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Brain Gym®
The following information can be found at Brain Gym International.
The phrase BRAIN GYM usually modifies a noun. Whether used by itself or as a modifying phrase, it describes a specific set of movements, processes, programs, materials, and educational philosophy. It is a registered trademark of the Educational Kinesiology Foundation (Brain Gym® International) in Ventura, California, USA. The Brain Gym® educational model is utilized to promote play and the joy of learning, draw out and honor innate intelligence, build awareness regarding the value of movement in daily life, emphasize the ability to notice and respond to movement-based needs, encourage self-responsibility, leave each participant appreciated and valued, empower each participant to better take charge of his own learning, encourage creativity and self expression, and inspire an appreciation of music, physical education and the fine arts.
Brain Gym® movements, exercises, or activities refer to the original 26 Brain Gym movements, sometimes abbreviated as the 26. These activities recall the movements naturally done during the first years of life when learning to coordinate the eyes, ears, hands, and whole body. The twenty-six activities, along with a program for “learning through movement” were developed by educator and reading specialist Paul E. Dennison and his wife and colleague, Gail E. Dennison who say that the interdependence of movement, cognition, and applied learning is the basis of their work. Clients, teachers, and students have been reporting for over 20 years on the effectiveness of these simple activities. Even though it is not clear yet "why" these movements work so well, they often bring about dramatic improvements in areas such as:
This year, I started using part of the Brain Gym® educational model known as P.A.C.E. to begin every class and quickly saw an improvent in student focus and behavior. If you, as a student, parent, or teacher have noticed a difference since using Brain Gym®, please comment on Brain Gym® in my musical blog section.
I am also excited about the studies found on using Brain Gym® for matching pitch.
Using Brain Gym® for matching pitch
Donna Sewell ©1992
Published in Brain Gym® Journal as “Field Study on
Using Brain Gym® for Matching Pitch, 1991-92,”
Volume VII, No. 1, 1993
In 1991 and 1992, Donna Sewell, a Brain Gym
Instructor and elementary and secondary school-
teacher, conducted two pre-experimental pilot
studies to investigate Brain Gym’s efficacy in
subjects learning to match pitch. The studies were
implemented at Taylorville High School in Salt Lake
City, Utah, with the cooperation of the chorus
teacher, Norm Wendel, and the permission of Dr.
Ellis C. Worthen, Associate Director for Fine Arts for
Granite School District in Salt Lake City. Participat-
ing students ranged in age from 15 to 17 years and
had already been singing in a school setting for 10
years.
Study Group 1 had already received two months
of excellent vocal training, yet a few were still
unable to sing on pitch. Study Group 2 was un-
trained and most could not initially match pitch.
Both groups received the same Brain Gym training.
The average improvement of Group 1 was 34% at
the time of the study and 41% a year later. Group 2
improved by an average of 64% at the time of the
study and this percentage increased to 83% at the
end of a month.
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