amazen U & The Classroom:

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Emory Cummings
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1 amazen U & The Classroom: Tools to Keep Students Engaged, Stress Free, and Improve Academic Achievement

3 When you Google search kids paying attention in school the results are almost 4 million articles offering explanations, diagnoses and tips to help children stay more focused and engaged. The breadth of search results clearly illustrates a concern that is on the minds of teachers and parents today, How can I keep my child/student INTERESTED?! This white paper will briefly examine this current, and often overwhelming, concern as well as offer research supporting yoga, mindfulness and Brain Breaks for use in a strategy to help keep students interested in learning, increase academic achievement and increase overall physical and mental health. It will also examine how the aforementioned solutions can be directly implemented to provide relief to students, teachers and parents alike through current technology offered by amazen U. Introduction Today we are bombarded with stimuli that can overwhelm our senses and our brain. This constant stimulus often keeps our brains on and plugged in, increasing anxiety and stress. Stress comes in many forms and can have detrimental impacts on our health and development. Studies show that children exposed to early life stress have reduced prefrontal cortex brain function, which can result in depression, anxiety, impaired social interactions, and other mental disorders. (Holland et al., 2014) The prefrontal cortex is the part of your brain that is in charge of regulating behavior, thought analysis and abstract thinking (wisegeeks, 2016). Reduced physical activity as a result of more sedentary lifestyles and increased time in school instruction creates a perfect storm of stress and anxiety. Teachers, administrators and parents struggle to find ways to mitigate the impacts of increased stress and reduced physical activity, while desperately trying to keep kids actively interested amazen U

The good news is that we can introduce practices that help alleviate the effects of stress and reduced physical activity through yoga, mindfulness and brain breaks.

That means any negative impacts that may have begun can potentially easily be reversed. Additionally, even minimal efforts to increase physical activity can have a positive effect on physical health.

4 The good news is that we can introduce practices that help alleviate the effects of stress and reduced physical activity through yoga, mindfulness and brain breaks. The prefrontal cortex is one of the last areas of the brains to fully develop, usually not reaching full maturity until the age of 25 (wisegeeks, 2016). That means any negative impacts that may have begun can potentially easily be reversed. Additionally, even minimal efforts to increase physical activity can have a positive effect on physical health. In the No Child Left Behind Act era, the Center for Educational policy reported an average loss of 50 minutes of recess time across the U.S. (McMurrerr, 2007). As academic environments focus less on movement based learning and require students to sit more, it becomes harder for students to learn, stay focused and handle the complexities of adolescence both at home and at school (McMurrerr, 2007). Three significant activities provide a simple and low cost method to help students destress, build muscle function, relate better to their peers and reach higher levels of academic achievement: yoga, mindfulness and Brain Breaks. amazenu has created a cost effective and simple way to bring these activities directly into the classroom so that teachers can instantly utilize them to refresh their students, getting them back on track to learn and achieve amazen U

SOLUTIONS: Bringing Engagement Activities into the Classroom Yoga Yoga for children in classroom settings as well as in yoga studios or in the home is not a new approach, and has been used in the

5 SOLUTIONS: Bringing Engagement Activities into the Classroom Yoga Yoga for children in classroom settings as well as in yoga studios or in the home is not a new approach, and has been used in the past to help children become physically stronger and develop better balance. Yoga offers a unique way to enhance physical fitness, calm the nervous system and reduce stress. It also has the ability to help children academically (Haapala et al., 2013; Booth et al., 2013; Esteban-Cornejo et al., 2014; & American Psychological Association, 2012). A comprehensive study conducted by Amika Singh, PhD et.al., (2012) found that physical activity improved academic performance. This study found that "exercise may help cognition by increasing blood and oxygen flow to the brain, increasing levels of norepinephrine and endorphins to decrease stress and improve mood, and increasing growth factors that help create new nerve cells and support synaptic plasticity (Singh et al., 2012). Singh (2012) sampled several studies across the globe and found that physical activity improves academics, especially in math, reading and science. A British study found that academic performance was linked to the amount of daily physical activity of the participants. What makes yoga so helpful in the classroom is not just enhancing students' physical bodies through strengthening and increasing balance but also the significant link between physical activity, in this case yoga, and academic achievement. This link makes yoga an amazing tool in the classroom to help refocus students and increase their academics amazen U

What makes yoga different from playground activities or gym class? The mind body connection increases body awareness and provides coping mechanisms such as breathing techniques.

Angela Hanscom, a pediatric occupational therapist and founder of TimberNook, recently published findings suggesting that movement is key to supporting the physical, social, mental and psychological

6 What makes yoga different from playground activities or gym class? The mind body connection increases body awareness and provides coping mechanisms such as breathing techniques. When compared to exercise alone, yoga encouraged improvement across measures of anxiety, self-regulation and adaptive skills according to Lindy Weaver of The Ohio State University (Weaver, 2015). Angela Hanscom, a pediatric occupational therapist and founder of TimberNook, recently published findings suggesting that movement is key to supporting the physical, social, mental and psychological needs of adolescents, stating, a lack of movement has been shown to lead to a number of health and cognitive difficulties, such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), emotion regulation and sensory processing issues, and aggressiveness at school recess break (TimberNook, <date>). Additionally, experts are beginning to realize trends of underdeveloped vestibular systems in children due to limited time moving and the types of activities available. (TimberNook, <date>). Vestibular systems contribute to the sense of balance and spatial orientation for the purpose of coordinating movement with balance. Yoga enhances scholastic achievement, increases fine motor skills, coping mechanisms, reduces anxiety and provides an opportunity for students to unplug - all of which adds up to students who are ready to learn! Mindfulness Mindfulness practices like guided visualization and breathing exercises help children in a myriad of ways. One such way is the concept of Spacing Effect (Watson, 2015). Essentially, Spacing Effect means that if you learn something and then have ample time to forget it and then learn it again, the information is better retained than larger concentrated blocks of practice of a concept. When children learn a new concept and amazen U

7 then participate in mindfulness practices it provides an opportunity for the brain to forget the just learned concept. Children rest their minds and focus on the guided visualization or mindfulness practice, essentially redirecting their brains from the information they have just learned. The graph below shows a study conducted by Hal Pashler in which he tracked students learning 10 different mathematics problems. (Watson, 2015) His findings support the concept and usefulness of spacing. The belief is that if you provide an opportunity for the mind to forget a concept it will have stronger long term retention of the concept. In addition to enhancing retention of learned behavior, mindfulness has been credited with significantly improving executive functioning, especially in selfregulation (Flook et al., 2010). An even stronger predictor than IQ, selfregulation in beginning years of life is one of many functions that can predict math and reading achievement in elementary and middle school (Deshpande, 2016). Interestingly, a study conducted by Lisa Flook of elementary students found that students who demonstrated the highest level of difficulty with executive functioning also had the highest rates of improvement with mindfulness intervention (Flook et al., 2010). Additionally, students who participated in mindfulness activities self-reported improved perception of of stress and better life satisfaction overall (Bluth et al., 2015) amazen U

Research supports activities that increase mindfulness practices as an effective way of building resiliency in universal populations, offering benefits to all who practice (Greenberg et al., 2012).

A 2014 study found that students reported unprompted use of mindfulness techniques to deal with anger, aggression and the need to regulate (http://www.yogacalm.org/about/research).

A study conducted in Vancouver public schools found that as a result of introducing mindfulness practices 82 percent of children reported having a more positive outlook, 81 percent learned to make

8 Research supports activities that increase mindfulness practices as an effective way of building resiliency in universal populations, offering benefits to all who practice (Greenberg et al., 2012). Mindfulness also impacts the students outside of the classroom, giving them coping mechanisms that they can use to help deal with the stresses of life. A 2014 study found that students reported unprompted use of mindfulness techniques to deal with anger, aggression and the need to regulate ( Mindfulness practices can have a significant impact on the students individually as well as the greater school population. A study conducted in Vancouver public schools found that as a result of introducing mindfulness practices 82 percent of children reported having a more positive outlook, 81 percent learned to make themselves happy, and 58 percent of children tried to help others more often. (Schwartz, 2016) The same study also found that students (a) improved more in their cognitive control and stress physiology; (b) reported greater empathy, perspective-taking, emotional control, optimism, school self-concept, and mindfulness, (c) showed greater decreases in self-reported symptoms of depression and peer-rated aggression, (d) were rated by peers as more prosocial, and (e) increased in peer acceptance (or sociometric popularity) (Schonert et al., 2015). Brain Breaks Sometimes the best course of action to refocus a class is to get the students up and moving! Brain breaks provide short intervals of brain and body challenges. These short intervals aim to improve the physical health, mental awareness and educational success of children (Stauth, 2014). When students have breaks throughout the day, it allows for the brain to refocus on learning concepts and retention of the learned information (Jensen, 2008) amazen U

Brain breaks offer a pause in the day, helping to bring students back to learning.

9 The brain thrives on movement and movement is essential for learning (Hannaford, 2005). In addition to helping refocus students attention and brains, there is evidence that brain breaks positively impact vision and reading comprehension (Greany and Rodd, 2003 & Norman, 2003). Brain breaks offer a pause in the day, helping to bring students back to learning. Looking more closely at the physiology of the breaks, it has been found that short bursts of activity positively impact circulation and dopamine production resulting in increased attention states (Jensen, 2008). children can concentrate at most for two minutes plus their age. This strongly supports the suggestion that children need to disengage from traditional learning periodically to help them continue the learning process. Brain breaks help children relax, refocus and breathe, returning to learning with a renewed sense of interest. The movement provided by brain breaks has been proven to have a positive effect on students enjoyment and motivation while learning (Greany and Rodd, 2003). As mentioned before, students with lower levels of executive functioning seemed to benefit more than their peers. Students with ADHD have been found to benefit more from brain breaks, possibly improving their standard of work (Ramsay and Rostain, 2003). Brain breaks are considered a way to level the playing field of learning, providing children with ADHD and similar functioning a fair chance to learn and achieve (Silver, 2004) amazen U Brain breaks, like the other two activities, offer more than just physical stimulus. In her practical and informative book, Learning and Memory: The Brain in Action, teacher and researcher Marilee Sprenger (1999) found that the link between mental and emotional engagement was significant and that

Conclusion As teachers search for a way to engage students and bring them back to learning, studies show that the activities we ve explored can assist greatly in this endeavor.

10 Conclusion As teachers search for a way to engage students and bring them back to learning, studies show that the activities we ve explored can assist greatly in this endeavor. Yoga, mindfulness brain breaks offer simple, cost effective solutions for some of the concerns and learning problems that face education today. amazen U has created an online toolbox that brings all of these activities together in one place so teachers can use them in the most beneficial way and bring the focus back to learning. amazen U offers videos ranging from one to five minutes that teachers can use to add movement and mindfulness to the day as needed and as time allows. The research clearly supports the use of such tools and amazen U can be your partner in elevating the level of learning in your classroom and your home amazen U

11 References American Psychological Association. (2012, August 3). Students with strong hearts and lungs may make better grades. ScienceDaily. Bluth, Roberson, & Gaylord (2015). A Pilot Study of a Mindfulness Intervention for Adolescents and the Potential Role of Self-Compassion in Reducing Stress. Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing. Booth, J. et al. (2013). Associations between objectively measured physical activity and academic attainment in adolescents from a UK cohort. British Journal of Sports Medicine. Deshpande, R. (2016, February 29). What we're getting right - and wrong - about mindfulness research. Retrieved from Learning & the Brain. Esteban-Cornelo, I. et al. (2014). Independent and Combined Influence of the Components of Physical Fitness on Academic Performance in Youth. The Journal of Pediatrics. Flook, L. et al. (2010). Effects of mindful awareness practices on executive functions in elementary school children. Journal of Applied School Psychology, Greany, T. & Rodd, J. (2003). Creating a learning to learn school. Bodmin, UK: Campaign for Learning/Network Educational Press Ltd. Greenberg, M. et al. (2012). Nurturing Mindfulness in Children and Youth: Current State of Research. Child Development Perspectives, Haapala, E. A. et al. (2013). Associations of Motor and Cardiovascular Performance with Academic Skills in Children. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Hannaford, C. (2005). Smart moves: Why learning is not all in your head. Salt Lake City: Great River Books. Hanscom, A. (n.d.). Retrieved from TimberNook: Holland, F. et al. (2014). Early Life Stress Disrupts Social Behavior and Prefrontal Cortex Parvalbumin Interneurons at an Earlier Time-Point in Females than in Males. Neuroscience Letters 566, amazen U

12 References Cont. Jensen, E. (2008). Brain-based learning: The new paradigm of teaching. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Lazar, S. et al. (2000). Functional brain mapping of the relaxation response in meditation. NeuroReport, McMurrer, J. (2007). Choices, Changes, and Challenges Curriculum and Instruction in the NCLB Era. Center on Educational Policy. Norman, S. (2003). Transforming Learning: Introducing SEAL Approaches. Gosport, UK: Society for Effective Affective Learning/Ashford Colour Press. Ramsay, R. J. & Rostain, A. L. (2003). A cognitive therapy approach for adult Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, Schonert-Reichel, K. A. et al. (2015). Enhancing Cognitive and Social-Emotional Development Through a Simple-to-Administer Mindfulness-Based School Program for Elementary School Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Developmental Psychology, Schwartz, K. (2016, March 3). What Changes When a School Embraces Mindfulness? Retrieved from KQED: Silver, L. (2004). Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A clinical guide to diagnosis and treatment for health and mental health professionals. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, Singh, A. et al. (2012). Physical Activity and Performance at School: A Systematic Review of the Literature Including a Methodological Quality Assessment. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 166. Sprenger, M. (1999). Learning and Memory: The brain in action. Alexandria: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development. Stauth, D. (2014, September 23). Brain Breaks increase activity, educational performance in elementary schools. Retrieved from Linus Pauling Institute: amazen U

13 References Cont. TimberNook, retrieved online at Watson, A. (n.d.). Retrieved from Learning and the Brain: Weaver, L. (2015). Yoga for anxiety reduction in children and adolescents: a mix methods effectiveness study. Columbus, OH: Ohio State University. WiseGEEK. (2016). Retrieved from YogaCalm. (n.d.). Retrieved from YogaCalm: amazen U

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Trauma, Rage, and Dissociation Movement is the Key to Release and Recovery

Trauma, Rage, and Dissociation Movement is the Key to Release and Recovery S. Christina Boyd Educational Kinesiologist Licensed Brain Gym Consultant WWW.HIGHPOINTAZ.COM Brain Gym Brain Gym is a series