| Susan's a math whiz and Caleb's an artist | | | | 2. Tell kids the only rule is to cross the |
| extraordinaire. That's, great but wouldn't it | | | | mid-line of the body, right hand to left |
| be better if Caleb could improve in math and | | | | side, left hand to right side. Now let them |
| Susan could develop some artistic skills? | | | | invent ways of doing this. |
| They can and it's easy. | | | | |
| | | | 3. Dance the hula. Or twirl a hula hoop. |
| Researchers have recently discovered that | | | | |
| whole-brain learning or brain-based learning | | | | 4. Take a Brain Boosters TeleClass. Sign up |
| is an efficient and effective learning | | | | at Or a Brain Gym class. Sign up at |
| strategy that helps kids (parents and | | | | |
| teachers, too) learn anything easily without | | | | 5. Do the twist. (So you weren't dancing in |
| struggling. | | | | the 50s and 60s? Ask somebody to show you how |
| | | | to twist or get a dance video.) Twist with |
| One feature of brain-based learning involves | | | | the kids while you listen to some old Chubby |
| using both the right side and the left side | | | | Checker songs. |
| of the brain. Although nobody is just left | | | | |
| brain or just right brain, most of us have a | | | | 6. Rake some leaves with your kids, making |
| dominance. | | | | sure you're raking off to the side instead of |
| | | | straight in front of you. |
| Susan's math aptitude means she is probably | | | | |
| left-brain dominant, and Caleb, the artist, | | | | 7. Play a board game. (Use your right hand to |
| has a right-brain dominance. | | | | move your piece when it's in the left corner |
| | | | and vice versa.) |
| Learning to read and write requires using | | | | |
| both sides of the brain. So does learning | | | | 8. Practice using your non-dominant hand to |
| math and even doing art. In fact, doing just | | | | reach for things on the opposite side of your |
| about anything well, including thinking | | | | body. Even writing and drawing with your |
| clearly, and even problem solving, involves | | | | non-dominant hand helps. (You'll get better |
| using the right and left hemispheres of the | | | | with practice.) |
| front part of the brain. | | | | |
| | | | 9. Do Yoga and Tai Chi. Lots of moves cross |
| How do you accomplish this? Easy. Just move | | | | the mid-line. |
| across the center mid-line of your body. | | | | |
| Every time you move your right arm to your | | | | 10. Cross your ankles and arms in front or in |
| left side or your left arm to your right | | | | back when you're doing jumping jacks. Kids |
| side, you're crossing the mid-line and | | | | can usually do this. If you can't, try it in |
| improving learning, thinking, and problem | | | | a swimming pool. |
| solving. Now you're using brain-based | | | | |
| learning. | | | | This brain-based learning strategy really |
| | | | isn't all that complicated. Lots of everyday |
| Works for kids. Works for you. Try these | | | | kinds of activities get the whole brain |
| parenting tips and teacher resources today. | | | | active. Sitting around watching TV, however, |
| | | | isn't one of them! You and your kids have to |
| 1. Give yourself a big hug. | | | | move around and cross your mid- line. It's |
| | | | fun. |