Movement-Based Learning: Brain Gym in the General Classroom

Kayley N. Hagl
Dr. Julie Lochbaum and Dr. Bridget Thomas, Faculty Mentors

Most psychologists recognize that daily activity helps boost balance, motor function, brain function, and cognition. The educational system is currently not capitalizing on this knowledge. Physical Education is a class devoted to movement, but in most schools in Missouri, it only occurs for thirty minutes once or twice a week. Movement-based learning uses movement of the body to impact changes in the brain. Developed by Paul and Gali Dennison, Brain Gym is a type of movement-based learning with 26 activities. These movements help develop the neural connections in the brain, which are necessary for learning to occur. Although there are many claims that this is a form of pseudoscience, there are numerous studies that show the benefit of movement-based learning in the classroom, the front-runners being Spalding, Mostert, and Beam. Brain Gym is an educational curriculum that promotes whole-brain learning through movement and it should be used in every classroom.

Keywords: Movement-Based Learning, Brain Gym

Topic(s):Interdisciplinary Studies
Education

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Session: TBA
Location: TBA
Time: TBA