Brain Boosters for Your Kids E-zine Archives
Brain-based Learning Resources for Teachers and Parents

Premier Issue, January 2006

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Brain Boosters for Your Kids
Premier Issue, January 2006
Publisher and Editor: MaryJo Wagner, Ph.D.
http://www.BrainBoostersForYourKids.com
Copyright, MaryJo Wagner, 2006

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In this issue:

1. Moving to Learn, Learning to Move
2. Just for Grownups
3. Brain Quiz Contest (Win a Brain Boosters TeleChat)
4. Readers Tips and Questions
5. Resource You Can Use
6. A Web Site Not to Miss
7. Upcoming Events

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1. Moving to Learn, Learning to Move
by MaryJo Wagner, Ph.D.

In order for your kids' brains to work best, they need to move.
O.K., I know you probably learned that children should sit still,
hands in lap, feet flat on the floor and not budge.

But now with all they've discovered about the brain, scientists
have learned that moving is essential for brain development, for
learning, and even for rehabilitation.

Any kind of moving helps. However, learning to read and write
well requires moving back and forth across your center mid-line.

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Looking for toys to boost learning? Check out
http://EducationalToysForYourKids.com

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Summary: Consistent and frequent movement across your center mid-
line helps develop whole-brain learning--in every subject:
reading, spelling, writing, math, social science, music, even
athletics.

How: Have your kids stand up. Then they put their right hand on
their left knee while raising that knee as high as comfortable.
Now reverse: left hand on right knee. Just like marching in
place. Move from the waist, twisting from side to side.

Do it fast. Do it slow. Do it in back, touching your opposite
heel instead of opposite knee. Do it with music. Of course,
you're doing this along with the kids because you'd like to think
more clearly and have more energy too.

It's called Cross Crawl. (Cross Crawl comes from Brain Gym®,
a program of 26 learning movements. Go to
http://www.BrainGymClasses.com for more information.)

Involve Your Kids: Let kids figure out variations. Just tell them
the rule: you have to cross their center mid-line. How about
doing cross-crawls lying down? With a partner? Give them
examples.

A kid could bounce a ball on the floor with her right hand across
her midline to her left side and when it bounces back, catch it
with her left and bounce it to the right side.

Caution: Doing Cross-Crawls fast with music is very energizing.
This is great when everyone is falling asleep after lunch. It's
not so great when you need peace and quiet. So you want to end up
by doing cross crawls slowly and quietly. Boys (and some girls
too) will want to go as fast as possible. Tell them you're having
a contest to see who can cross crawl the slowest.

If you have children with seizures, be cautious about movements
crossing the mid-line. Never do them quickly or for very long.

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To check on my upcoming Brain Gym classes, just go to http://www.BrainGymClasses.com

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2. Just for Grownups

You've got that mid-afternoon slump? Try a few cross-crawls. Want
to develop whole-brain thinking? Rearrange common objects away
from your dominant hand. Things on your desk, things in the
kitchen, even the remote. (Obviously for this to work, you must
be standing or sitting on the opposite side from the object
you're reaching for.)

Getting ready to give a presentation to the Board and you're
paralyzed with stage fright? Try a few cross crawls. Before every
workshop or presentation I give, I do cross crawls--in the
handicap stall in the ladies' room so no one can see
me.

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3. Brain Quiz

Question: True or False? Being bored damages children's brains.

Answer: You'll get the answer in two weeks in the next e-zine.

First person to e-mail me at mailto:mjw@mjwagner.com with the
correct answer and why it's so wins a complimentary Brain
Boosters for Kids TeleChat.

The Brain Boosters TeleChats start on January 31, 2006. To
find out more and sign up for a TeleChat, go to
http://www.brain-based-learning.com. You can start
anytime even though we started on January 31.

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4. Readers' Tips and Questions

Got classroom techniques? Homework tricks? Teacher resources? Parenting tips? Questions? E-mail me at mjw@mjwagner.com I'll post your tips and questions with my
answers at my Blog:  http://www.brainboostersforyourkids.blogspot.com/

Please limit your tips and questions to topics in the e-zine. So
this time, your questions are about crossing the mid-line to
improve learning.

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5. Resource You Can Use

Check out Daniel Amen's book, "Healing ADD: The Breakthrough
Program that Allows You to See and Heal the 6 Types of ADD." Amen
is a psychiatrist so the book definitely follows a medical model,
and I certainly don't agree with everything he says. But he
offers some good tips on managing ADD-like "symptoms" and
behavior. His descriptions of brain functioning and SPECT imaging
are fascinating.

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6. Great Web Site

Word puzzles are fabulous brain boosters for kids, parents,
teachers, even Great-aunt Sadie. Make up fun puzzles for your
kids when you want to reinforce something they've just learned,
Kids can make their own puzzles too. Puzzles are a great
brain-based learning tip.

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See a schedule of Brain Gym classes and presentations. Find out
how to take a Brain Gym class free. Brain Gym is brain-based
learning at its best.

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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 brain-based learning articles from the e-zine or
articles from my Web site http://www.brain-based-learning.com

Just print the whole article with my name under the title
and my contact information at the bottom. When the article
is published, please send me a copy or the url to find it on the
Web.

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That's it for this time. In the next issue, I'll show you a
brain-based learning technique that you can use to get kids to
calm down instantly. Even works with ADD/ADHD. I use it
all the time for myself.

MaryJo

Dr. MaryJo Wagner
The Learning Doctor
"Helping you help your kids learn"
8587 W. Hampden Ave., Ste. 5-202
Lakewood, CO 80227
970-963-4077
http://www.brain-based-learning.com
mailto:mjw@mjwagner.com
 

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