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The
following is reprinted with permission from author Jean Blaydes Madigan,
a Neurokinesiologist from Murphy, Texas and a leading expert in the
body/brain connection to learning.
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"Sport
stacking is an excellent exercise in trying to get kids to
use both side of their body and both sides of their brain."
Pam
Powers, Manzano Day School in New Mexico |
As
sport stacking grows in popularity, the scientific and academic
worlds are taking notice...
"Significant
improvements were noted for both hand-eye coordination and reaction
time in both the dominant and non-dominant hand. . . therefore
sport stacking is
indeed effective in enhancing hand-eye coordination and reaction
time."
 more
"Significant
improvements were noted for both hand-eye coordination and reaction
time in both the dominant and non-dominant hand. . .Therefore sport
stacking is
indeed effective in enhancing hand-eye coordination and reaction
time."
more
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"What
makes us move, makes us think. New
learning follows established motor patterns
first before it is stored in the cortex. Therefore, if we teach
our students to move better, the better thinkers they will
become. The brain seeks patterns. Locomotor movements
are built on patterns. Information that is arranged in
patterns is more easily processed, retained and retrieved.
Cross
lateralization/crossing the midline; when one
crosses the midline, the brain begins to make new
connections and the right and left hemispheres begin
to work together. This communication process organizes
the brain for better concentration and problem solving.
Crossing the midline integrates brain hemispheres to
enable the brain to organize itself. When students perform
cross lateral activities, blood flow is increased in all
parts of the brain, making it more alert and energized for
stronger, more cohesive learning. Movements that cross
the midline unify the cognitive and motor regions of the
brain: the cerebellum, basal ganglia, and corpus callosum
while stimulating the production of neurotrophins that
increase the number of synaptic connections (Dennison,
Hannaford). |
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Eye-tracking
exercises and peripheral vision development help reading. One of the
reasons students have trouble with reading is because of the lack of
eye fitness. When students watch screens, their eyes lock in constant
distant vision and the muscles that control eye movement atrophy.
Physical education curriculum provides this avenue for
strengthening eye muscles. Tracking exercises, manipulatives,
navigation activities and target games exercise the eye
muscles, making the eyes fit to read.
The brain is attracted to novelty. The brain learns best
when more of the senses are involved. Color, sounds,
music, smells, manipulatives and navigating space are
better remembered. Learning environments filled
with enriched sensory input enhances cognition.
Brain compatible learning perceived as FUN
increases success." |
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