
Lazy Eight *
Cross Crawl *
Metronome
Hannaford, Carla (1995) Smart Moves: Why learning is not all in your head. Great Ocean Publishers: Virginia.
Hannaford Carla (2008) Aprender Moviendo el Cuerpo. Editorial PAX: Mexico D.F.
Dennison, Paul & Dennison, Gail (2007) Brain Gym 101. Edu-Kinesthetics Inc.: California.
Dennison, Paul & Dennison, Gail (1994). Brain Gym Teacher’s Edition Revised. Edu-Kinesthetics Inc.: California.
* These activities are part of Brain Gym®.
Brain Gym® is a movement based program that believes that moving with intention leads to optimal learning.
Brain Gym® is a registered trademark of the Educational Kinesiology Foundation, P.O. Box 3396 Ventura, CA Created by Pau and Gail Dennison.

8. WATER Water is the electric conductor in the brain.
Activates the brain for:
Efficient electrical and chemical action between the brain and the nervous system.
Efficient storage and retrieval of information.
The electrical transmissions within the nervous system is what makes us sensing, learning, thinking and acting organisms.
Psychological or environmental stress depletes the body of water, leaving cells dehydrated.
References:
Brain Gym Teacher’s Edition Revised. Paul and Gail Dennison
Smart Moves. Carla Hannaford PhD. 2008

9. Activities and Exercises
Activity
Writing
Reading
Math
Attention
Water *
Lazy Eight *
Cross Crawl *
Metronome
Hannaford, Carla (1995) Smart Moves: Why learning is not all in your head. Great Ocean Publishers: Virginia.
Hannaford Carla (2008) Aprender Moviendo el Cuerpo. Editorial PAX: Mexico D.F.
Dennison, Paul & Dennison, Gail (2007) Brain Gym 101. Edu-Kinesthetics Inc.: California.
Dennison, Paul & Dennison, Gail (1994). Brain Gym Teacher’s Edition Revised. Edu-Kinesthetics Inc.: California.
* These activities are part of Brain Gym®.
Brain Gym® is a movement based program that believes that moving with intention leads to optimal learning.
Brain Gym® is a registered trademark of the Educational Kinesiology Foundation, P.O. Box 3396 Ventura, CA Created by Pau and Gail Dennison.

10. Lazy Eights Facilitates hand/eye coordination
Relaxes the muscles of the hands, arms and shoulders
Facilitates visual tracking while
crossing over the midline
White boards, markers, board erasers
6 Tactile lazy 8
6 multiplication / additions lazy 8
Feeling the connection
References:
Brain Gym Teacher’s Edition Revised. Paul and Gail Dennison
Brain Gym 101. Paul and Gail Dennison
Smart Moves. Carla Hannaford

15. Activities and Exercises
Activity
Writing
Reading
Math
Attention
Water *
Lazy Eight *
Cross Crawl *
Metronome
Hannaford, Carla (1995) Smart Moves: Why learning is not all in your head. Great Ocean Publishers: Virginia.
Hannaford Carla (2008) Aprender Moviendo el Cuerpo. Editorial PAX: Mexico D.F.
Dennison, Paul & Dennison, Gail (2007) Brain Gym 101. Edu-Kinesthetics Inc.: California.
Dennison, Paul & Dennison, Gail (1994). Brain Gym Teacher’s Edition Revised. Edu-Kinesthetics Inc.: California.
* These activities are part of Brain Gym®.
Brain Gym® is a movement based program that believes that moving with intention leads to optimal learning.
Brain Gym® is a registered trademark of the Educational Kinesiology Foundation, P.O. Box 3396 Ventura, CA Created by Pau and Gail Dennison.

16. Cross Crawl Activates both hemispheres in a balanced way.
Works both sides of the body evenly.
Good for a two minute break.
and involve coordinated movements of both eyes, both ears, both hands, both feet.
References:
Brain Gym Teacher’s Edition Revised. Paul and Gail Dennison
Smart Moves. Carla Hannaford
Picture:

17. Activities and Exercises
Activity
Writing
Reading
Math
Attention
Water *
Lazy Eight *
Cross Crawl *
Metronome
Hannaford, Carla (1995) Smart Moves: Why learning is not all in your head. Great Ocean Publishers: Virginia.
Hannaford Carla (2008) Aprender Moviendo el Cuerpo. Editorial PAX: Mexico D.F.
Dennison, Paul & Dennison, Gail (2007) Brain Gym 101. Edu-Kinesthetics Inc.: California.
Dennison, Paul & Dennison, Gail (1994). Brain Gym Teacher’s Edition Revised. Edu-Kinesthetics Inc.: California.
* These activities are part of Brain Gym®.
Brain Gym® is a movement based program that believes that moving with intention leads to optimal learning.
Brain Gym® is a registered trademark of the Educational Kinesiology Foundation, P.O. Box 3396 Ventura, CA Created by Pau and Gail Dennison.

18. COGNITIVE STIMULATION
Memory, Attention, Visual and Auditory processing, Processing Speed, Reasoning
Brain skills can facilitate learning.
Activity: Metronome
Course handouts from BrainSkills (Program developed by Dr. Ken Gibson). Fundacion Educando al Ecuador. Instructor: Norma Endara
The Out of Sync Child has Fun. Carol Stock Kranowitz
are the ones that provide us with the tools to read, prioritize, plan, understand, remember, and solve problems.
Metronome:
Clap with help in every beat
Without help
By groups
Clap every 2 beats
Clap every 2 beats and in the 4th beat stomp your feet
Clap and say names of colors /fruits
Read the color of the arrows
Read the direction of the arrows
Read the name of colors
Read the color
Read 1 column of numbers
Read 2 columns
Read columns adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing

19. Activities and Exercises
Activity
Writing
Reading
Math
Attention
Water *
Lazy Eight *
Cross Crawl *
Metronome
Hannaford, Carla (1995) Smart Moves: Why learning is not all in your head. Great Ocean Publishers: Virginia.
Hannaford Carla (2008) Aprender Moviendo el Cuerpo. Editorial PAX: Mexico D.F.
Dennison, Paul & Dennison, Gail (2007) Brain Gym 101. Edu-Kinesthetics Inc.: California.
Dennison, Paul & Dennison, Gail (1994). Brain Gym Teacher’s Edition Revised. Edu-Kinesthetics Inc.: California.
* These activities are part of Brain Gym®.
Brain Gym® is a movement based program that believes that moving with intention leads to optimal learning.
Brain Gym® is a registered trademark of the Educational Kinesiology Foundation, P.O. Box 3396 Ventura, CA Created by Pau and Gail Dennison.

20. Reminders
Do warm up activities at least three times a week – strengthens the neural pathways.
Water – more water means more trips to bathroom.
Helpful even if you do these activities 5 minutes a day.

21. For more information: http://funedec.org/ www.braingym.com

23. Contact Information
Ana Maria Cruz:
Marcella Bahniuk: