BRAIN GYM CARDS

Jan 17 – Routine 1 – Water, Brain Buttons, Cross Crawl, Think of an X, The Owl, Thinking Caps, Belly Breathing and Hook-ups.

Jan 18 – Do 2 cards each for the fronts or blank sides for each of the exercises above. One card should read:
Upper Left Corner Routine 1 –
Upper Right Corner – the number of the exercise in the routine
Center – the Name of the Exercise
Below the Name of the Exercise – One card should say “Benefits,” and the second card for the exercise should say – “How to Do”

Jan 19 – Exercise 1 – Water – Card 1 – Benefits of Water: ONLY water hydrates the body – Improves Concentration – Promotes efficient storage and retrieval of information – Great anti-stressor, especially before a test – ALL academic and physical skills improve – Alleviates mental fatigue – Cleanses the system.

Jan. 20 – Exercise 1 – Water – Card 2 – How to DO Water: Room temperature – Drin out of a stainless steal or glass container (NO plastic bottles – Plastic contributes microscopic bits that become hormone disruptors in your system) – Take a few sips at a time for best absorption – Sip at the beginning of each class – Filtered, if possible, to take out poisons (Chlorine, Fluoride, Lead, etc.) – Structured & mineralized, if possible – General Rule take drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces daily – Consumption also depends upon the weather (Hot – drink more) and level of physical activity (Highly active – Drink more.)

Jan. 23 – Exercise 2 – Brain Buttons – Card 1 – Benefits: Gets more oxygen to the brain – Helps messages travel across the Corpus Colossum to facilitate left & right brain thinking – Increases blood flow – Increases flow of electromagnetic energy – Helps with reading – Body coordination – Correcting letter & number reversals
Consonant blending – Keeping your place while reading – Writing – Computer Work

Jan. 24 – Exercise 2 – Brain Buttons – Card 2 – How to Do: One hand is spread open with the thumb on one side of the upper sternum, just below the clavicle, and the fingers on the other side of the sternum. The second hand covers the navel. The first hand massages the area for thirty seconds; then the hands switch places and the second hand messages the area for thirty seconds.
To See go to the Ascent Advantage Academy youtube playlist: Brain Gym, Week 1, Day 2.

Jan. 25 – Exercise 3 – Cross Crawl – Card 1 – Benefits: Using both eyes together – Activates speech and language centers of the brain – Enhances hearing – Allows for better breathing – Better stamina – Better left-right coordination – Helps with spelling, writing, listening, reading and comprehension.

Jan. 26 – Exercise 3 – Cross Crawl – Card 2 – How to Do: Stand – Raise left knee and touch with right elbow; then raise right knee and touch with left elbow – Repeat 3 times – Touch left heel in back with right hand; then right heel with left hand – alternating for 3 times – Next bend forward and lift left foot, touch with right hand; then lift right foot and touch with left hand; repeat three times – Swing arms around you from side-to-side 3 times – End with giving yourself three hugs! Video on Ascent Advantage Academy Youtube Channel in Brain Gym playlist.

Jan. 27 – Exercise 4 – Thinking of an X – Card 1 – Benefits: Helps with vision – perspective and depth perception – Helps with binaural hearing – Whole body coordination – Writing – Organization in math, spelling, grammar, 2nd language – Sports – Planning and Scheduling – Executive function

WEEK of JANUARY 30

Jan. 30 – FRONT – THINK OF AN X – HOW TO DO — BACK — Close your eyes and visualize a large X for 30 to 60 seconds.

Jan. 31 – FRONT — THE OWL – BENEFITS — BACK – – Good for Exceptional hearing and vision – Releases back tension – Help with reading – Near-point skills – Short and Long Term Memory – Thinking Ability – Listening comprehension – Speech & Oral Reports – Math – Computer

Feb. 1 – FRONT — THE OWL – HOW T0 DO — BACK – – Grab and Squeeze your left shoulder near your neck. Move head from left to right, keeping your chin level and breathe in deeply & slowly; until you reach to the right. Then, as you rotate your head back to the left, gradually and gently exhale puffs until you reach the left. Do this three times. Then, do the same with holding your right shoulder near your neck. Move head from right to left, inhaling gently. When you reach the the left side, return slowly to the right, exhaling puffs of air until you reach the right again. Repeat 3 times.

Feb. 2 – FRONT — THINKING CAPS – BENEFITS — BACK – – Increase short term memory, thinking skills, increases mental & physical fitness. It helps to screen out distracting sounds. It also helps with listening comprehension, public speaking, singing, playing an instrument, spelling, mentally arithmetic and concentration on a computer or any other electronic device.

Feb. 3 – FRONT — THINKING CAPS – HOW TO DO — BACK – – Hold onto the top of your ears, with the thumbs on the backside of your ears. Gently unroll the curled cartilage to where the ear is connected at bottom. Do this slow and gently three times.

CARDS – WEEK of FEB. 6th

Feb 6 – FRONT — BELLY BREATHING – BENEFITS — BACK – – Use to Relax – Helps With Reading – Speech & Oral Reading – Improved Attention Span – Centering and Grounding

Feb. 7 – FRONT — BELLEY BREATHING – HOW TO DO — Back – – Standing – inhale for a count of 3 deeply through the nose. Hold for a count of 3; exhale for a count of 3 through pierced lips and puff as if to keep a feather in the air. Repeat 3 times.

Feb. 8 – FRONT – HOOK-UPS I & II – BENEFITS — BACK – Grounding, increased attention, clear listening and speaking, testing, test-taking, stressful situations, balance & coordination, deeper respiration, increased self-control. Connects electrical circuits, increases ease in energy flow, balances and connects brain hemispheres..

Feb. 9 – FRONT – HOOK-UPS I & II – HOW TO DO — Back – Create a figure 8 by placing left wrist over right, turning hands toward each other and clasping. Then, with the hands pointing away from you, you turn the hands down and then up toward you within the circle formed by your arms, finally bringing the hands up under your chin and bowing your head. Left ankle is also pace over right ankle. Stay in this position until you “feel” your energy is balanced. Be quiet; say nothing. Try not to think. Finally, when you feel totally balanced, relaxed, then undo cross-overs of hands and feet. Bring your hands in front of you, with palms open and facing each other and like fingers across from each other about an inch or inch and a half apart. (Most people can feel the current moving between the hands, especially the fingers. Some don’t feel the current at first, but eventually – in weeks or months do feel it. Some never feel it.)

Feb. 10 – FRONT – Outlier Routine A – DOUBLE DOODLE — BACK – Do PACE: Water, Brain Buttons, Cross Crawl, then do the Double Doodle and end with Hook-ups 1 & 2.

WEEK of FEBRUARY 13 – 3 CARDS ONLY

Feb. 13 – FRONT – DOUBLE DOODLE – BENEFITS — BACK – Eye-hand coordination, spatial awareness, visual discrimination, following directions, decoding and encoding of writing symbols, writing, spelling, math.

Feb. 14 – FRONT – DOUBLE DOODLE – HOW TO DO — BACK – Take a sheet of paper – preferably 11″ x 17,” fold it into 2 halves – 11″ by 8 1/2″, tape to surface. Use two writing utensils of approximately the same weight and length, but of different color lead or ink. With on writing instrument in each hand begin by drawing mirror image circles, squares, rectangles and triangles. Spend 3-5 minutes. Then do Hook-ups. As you get better at simple shapes advance to doing mirror image letters and numbers; then mirror-image pictures.

Feb. 15 – FRONT – ROUTINE 2 – BACK – Water, Brain Buttons, Cross Crawl, Think of an X, Space Buttons, Calf Pump, Energizer, Hook-Ups 1 & 2.

Feb. 16 – FRONT – BENEFITS of SPACE BUTTONS — BACK – 1) Relaxation of the central nervous system 2) Depth perception 3) Steadier eye contact 4) Near-to-far vision 5) Organization skills 6) Column math 7) Keeping your place in reading 8) Ability to focus on a tsk 9) Increased interest and motivation 10) Organization for art, bookkeeping, computer design

Feb. 17 – FRONT – HOW TO DO SPACE BUTTONS — BACK – 1) Place two fingers above upper lip below nose and massage 2) At the same time place two fingers on the tail bone 3) Breathe up the spine slowly and then exhale. 4) Repeat 4-6 times. 5) Change hand positions. Repeat.

WEEK of FEBRUARY 21st – (FOUR DAY WEEK) NO SCHOOL MONDAY

Feb. 21 – FRONT – BENEFITS OF CALF PUMP — BACK – 1) Back-front brain integration 2) Expressive speech and language ability 3) Listening comprehension 4) Reading comprehension 5) Creative writing 6) Ability to bring processes to closure 7) Use when stuck or lose focus.

Feb. 22 – FRONT – HOW TO DO CALF PUMP — BACK – 1) Hold onto the back of a chair 2) Place one leg forward with knee bent and placed directly over the ankle. 3) Other leg is extended back on the ball of the foot stretching the calf muscles. 4) Switch legs and repeat. 5) Repeat the set 3 times.

Feb. 23 – FRONT – BENEFITS OF ENERGIZER — BACK – 1) Increases circulation to frontal lobe for greater comprehension and rational thinking. 2) Relaxes nervous system. 3)Helps eyes to work together. 4) Aids listening comprehension. 5) Helps with speech and language skills. 5) Aids fine motor control of hand and eye muscles. 6) Improves posture. 7) Excellent computer break. 8) Helps with concentration and attention. 9) Improves breathing.

Feb. 24 – FRONT – HOW to DO ENERGIZER — Back – 1) Begin seated at table or desk area that has been cleared away to accommodate the exercise. 2) Put head straight down on the surface. 3) Place hands on desk in front of shoulders with hands pointing at about a 45 degree angle toward your head. (Hands should NOT be above the head.) 4) As you inhale lift forehead, neck, and upper back and breath in from the base of the spine. Diaphragm and chest should be open and shoulders relaxed. 5) The release is as important as the lift: Curl head toward chest; bring forehead to rest on table. Breathe out as you curl down.

WEEKS of FEBRUARY 27th – March 6 – More Practice of Routine #2

WEEK of MARCH 20th – Introduce & Practice Routine #3

March 21 – Front – ROUTINE #3 — Back – 1) Drink water. 2) Brain Buttons. 3) Cross Crawl 4) Think of an X. 5) Earth Buttons. 6) The Elephant 7) Footflex. 8) Hook-ups 1 & 2.

DIRECTIONS: to Learn how to do the NEW EXERCISES, go to youtube, Ascent Advantage Academy – playlist: Brain Gym. Look-up, watch, and note the 3 NEW exercises: Earth Buttons, the Elephant, and Footflex. Make “How-to-Do” Cards for each, and “Benefits of” cards for each one.