Brain Gym and Me: Reclaiming the Pleasure of Learning

by Paul E. Dennison

Paul E. Dennison, a world authority on cognitive skills and reading achievement, introduced the Brain Gym program in the mid-1980s. Today, the Brain Gym activities and balances are used in homes, schools, and businesses in more than 80 countries. In this inspiring addition to the Brain Gym series, Dr. Dennison shares his vision of children and adults learning in the way that is most through movement. Dennison tells how he overcame his own learning challenges and discovered how stress can inhibit comprehension. Through personal stories, he simplifies the latest in neuroscience as it relates to learning. Dennison identifies the physical skills of learning that help learners shift from trying to doing their best. The case histories included show how people of all ages use the Brain Gym activities to learn, relax, remember, create, and achieve personal goals; the book also covers such unique Edu-K concepts as PACE, noticing, and the Three Dimensions of Learning. Descriptions of many of the Brain Gym activities are included.

Brain Gym is a registered trademark of Brain Gym International.

266 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2006

Reviews

[Gretchen Mattingley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the information in this book. I would have liked it even better if it were written less like a story, give me the exercises and information that pertains to each one.

[Tami · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like many parents, I have often wondered if the educational system actually suited my children's unique learning needs. Despite huge strides in technology and general global knowledge our children still learn primarily by rout. As was true in our day, today only a small percentage of the children in school today actually find this method natural. The majority of children find themselves trying to learn, getting stressed out, and inevitably hating school. In this day and age that just isn't acceptable.

Dr. Paul E. Dennison experienced firsthand the difficulties of our current school systems. Despite that he was obviously intelligent and went on to experience the pleasure of learning, his first few years of school really ate away at his self esteem. The inherent problems behind these experiences became his focus. Thus, began Brain Gym.

Brain Gym is an easy to use program that relaxes and refocuses the student so that he or she can allow their natural intelligence to flow. The exercises are extremely simple. I did some of them as I read the book and really noticed a difference in my attention to the reading and my overall stress level. Perhaps more importantly I now notice how I feel when I read, write, or work. I see the connection between my tensed up muscles of my neck and my difficulty in concentrating. I feel the stress in my hand and arm as I try to write neatly. I think the good doctor is definitely on to something here.

[Kellie Barlow · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall, I didn't really enjoy reading this book. It just didn't flow well, and there were parts that were super.duper.boring....however, I am very interested in the Brain Gym exercises, and there were tidbits of information that were marvelous. For example, "...neuroscientists have made the amazing discovery that the heart includes a physiologically tangible brain in the form of forty thousand nerve cells, equal in number to certain subcortical areas of the brain. Every neurotransmitter...found in the brain is also found in the heart. From a neurological point of view, the heart is intelligent, and it has an ongoing dialogue with the brain- though they're not always in agreement." Fascinating.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea of movement paired with learning is very intersting for me. This is an easy read and has kept me interested. I wish it had more examples of his exercises but that is what their other books are for. I just wish he would combine his story with the examples and directions so you could get it all in one place instead of buying a million books. I want to use these activities with my Down Syndrome student and see what results I get.

[Mary Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars may be a little high. The brain therapy deserves 5 stars, but I don't think there was enough written about the therapy. The author talked more about support for the therapy. I wanted more...More of a manual than journal.