Brain Gym: Simple Activities for Whole Brain Learning [Paperback]

Paul E. Dennison (Author), Gail E. Dennison (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1992

This small book has been translated into 20-some languages. It offers drawings of the 26 Brain Gym activities with simple descriptions of how to do them, written in a simple story form that children can understand. Parents, teachers, and learners seeking more in-depth descriptions and variations for the 26 activities find these in Brain Gym: Teacher s Edition by the same authors.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A pioneer in applied brain research, Dr. Paul Dennison focused on the interdependence of physical development, language acquisition, and academic achievement. In his work he developed a series of simple and enjoyable body movements, called Brain Gym. The commonality of this set of movements was that they all assisted brain-body integration. Since fortunately the brain and body are linked, these movements lead to microadjustments in neurology, which in turn could dramatically accelerate academic progress. In studio and class we all used all the exercises of Brain Gym every day. --John Chamberlain in The Heart of the Matter: Diary of a School Year

Brain Gym is also highly effective with sports, music, art, and dance of every kind. In order to perform well in any of these, a person must be able to master technique and integrate that mastery with rhythm, flow, emotion, and image in a spontaneous way. I have taught Brain Gym to technically good musicians who found they could finally feel and express the passion in the music they played. Visual artists I have taught were stunned by the depth of expression they could achieve in their work. The tremendous contribution and appeal of Brain Gym is its ease and utility. People can do the exercises at any time to enhance anything they do. It is simply movement, free and easy. --Dr. Carla Hannaford, in Smart Moves: Why Learning Is Not All in Your Head

The in-service session I held to teach all the medical students and personnel how and when to do the Brain Gym movements was gratifying. The medical staff's understanding of the importance of implementing this unique physiological assistance created the space for the children's emotional, mental, and physical survival. Most of the staff members were grateful for the breakthrough discovery that movement can result in growth and significant change in traumatized children. --Dr. Svetlana Masgutova in Trauma Recovery You Are a Winner: A New Choice Through Natural Developmental Movements, coauthored by Pamela Curlee

About the Author

Paul E. Dennison is an internationally known educator, a pioneer in the field of movement-based learning, and an authority on the acquisition of cognitive and academic skills. Gail E. Dennison is the originator of Brain Gym International's Visioncircles, Double Doodle Play, and Movement Dynamics courses. Paul and Gail are the co creators of Educational Kinesiology and the Brain Gym program, and the authors of more than fifteen books and manuals, many of which have been translated into dozens of languages.

Product Details

• Paperback: 40 pages
• Publisher: Edu Kinesthetics (June 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0942143051
• ISBN-13: 978-0942143058
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #23,878 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

80 of 81 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I have been using the Brain Gym exercises on my own for more than fifteen years!, October 10, 2006

By 

Lee Say Keng "KNOWLEDGE ADVENTURER/TECHNOLOGY... (Ho Chi Minh City/Singapore) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Brain Gym: Simple Activities for Whole Brain Learning (Paperback)

BRAIN GYM
BRAIN GYM TEACHER'S EDITION
By Paul Dennison

I have bought these two books in the late eighties with the objective of fnding out how they work & how I can make use of them in my own life. Don't worry, I am not brain-injuired or learning-disabled as the technologies in the two books have been formulated originally by the author to help those unfortunate people.

Although there are more than twenty of the Brain Gym exercises introduced, I only use a handful for my own purpose, especially when I read. The exercises I have specifically selected are:

- The Owl exercise;
- The Neck Roll exercise;
- Brain Buttons;
- Cross-Crawl;
- Diaphragmatic Breathing;

I find them very useful in maintaining an active physiological frame of mind & sharp mental focus when I read.

I have been using these Brain Gym exercises on my own for more than fifteen years. I have also taught them to professional adults as well as to students in the schools. The feedback from them has always been positive.

The first book, with the orange cover, is just a summary of the exercises. You need the second book, which is the Teacher Edition, to get a foundational understanding of the exercises.

My only adverse comment about these two books is that the text printing & visual design are comparatively of poor quality, especially after so many years in print.

[For readers who are keen to explore further the significance of physical movements in learning processes, I would recommend strongly 'Smart Moves: Why Learning Is Not All in Your Head' by Dr Carla Hannaford, a neurophysiologist by training. In her book, she reinforces the practical usefulness of Brain Gym exercises, among other innovatve insights about learning & the brain.]

240 of 261 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed Occupational Therapist, November 6, 2004

By 

Jen (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brain Gym: Simple Activities for Whole Brain Learning (Paperback)

This book is useless without the Brain Gym Teacher's Edition. The teacher's edition explains how to do all the different exercises and what skills they work on. The orange Brain Gym book is just a summary of all the moves. I haven't used the orange book since I bought it a year ago...it was a waste of money. I use the Teacher's Edition frequently. If you want to incorporate Brain Gym into your classroom/clinic, buy the Teacher's Edition.

57 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Tool, September 16, 2004

By 

YuppiePunk "YuppiePunk" (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brain Gym: Simple Activities for Whole Brain Learning (Paperback)

This book is oversimplified and short because it is an instructional reference written for children who may, or may not have learning disabilities. In short, it's perfect for the intended audience. As someone who has coped with severe learning disabilities all of his life, I wish this book was around when I was in elementary school. If you need a book on Brain Gym that is written for adults please try "Brain Gym For Business" or "Brain Gym (Teachers Edition)". You can also visit braingym.com for information on other books and classes taught by certified instructors. Be advised, most alternative books tend to be poorly printed, poorly illustrated, and pricey until the subject becomes popular and picked up by bigger publishing houses.