Brain Gym Across the Curriculum

Diann Underwood and Denise Newsome

Daingerfield ISD
Spring 2005
For the past four years, my paraprofessional and I have been using Brain Gym exercises with
special education students. This year, we started using Brain Gym outside the resource room with
students of all ages and abilities. This report gives a brief account of our successful experiences. Due to
the importance of confidentiality, pronouns will be used in the place of actual students names.
Our first student was a nonverbal child who had no facial expressions. She was like a puppet
waiting to be told every move. We had to sit with her at lunch and tell her to eat every bite of food. In
the first year of Brain Gym, we saw changes. She began laughing, grinning, and trying to talk. She
started using a spoon with little assistance. She enjoyed being mainstreamed into a regular classroom
environment where she wanted to do what others around her were doing and never caused a disruption.
She became more and more independent. She began communicating with one word. She eventually
learned ten poems of four to eleven lines that she frequently led. By the second year, she could make
three and four word sentences and ask short who or what questions. She was going to the cafeteria,
getting her own tray, and eating without any assistance. She was able to go on errands to the office and
workroom with no assistance. She could find her own way around the campus and was a joy to all whose
lives she touched. Academically, she was way below her peers. However, she made tremendous gains in
a short period of time. These gains showed little or no progress before Brain Gym.
Homework is always an area of concern for all of the campuses. This year, we have an
elementary child who did not want to do homework and had no help at home. She always had an excuse
for not bringing her work back to school. We did a balance on her and to this date she had missed less
than six assignments even without the encouragement and help from home. A high school student told
me he did not and would not do homework. This was something he wanted to get straight from the
beginning. I told him that was fine with me. He comes to our tutorials because his father insisted upon it.
At our fourth or fifth meeting, he asked if he could work on his homework following Brain Gym
activities. I confirmed his request. While he was working, a high school teacher happened by and
declared that she was thrilled to see him working and turning in work. Prior to this event, he stated the
need to do homework. I granted his request. Upon opening his notebook, I noticed the assignment was
completed. Not saying a word, he left it opened for me to see. Then, he announced it was finished.
However, he chose not to turn it in. He is doing work and turning it in at this time. Another high school
boys mother told me her son is doing homework on Saturdays. She stated her son has never done this
before.
Expressive language and communication is very hard for one of our students. Therefore, writing
is quite a challenge. Recently, a lady from this students church came to us, and told us that he actually
spoke to her and hugged her at church for the very first time ever. He became nervous and frustrated
during the TAKS. He could not even think of how to begin. He did Brain Gym exercises during the
break and got excited because an idea came to him. Immediately, he began to write. Upon turning in his
book he exclaimed, I cannot believe all of that came out of me. Today, he told a new student attending
the study club, This is something like you have never been in before. You will want to be here.
We have high school and elementary teachers coming to us with such comments as:
I am just so glad to see him doing work.
You would not believe the difference the water and hookups have made in my computer lab.
Whatever you are doing, keep it up.

My granddaughter is in kindergarten. Her teacher has started doing PACE every day. It has
made such a difference in her excitement about school.
Usually, in our prekindergarten class there are four perfect papers. We started doing Brain Gym.
Now, all but four papers are perfect.
I have a student that is so capable but would not read even for prizes. She is now in the top
point winners of the Book Adventure Club. It is all because of Brain Gym. I know it is.
We have students coming to us with such comments as:
I was not a believer. I am now. This came from a student who wanted to quit school. His
parents were about convinced this was the only way out for their child. They were very skeptical when
they came to the parent information night. However, they decided to give us a chance. Their child is still
attending school regularly.
Remember when I did not like to do homework? I do it all of the time now.
Before, I was the dumbest kid in class. Now, I am one of the first to turn in my work. I cannot
believe it. It is confusing how it was there, but I could not get it out.
I have never made the honor roll in my life. I made the A-B Honor Roll. I use Brain Gym every
day.
I used the Positive Points in class during a test. The answer came just like you said it would.
I made all As and only one B this time. I am going for the A Honor Roll next six weeks. This
makes two times I made the A-B Honor Roll.
The first night of class, one student said he would not participate in the exercises and was allowed
to sit and watch. However, before the night was over, he very quietly joined the group.
We had a parent night on what turned out to be a cold, rainy night. Therefore, our hopes of
anyone attending were very dim. However, eight adults and two students came. The parents did every
one of the exercises with us and shared information about their children. We were extremely pleased.
We have fifteen students signed up for the study club at this time. Eight of them are attending
regularly. We meet after school from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. two times a week. The school provides us
with a van to take four of the students home, as they do not have a means of transportation. Six of the
eight students, failing or in danger of failing, passed for the six weeks after only three weeks of coming to
the student club. There was a grade increase of 158 points among the eight students. We do Brain Gym
exercises every week. We require our students to drink water throughout the day. Teachers are now
allowing it in the classroom. We ask our students to do PACE every day. However, most wait until the
two study club days to do it. We do whole group balances for reading, writing, math, focusing and
organization. We also do whole group DLRs. The rest of the time is spent on study skills, students
learning about their strengths and weaknesses, homework and test taking skills. Recently, tutors were
hired for TAKS math practice. These classes begin after Brain Gym exercises are done.
Brain Gym has proven to be a tool that reaches out to any and all types of people. We have seen
it create positive attitudes and enrich students lives. It is another way to reach one more student as we, in
education, continue our quest to reach every student one student at a time.

Brain Gym Proven Effective to Enhance Learning

The following Brain Gym Journal articles referenced by title, date and page numbers may be
printed off Internet at www.braingym.org under drop down menu Learn more and then under
Archives and then scroll down to them listed by date under Brain Gym Journal.
1. Planting Brain Gym Seeds by Cheryl Carpenter, Texas, USA, November 2005, p. 3,
12 & 13: Includes a chart of TPRI Reading Scores of classes with and without Brain
Gym charting average growth of comprehension from beginning of year to middle of
year, another chart on following page shows Discipline referrals for Pittsburg Pre-K
classroom using Brain Gym 2004-2005 (32 students) dropping from 27 referrals in first
week to 0 at end of fifth week, and lists accomplishments of Project SOL (Save Our
Learners).
2. Creating a Win-Win Situation in a Canadian Grade School by Liz Jones Twomey,
Ontario, Canada, November 2002, p. 10 & 11: Charts percentage of students scoring
levels 3 (letter grade B) and 4 (letter grade A) on standardized Provincial tests two years
before Brain Gym and two years after in Reading, Writing and Mathematics, a sample of
student writing before and after Brain Gym, photos of students doing Brain Gym.
3. Academic Support for Kids in the Middle by Darcy Lewis, Michigan, November
2002, p. 3 & 15: Charts an improvement of two grade levels in one year on Spache
Diagnostic Reading Scale with 6 of 8 students doing Brain Gym from September to June
in 7th grade and other two students advanced slightly more than a year, other student
success stories and a photo of two student doing a self-inspired tandem version of the
Thinking Cap with Lazy 8s.
4. Taking a Leap of Faith in My School Reading Lab by Sheila Potter, North Carolina,
November 2003, p. 3 Shows gains in a nine week grading period of class averages using
Brain Gym of 12% in grade 6; 14%, grade 7; and 11%, grade 8 from letter grade C to
A.
5. A Pilot Study: the effect of Brain Gym on Reading Achievement for Grades Three
through Five, 2002 by Sheila Potter, Wayne County, North Carolina, November 2003, p.
10 & 11, covers literature, methodology, control group, research design, and results with
a table of Paired Sample T-test Analysis showing significant gains by experimental Brain
Gym group.
6. Im Not the Same Teacher I Used to Be, by Carmel Dodson, Florida, USA, November
2006, p. 4, 5 & 12: A resource teacher of learning disabled students at Port St. Joe
Elementary School mentored by Brain Gym instructor Wanda Mcgee reports on changes
in her students using Brain Gym and shows the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test Results
of 27 of her 4th grade students in an Inclusion Classroom from a Pre-Test on August 6,
2004 to a post Test on April 4, 2005. All scores improved, some dramatically by as much
as over 4 points but all students had learned to love reading.
www.braingym.com is the site for purchasing books, posters, CDs and DVDs.

Brain Gym 101 Seminar

What You Will Learn

Instructor

Learn to use Brain Gym to benefit

Yourself and others when you notice
You arent doing your best

Amy Elizabeth Devereaux

is a licensed Brain Gym
Instructor with 23 years of

Learn 4 steps to feel focused, relaxed,

And ready to begin any new task or
Challenge.

experience and is National

Board Certified.

Learn simple, specific physical

Movements that enhance memory,
Reading, writing, communication,
And math.
Improve creativity, energy levels,
coordination, athletic performance, and
school and business success.
Gain new levels of confidence.
Learn 5-step process to help accomplish
your goals. Learn to select and do
Brain Gym activities that remind
Different areas of your brain to work
Together. This sequence is useful for
Improving focus, participation, and
Organization. Achieve greater ease in
Learning academics as well as physical
Tasks.

Brain Gym 101 Class Details

Dates: June 18-20
Time: 8 AM-5PM
Place: Clayton, NC
Cost: $375 ($325 when $50
Deposit received by June 11

Who will Benefit

To Register: Mail $50 non-

Educators, Business Professionals

Parents, Athletes, Musicians,
Occupational & Physical Therapists,
Psychologists, Seniors and Students,
Counselors, Day Care Providers, etc.

refundable deposit to
Achieve With Ease
512 Contessa Court
Clayton, NC 27523

Anyone who wants to help themselves

and others learn more easily and
accomplish their goals

For more information

call Amy, 919-934-4704
adevereaux@nc.rr.com

Brain Gym is a registered trademark of Brain gym International/The Educational Kinesiology

Foundation, Ventura, CA. For more information, go to www.braingym.org
www.braingym.com and www.achievewithease.com.

Brain Gym is a registered trademark of the Educational Kinesiology Foundation,

www.braingym.org. Permission granted to photocopy for instructional purposes.

More information about Brain Gym is also available at www.braingym.com and at

www.achievewithease.com from Amy Elizabeth Devereaux, Licensed Brain Gym Instructor
and Consultant at 512 Contessa Court, Clayton, NC 27520, 919-934-4704,
adevereaux@nc.rr.com.