Brain-based
Learning Requires Left-brain/Right-brain Integration
Norman-the-Neocortex: Connect the Dots to Find
Out
How the Left-brain and the Right-brain Work Together
by Dr. MaryJo Wagner
Summary:
Children and their parents and teachers learn most effectively
when
we're using both the left side and the right side of the front of
our
brain (the frontal lobes of the neocortex). Using both sides of
the brain
is a basic feature of brain-based learning. The fun
drawing of
Norman-the-Neocortex shows how brain cells from one side
of the brain
can connect to brain cells on the other side. You can
print "Norman,"
make copies, and use it with your kids.
* * *
Most of us and our children see the world in one of two ways. Some
of
us understand details, make lists, are organized, and choose
professions
such as accounting, computer programming, or teaching
math. Others
of us prefer the big picture. Being organized isn't as
important to us as
how something feels and what it looks like. We've
got some terrific ideas
but aren't too concerned about how we might
implement these ideas.
We're the poets and the artists, the sales
people and advertising
directors.
Nothing wrong with
either way. However, when we can see the world
in both ways equally,
we learn more quickly at school as children and
perform better in
our jobs as adults.
Sometimes kids whose
reading scores are poor are simply having trouble
using both sides
of the brain. Too much left brain dominance, and she
can read words
but doesn't know what they mean. Too much right brain dominance, and
he understands the story from pictures and discussion
but can't read
words.
So how does one
accomplish using both sides of the brain equally? Luckily
it's very
easy. Let me show you how in a picture first. Take a look below
at Norman-the-Neocortex. Now scroll below his picture for directions.
First you'll want a full page picture
of Norman to work with--or multiple
copies
if you're doing this with
your class. Get Norman in pdf format
here
and
print as many copies as you need.
Don't have Adobe Reader to view PDF files? It's
free. You can get it here.
Now you'll need some colored
markers and a pencil or black marker. Begin
by making dots
in different colors all over the right side of Norman's
brain.
The dots are Norman's right-brain cells. Brain cells
don't do much if they
aren't connected to other brain cells
so you'll need to connect the dots.
Then do the same thing on the
left side of Norman's brain, using a pencil
or black marker
this time. (Generally, the left-side "sees" in black and
white and the right in color.) Make lots of black dots and
connect them.
At this point Norman can
choose to think with his left brain or his right
brain but
not both sides at the same time. To help with this
integration,
draw a squiggly line between the two sides of
Norman's brain to represent
the corpus callosum. The corpus
callosum is a band of fibers holding the
two sides together
and porous enough that neuronal connections can
pass through
it.
Finish by connecting dots
across the corpus callosum (across the squiggly
line).
Connecting these dots between the two sides of the brain
represents
brain cells connecting to each other across the
corpus callosum which
creates neuronal pathways between the
two sides of
the brain.
It's as easy to do this in
person as it is on paper with Norman. Simply make
any
physical movement that crosses your center mid-line. In
other words,
putting your right hand on your left knee and
then left
hand on right knee
crosses your body's midline and
helps your brain integrate the left and right
sides.
Tell kids this "rule" and see
how many different ways they can invent to
cross the
midline. It's a fun game with a brain-based learning
outcome.
For suggestions on crossing
the mid-line to increase left-brain, right-brain
integration, read my
brain-based learning strategy article.
To find out if you are
left-brain dominant or right-brain dominant, you can
take
this fun test.
MaryJo Wagner, Ph.D.
The Learning Doctor
"Helping You Help Kids Learn"
Sign up for the Brain Boosters newsletter to help your kids learn
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Got a school or PTA newsletter or e-zine? Your own parent,
teacher, or learning Web site? A community publication? You're
welcome to reprint this article. Just print the whole article
with my name under the title and my contact information at the
bottom. When the report is published, please send me a copy or
the url to find it on the Web.
Duplicate the article. Distribute the article to parents. Pass it
around to teachers.
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