Stimulate Your Students' Neurons

Like movement, music provides a whole brain massage.  Use it to increase your students' activity level, calm them down, or to facilitate their effectiveness while they are working.  When students enter you room, change activities, or leave the room - use fun music that has 80-90 beats per minute.  Use background music, 60 beats per minute (the average heartbeat), no lyrics, while they are working.  To calm students, use music that has 40-50 beats per minute.

Neuronal connections made through movement of the body help children develop the neuronal systems they will need to read. (Hannaford, 1995)

In the report Champions of Change, seven national studies regarding the impact of movement in classrooms...... all show increased student achievement due to the movement.  (Fiske, 1999)

Having students stand up, walk, jump, and clap as they review, understand, or master material will strengthen their procedural memories.  (Sprenger, 1999)

Standing appears to provide a 5-15% greater blood and oxygen to the brain, thereby creating more arousal of attention.  (Jensen, 1995)