Brain power

Aims

Activity 1: Positive feelings

On a scale one to five indicate how you feel by holding up your hand. Five if feeling really great,

four feeling less than great but still pretty good, etc.

Discuss with the person next to you – how would most of the pupils you see respond to the day

ahead if asked to rate it on a scale of one to five. It might be useful to remind yourself of Maslow’s

pyramid of needs (module 1, theme 2).

One of the major tasks of the learning mentor to support their pupils so that they have strategies

they can use to make themselves feel positive and alert about learning.

Activity 2: Promoting a positive learning environment

For this activity mentors might like to be organised in groups of their preferred key stage.

Look at the ‘accelerated learning or mind friendly’ framework for learning handout/overhead (OHT

2 and 3). In groups of three think and record on a sheet of A4 three examples of good practice in

your school for each of the different stages? Display centrally and add to during the day.

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Where are the greatest risks for the gifted and talented underachiever within this circle? Do you

have pupils with whom it is possible to discuss this circle? What sort of issues will you need to

raise with the pupil(s) in order to discuss how they can move forwards themselves with this? How

can you address the learning needs with the pupils’ teacher(s)? What implications are there for

other staff in the school with whom your pupils interact?

Activity 3: What is it to do with the brain?

Your trainer will discuss some elementary ways in which the brain processes information using

OHTs 4 and 5.

In pairs, look at the sheet on differences between the brain’s hemispheres. Mark in the columns

next to each statement which hemisphere function you think they belong to – right (gestalt) and

left (logic).

Now look at your findings. People may show a preference for one side of the brain or the other.

Do you feel that one side of your brain is being used more than the other? Do you recognise

characteristics among the students with whom you deal?

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It is obviously necessary to use both hemispheres to be become more proficient and the

educational Kinesiology Foundation has drawn up extensive strategies on how to do this. In

schools these are sometimes called brain breaks.

What’s what?

The cerebrum contains two hemispheres, each with four lobes – occipital, parietal, temporal and

frontal. The two hemispheres are connected with white matter – the connective motor and sensory

axons in a structure called the Corpus Callosum. The cerebrum has cross over pattern so the

each side of the body communicates with the opposite hemisphere, i.e. information coming into

the left ear goes to the right temporal lobe of the cerebral cortex. Each hemisphere of the

cerebrum develops and processes information in a specific way.

In very simple terms, the left usually deals with details, parts and process of language and linear

patterns. The right hemisphere usually deals with whole processing or global – images, rhythm,

etc. The Corpus Callosum then acts as a superhighway allowing quick access to both.

Mark next to each statement either an L or R to indicate whether they are more likely to be left or

right brain functions. Remember this is very simplified.

Art (image emotion, flow) Sees whole picture

Simultaneous thinking Starts with pieces first

Parts of language Technique

Sequential Thinking Sports (hand/eye/foot placement)

Now-orientated Art (media, tool use, how to do)

Music (passion, rhythm, image) Numbers

Controls Intuition

Feelings Estimates

Image – intuition Looks at differences

Spontaneous – fluid Language comprehension

Flow and movement Syntax

Future – orientated Letter, sentences

Language orientated Music (notes, beat, tempo)

Looks at similarities Image, emotion, meaning

Rhythm, flow, dialect Analysis – linear

Planned – structured Feelings/experience oriented

Free with feelings Sports (flow and rhythm)

Adapted from: Hannaford, C. (1995) Smart Moves, Great Ocean Publishers.

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Activity 4: Exercise for the brain

Practice as a whole group midline movements. These are brain gym activities designed to

practice using both brain hemispheres together. They attempt by crossing the midline to enhance

whole brain integration. They also assist as ‘energisers’ to regulate levels of arousal or whole

brain activity to facilitate ‘readiness to learn’. These are now very common in schools and any

group doing them can probably add several more to their repertoire.

Cross crawl is an activity which involves the midline. The young person touches their right knee

with their left hand, left knee with right hand, etc. The movement has to be co-ordinated so that

when one arm moves the leg on the opposite side of the body needs to be moving at the same

time.

These can also be done as movements to music – Spirit in the Sky (Doctor and the Medics) is a

good one for this, but really any music with a strong rhythm will do.

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Cross Crawl sit-ups (for the fit!) – the person lies on the floor with their hands behind their heads

and pretends that they are riding a bicycle with their legs and touch their elbows to the opposite

knee.

Lazy 8s – the person draws the number 8 using a chalk or white board three times with each hand

and then three times with both hands together.

Double Doodle – the person draws with both hands at the same time; in, out, up and down.

Neck Rolls – the person practices rolling their head in circles. First one way and then the other.

Here are some more examples of ‘brain breaks’ that can be used to relieve physical stress,

enhance fine and large motor movement and improve co-ordination.

Cross crawl sit-ups

Lazy 8s

Double-handed doodle

Neck rolls

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♦ Nose and ears – the young person puts their left hand on right ear and right hand on

nose, and then vice versa.

♦ With hands together, extend arms and trace large circles first in one direction and then the

other, keep your lips and teeth together.

♦ Practice shrugging shoulders slowly forwards, then slowly backwards.

♦ Practice good breathing for ten breaths, deep and slow. Count in and count out. Do not

hold the breath, just breathe deeply.

♦ Sitting in a seat with hands holding the seat, extend the feet forwards and rotate first in

one direction and then the other.

Activity 5

The lazy 8s exercise can be adapted to provide exercise for the eyes. It is in fact quite a relaxing

exercise, which does help eyestrain, but certainly can be used to identify and help children who

have jerky eye movements, making it difficult for them to read and write texts.

By yourself, hold your thumb (right or left) at eye level, about a foot from the midpoint between

your eyes. Now make a lazy 8 with the thumb, starting as before from mid point and moving in a

circle towards the left before going round to the top right.

Keep your head still and track the thumb movement with your eyes. Those wearing glasses might

like to take them off.

In pairs, one person stands in front of the other and moves their thumb or finger across from the

midpoint of the other person’s field of vision. The partner tracks the finger with their eyes, without

moving their head. The exercise is then repeated with the finger moving from the midpoint

upwards and then downwards. The partner moving the finger should note how much the eye

jumps, and where the jumping occurs.

When doing this with children, it is often very easy to see why some children do have trouble

following a line of text. The exercise itself helps to exercise the eye muscles and relaxes the eyes.

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Activity 6: Thinking skills

You trainer will outline some of De Bono’s attention directing tools using OHTs 8 and 9.

Six hats thinking

This is an excellent activity to use with small groups of mentees to stimulate their thinking on

certain topics. We suggest you practise it during the session in small groups of four to six

members.

Think about the meaning if the phrase ‘looking at the world through rose-coloured spectacles’.

You look at events or problems in a particular way – this means by only seeing good things and

ignoring everything else.

‘Six hats thinking’ is a way of looking at problems and ideas in a number of different ways so you

can explore all the angles and possibilities. You can use all the different parts of your brain whilst

doing it. With each different coloured hat you imagine putting on, you take a different approach to

the problem.

The blue hat is the organising hat, which you always start and finish with. One person can keep

the blue hat and chair the discussion. The group then considers the topic ‘wearing’ each of the

hats in turn as outlined below – first the red hat, then the white hat, the yellow hat, the black hat

and lastly the green hat.

Instead of one person trying to win an argument, maybe by shouting the loudest, everyone has to

take the same approach at the same time so that the group can reach an agreement – or decide

not to.

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Ideas for six hats discussion

♦ As young males between 14 and 20 commit most crimes, they should be subjected to a

curfew between the hours of 9.00 at night and 6.00 in the morning.

♦ Parents/carers of young people of school age should have to pay a fine of £50 to their

school each time they truant.

♦ Corporal punishment should be brought back into school to control behaviour.

♦ Victims of a crime should be able to decide the most suitable punishment for the criminal.

♦ All persistent truants should be tagged.

♦ The school leaving age should be lowered to 14.

♦ People who live in cities should not be allowed to keep a pet larger then a hamster.

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Research File

Purpose: The purpose of this very brief review of the latest developments about how brain power

is:

♦ to provide an overview of how research on how people learn is being communicated into

schools and what applications this has for learning mentoring;

♦ to direct mentors to some of the sources of the information, so that they can identify

popular misconceptions and avoid developing yet more deficit models of why some

children (and adults) ‘fail’ in school;

♦ to review and reflect on knowledge and skills already touched upon in other modules.

Introduction

There has been a revolution in the study of the mind over the past 40 years. So far most of the

practical outcomes have been directed at business. In the last five years, the implications of these

new ideas have been developed and adapted for education. In the US and UK, much of this work

has been done by commercial organisations.

In the beginning, these new research findings had little opportunity to develop in the UK, as the

strategies for literacy and numeracy relied on a ‘delivery’ input. The frameworks were supported

by a vast quantity of central government and commercial publications which set out generic

planning for these two core areas. This planning now includes very detailed lesson plans which

tell the teacher what to do, say and practise.

The new learning theory does not provide such a simple recipe for designing effective learning

environments. In the first place it challenges educational goals. Goals for the 21st century are very

different from those in the past. A quick look at a photograph of a Victorian classroom reminds us

of how challenges and expectations have changed very dramatically. No longer can we view

learners as raw materials to be processed. Learners today need to understand the current state of

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their own knowledge and to build on it, improve it and be able to make decisions when choices

are not obvious.

Pupils are not vessels to be filled. Effective teaching cannot be ‘delivery’ of a series of texts.

Learning mentors are just one of the structural outcomes of this changing understanding of the

work of schools. They are effectively an acknowledgement that an increasing number of our

children do not learn very effectively in a 20th or even 19th century learning environment. The

underachievement of all our learners is a tragedy; the underachievement of the gifted and talented

is a disaster, both personally and nationally. The early childhood of many very creative people

was often a failure in terms of schooling outcomes and there are many examples of geniuses who

were written off early in their education. How many fail at the first hurdle?

Effective, enjoyable and satisfying learning is closely linked to other issues which concern

mentors such as a whole school learning ethos, behaviour management and inclusion.

1. The emerging science of learning: brain, mind, experience and school

There has been a revolution in the study of the mind which has important implications for

education. A new theory of learning is coming into focus that leads – or should lead – to very

different approaches to the design of curriculum, teaching and assessment. This has involved a

growth of interdisciplinary inquiries and new kinds of scientific collaborations.

This integrated approach to research has helped to make the path from basic research to

educational practice more visible. In particular neuroscience is beginning to show how learning

changes the physical structure of the brain. This starts at conception and is heavily concentrated

in the first four years of life. However, for those of us at the opposite end of the growth continuum,

there are some useful findings about ways in which the brain fixes itself and strategies to keep the

brain sharp as we age!

In 2000, the American National Academy of Sciences published a very readable text on How

People Learn, which is available on the internet www.nap.edu. It covered the work of two of its

committees and was aimed at linking the findings of research on the science of learning to actual

practice in the classroom. It is divided into four parts covering:

♦ Introduction – from speculation to science

♦ Learners and Learning – how experts differ from novices; learning and transfer; how

children learn; mind and brain

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♦ Teachers and Teaching – design of learning environments; effective teaching; teacher

learning; technology to support learning

♦ Future Directions for the Science of Learning

The book explores how the variety of research approaches and techniques have been developed

and ways in which evidence from many different branches of science are beginning to converge.

‘Research from cognitive psychology has increased understanding of the nature of competent

performance and the principles of knowledge organisation that underlie people’s abilities to solve

problems in a wide variety of areas, including mathematics, science, literature, social studies and

history.

Developmental researchers have shown that young children understand a great deal about basic

principles of biology and physical causality, about number, narrative and personal intent, and that

these capabilities make it possible to create innovative curricula that introduce important concepts

for advanced reasoning at early ages.

Research on learning and transfer has uncovered important principles for structured learning

experiences that enable people to use what they have learnt in new settings.

Work in social psychology, cognitive psychology and anthropology is making clear that all learning

takes place in settings that have particular sets of cultural and social norms and expectations and

that these settings influence learning and transfer in powerful ways.

Neuroscience is beginning to provide evidence for many principles of learning that have emerged

from laboratory research, and it is showing how learning changes the physical structure of the

brain and, with it, the functional organisation of the brain.

Collaborative studies of the design and evaluation of learning environments, among cognitive and

developmental psychologists and educators are yielding to new knowledge about the nature of

earning and teaching as it takes place in a variety of settings. In addition, researchers are

discovering ways to learn from the ‘wisdom of practice’ that comes from successful teachers who

can share their expertise.

Emerging technologies are leading to the development of many new opportunities to guide and

enhance learning that were unimagined even a few years ago.’

NRC (2000) How People Learn, National Academy Press

All the strategies identified below present new (and some old) ideas about ways to facilitate

learning. They have all used the research on human learning, including neuroscience, to focus on

learning research that has implications for schooling and the possibility of helping all individuals

achieve their fullest potential.

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Suggested reading

Carter, R. (2002) Mapping the Mind, Phoenix.

Greenfield, S. (1998) The Human Brain, a Guided Tour, Phoenix (abridged version available on

Orion Audio Books).

NRC (2000) How People Learn, National Academy Press.

Smith, A. (2002) The Brain’s Behind it, Network Educational Press.

www.brainresearch.com

2. The learning revolution

Jeanette Vos and Gordon Dryden originally wrote The Learning Revolution in 1993. It has been a

worldwide best seller and updated several times. There is no modesty in this book. It promises to

be a catalyst to change the way you think, live, learn, work, teach and act and it is great fun to

read. If you are concerned you have no time to read it, you are shown how you can read the

whole 544 pages of the book in 30 minutes. The process of reading is itself a learning point.

This is an inspirational text, rather than an academic one. It summarises research on learning

from a wide range of disciplines. It synthesises that into a new theory of learning and a learning

society. It reports how that knowledge is already bringing about revolutionary breakthroughs in

learning, education, business and families. It presents current findings crisply and clearly and its

layout helps that process.

You may disagree with some of the evaluations and find the hype off putting. But it is a book worth

reading either as a starting point to challenging conventional views about learning or as a

popularist review to some of the work being done on translating new ideas into practice round the

world.

The book is available to read on line at www.thelearningweb.net and has also been made into 16

colour slide shows on a CD-ROM (one for each chapter).

Suggested reading

Dryden, G. & Vos, J. (2001 UK edition) The Learning Revolution, Network Educational Press.

3. Accelerated learning

Cavigolioli and Harris in their book on mind mapping define accelerated learning as a ‘considered,

generic approach to learning based on research drawn from disparate disciplines and tested with

different age groups and different ability levels in very different circumstances’. This definition is

probably as good as any. For the term accelerated learning can be misleading. It is not for a

specific group of learners, or for a particular age group, nor for a particular category of perceived

ability. It does not mean doing the same things faster.

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It seems to have come originally from Colin Rose’s book Accelerated Learning, written in 1976. At

this time the idea of accelerated learning seems to have largely stayed within the American

system and extended particularly into corporation and business management. A quick web search

on accelerated learning exemplifies this move into business, where consultants in accelerated

learning clearly found business corporations more open and profitable than education.

The growth and expansion of accelerated learning in the UK has been largely due to the work of

Alistair Smith, the organisation Alite and the publishing house Network Educational Press. The

quality of in-service provision is very high and uses the philosophy of accelerated learning to

ensure that participants engage in the process. There are now a number of independent

consultants working in the UK on accelerated learning within local education authorities and the

term ‘accelerated learning’ has sometimes been altered to Mind Friendly Learning or Brain Based

Learning. This search for another term is largely due to the fear that the term accelerated learning

is misinterpreted by being linked in some way to specific groups of learners. It is of course for all

of us as continuous learners, striving for ways in which we can learn more effectively as well as

meet the challenges of large amounts of multifaceted information to which we have access.

The Alite website www.alite.co.uk makes a good starting point for information about accelerated

learning. It contains useful readings, case studies, bulletin boards and courses.

The accelerated learning cycle

This is the latest version of the circle from recent Alite publications and the Alite website.

Smith in The ALPS Approach: Accelerated Learning in Primary Schools explains that the

accelerated learning cycle is the heart of the ALPS approach to classroom strategies that build

and maintain ‘a positive and supportive achievement culture’.

1. Connecting the learning

2. Giving the Big Picture

3. Describing the outcomes

4. Providing input

5. Activating understanding

6. Demonstrating understanding

7. Reviewing for recall

‘Throughout the ALPS approach the educator endeavours to develop content and process

engagement. By the end of the ALPS experience the child should be confident and skilled in the

use of the new three ‘Rs’: responsibility, resourcefulness and resilience.’

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Another useful accelerated learning cycle comes from Peter Greenhalgh, formerly a senior

adviser for Cheshire LA and now a consultant working in schools and with LAs. His Reaching Out

to All Learners is a particularly accessible booklet for a Mind Friendly Framework for Learning

(see below).

Accelerated learning has also looked at other strategies. Some of these are essentially revamped

versions of knowledge which has long been known, but not processed in a way which identifies it

as strategies for optimising learning environments. These include:

♦ work on physiology and learning. This is closely linked to Maslow’s work on ‘hierarchy of

needs’, which showed that learners have to be in a good physical state for learning. This

includes learners:

� having constant access to water to avoid dehydration which can lead to drowsiness,

inattention and poor learning;

� eating a good diet;

� working in a room with the appropriate temperature;

� having physical breaks, although known as brain breaks.

♦ teaching specific skills such as listening, paying attention, concentrating, good sitting;

♦ providing a good, secure and purposeful working environment.

The Educational Network Press produces several excellent books which go into these strategies

in much greater detail. They differ considerably from the Tips for Teachers texts because they

explain ‘why’ and well as ‘how’. Ginnis’ book (see below) is aimed more at the secondary sector.

Suggested reading

Batmanghelidj, F. (2002) Your Body’s Many Cries for Water, Tagman Press

Ginns, P. (2002) The Teacher’s Toolkit: Raise Classroom Achievement with Strategies for Every

Learner, Crown House Publishing

Greenhalgh, P. (2002) Reaching out to all learners, Network Educational Press

Rose, C and Gall, L. (1992) Accelerate your Learning, Accelerated Learning Systems

Smith, A. & Call, N. (2000) the alps approach: accelerated learning in primary schools, Network

Educational Press

Smith, A. & Call, N. (2001) the alps approach resource book, Network Educational Press

Tracy, B. with Rose, C. (1995) Accelerated

4. Emotional Literacy

The centre of this cycle is the ‘Mind State’ for learning. Goleman’s book Emotional Intelligence

refines what it ‘takes to be smart’ and in module 4, this will be looked at in much greater depth.

Gardner’s theories on interpersonal intelligence fit into this very easily, but the underachieving

gifted and talented pupil, may easily have good interpersonal skills and be deliberately

underachieving in order to form, build and sustain good relationships with their peers.

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Delisle (1992) made a useful distinction between underachievers and ‘non-producers’ whose

output and school marks may be the same.

Underachievers are likely to have emotional problems, with poor self-esteem. They may find it

difficult to make changes in their behaviour by themselves and the role of the mentor may be

crucial.

Non-producers are emotionally strong and confident of their own ability. They are choosing not to

comply and are probably successful in their own way in areas which are not connected with

school work. They may have decided how they can best ‘survive’ school and can then leave and

choose how to achieve in their own way.

Mentors will meet and probably have to identify both underachievers and non-producers.

Freeman (1999) suggests that some signs of underachievement in the potentially very able child

are:

♦ Bored and restless

♦ Fluent orally but poor in written work

♦ Friendly with older children and adults

♦ Extremely self-critical, anxious and may feel rejected by family

♦ Hostile towards authority

♦ Quick thinking

♦ Does not know how to learn academically

♦ Aspirations too low for aptitudes

♦ Does not set own goals but relies on teacher for decisions

♦ Does not think ahead

♦ Poor performance in tests but asks creative, searching questions

♦ Thinks in abstract terms

♦ Often enjoys playing with language

♦ High level work has deteriorated over term

She then offers suggestions for helping underachievers:

♦ Affirm worth by praise for even small things

♦ Daily review of progress

♦ Involve pupil in decisions about their own education e.g. setting own goals

♦ Make the material relevant to child’s interests

♦ Have pupil mark own work before handing it in to the teacher

♦ Tutoring of younger pupils in underachiever’s areas of strength

♦ Mentoring in area of pupil’s interests

♦ Accept pupil without emotional strings

♦ Encouraging out of school interests

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♦ Working with parents

♦ Co-ordinating goals associated with academic achievement

♦ Improving classroom instruction and curriculum

♦ Advising the teacher

♦ Counselling leading to personal changes in the pupil

Suggested reading

Goleman, D. (1996) Emotional Intelligence, Bloomsbury (also available from Thorsons Audio as

an audio tape)

5. Tony Buzan and Mind Mapping ®

Tony Buzan takes great pleasure in these books and on his website in identifying himself as an

underachiever in school, who has had great personal and commercial success once he left it. His

latest – and very readable book – Headstrong – describes how his teachers’ comments had him

down as:

♦ ‘Lazy’

♦ ‘Tends to day dream’

♦ ‘Poor powers of concentration’

♦ ‘Can be a disruptive influence’

♦ ‘Could do better’

He questions not only who defines intelligence, but also the idea that it is static. His many easy-to-

read publications cover strategies to improve memory, creativity, concentration, communicative

ability, thinking skills, learning skills, study skills, general intelligence and quickness of mind.

The Mind Map Book published originally in 1993 is just one of his many publications. The term

‘mind map’ is patented and testifies that he was certainly one of the first in this area to recognise

not only its use, but its commercial potential. It certainly attracted more attention in the business

world first, but recently has received much more publicity in the UK. Put very simply, a mind map

is a thinking tool which helps its creator to organise relevant information in your brain and links ‘in

a whole picture’ to information coming in.

The mind-map website – www.mind-map.com – provides a helpful guide to how to mind map, see

map below. Ideally it helps to attend a training course where you can work through the process

with an expert. Both the Buzan Centre website and that for Alite can direct you to courses in the

UK.

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This particular technique is one that is particularly appropriate for underachieving gifted and

talented children who may have more information to organise! Buzan has published a pocket book

version How to Mind Map and also one for children.

Another useful guide is Mapwise: accelerated learning through visible thinking by Oliver Caviglioli

and Ian Harris. This offers ‘model mapping’ as a means of addressing National Curriculum

thinking skills requirements by ‘infusing thinking into subject teaching’.

Suggested reading

Buzan, T. (2001) Mind Maps for Kids

Buzan, T. (2001) Headstrong

Buzan, T & B (2002) The Mind Map Book, BBC Publications

Buzan, T. (2002) How to Mind Map, Thorsons

Cavigliol, O. & Harris, I. (2001) Mapwise, Network Educational Press

Wheatley, M. (2002) Mapping Inner Space, Zephyr Press

www.alite.co.uk

www.mind-map.com

www.networkpress.co.uk

www.watercure.com

6. Educational Kinesiology/Brain Gym ®

Educational Kinesiology (Edu-K) is an ‘education movement based programme which uses simple

movements to integrate the whole brain, senses and body, preparing the person with the physical

skills they need to learn effectively’ (from www.braingym.org.uk).

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Often known as ‘brain breaks’, Brain Gym® and water bottles are most observed strategies of

new approaches to teaching. Edu-K came originally from the US and was the result of research

into learning and brain function by Paul Dennison. The US website gives a good overview of the

history and rational of this (www.braingym.com).

It was originally developed to help adults and children with learning difficulties such as dyslexia,

dyspraxia and ADHD. It has now developed into a more generic action programme to improve

everyone’s life. The benefit claims are fairly extensive, but are closely linked to the Healthy

Schools programme in the UK. The Brain Gym ® movements are claimed to help with:

♦ Academic skills – reading, writing, spelling and maths

♦ Memory, concentration and focus

♦ Physical co-ordination and balance

♦ Communication skills and language development

♦ Self-development and personal stress management

♦ The achievement of goals, both professional and personal

Paul Dennison describes human brain function in terms of three dimensions: laterality, focus and

centring. ‘Successful brain function requires efficient connections across the neural pathways

located throughout the brain. Stress inhibits these connections, while Brain Gym® movements

stimulate a flow of information across the networks’ (from www.braingym.com).

The exercises suggested in the guidance for participants and those seen in school are nearly

always related to the laterality dimension. They concentrate on the relationship between the two

sides of the brain, in particular the ‘midfield’ where the two sides must integrate. The focus

dimension describes the relationship between the back and the front areas of the brain and the

centring dimension concerns the connection between the top and the bottom structures of the

brain. There is a very limited number of properly accredited in Brain Gym® as the full accreditation

takes several years. For this reason, it is very rare to see Brain Gym® being carried out in schools

as it was originally intended.

However, the brain breaks approach used by Alistair Smith in the accelerated learning programme

is probably one of the most straight forward to take. He describes several different types of

activities including:

♦ Laterality exercises – any exercise that involves crossing the mid-line of the body

♦ Focus exercises – exercises, such as Nose ‘n’ ears, where the children put their right

hand on their nose and their left hand across the front of their face to hold the right ear

lightly. As they then swap round, so that the left hand is holding their nose and the right

hand is across the front of the face and holding the left ear. Smith suggests that these

types of activities require intense focus and this can be transferred to learning once the

activity has been done. It is certainly fun.

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♦ Relaxers exercises – ear rolls – with a finger and thumb massage ears slowly, starting at

the top and roll round to the ear lobes.

♦ Learning numbers, letters and words – clasping hands together, with index fingers or

thumbs pointing out. Then in front of their faces, moving their hands in the shape of the

numbers, letters or words.

♦ Handwriting – as above.

♦ Chaining material – encouraging children to remember information in sequence by linking

it with a series of physical movements e.g. miming.

Primary pupils in particular really seem to enjoy the physical activity involved with these

movements and they certainly seem to provide much needed breaks in schools where less

physical education is taking place than ever before. It may also be that because so many children

have so much less exercise outside school, these exercises can be taught and used at home as

well.

Suggested reading

Dennison, P & G. (1986) Brain Gym, Edu-Kinesthetics (available in the UK from

www.braingym.com and Body Balance Books phone 020 8202 9747)

Hannaford, C. (1995) Smart Moves: Why Learning is not all in your head, Great Ocean Publishers

Smith, A. & Call, N. (1999) The alps approach, Network Education Press

7. NLP – Neurological Linguistic Programming™

NLP ‘studies brilliance and quality – how outstanding individuals and organisations get their

outstanding results’ (Connor, J. 2002). This may sound rather esoteric, but actually boils down to

something with which we are all familiar ‘modelling’. In both the literacy and numeracy strategies

‘modelling’ is used as a teaching strategy.

NLP™ is defined as the study of the structure of subjective experience and what can be

calculated from that. It is based on the belief that all behaviour has structure. It was begun in the

mid-70s by John Grinder (a linguist) and Richard Bandler (a mathematician). They were interested

in successful people, psychology, language and computer programming. NLP™ claims (according

to the Skeptic’s Dictionary website!) to help people change by teaching them to programme their

brains.

As its name suggests it uses information about:

N Neurology The mind and how we think

L Linguistics How we use language and how it affects us

P Programming How we sequence our actions to achieve goals

NLP has six basic principles, known as the pillars of NLP:

♦ You – your emotional state and level of skill

♦ The presuppositions – the principles of NLP

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♦ Rapport – the quality of relationship

♦ Outcome – knowing what you want

♦ Feedback – how will you know you are getting what you want

♦ Flexibility – if what you are doing is not working, then do something else

There are many links here with other areas examined in this review. This is not surprising and

although NLP™ is probably, like Brain Gym®, on the fringes of New Age programmes in the

Education Field it does provide some useful insights.

For example it looks in much greater detail at the way in which we use our senses to gather

information and uses narratives to give insights into the world in which we live. In schools,

personal, social and health education have always drawn on narrative to provide a framework for

looking and making sense of the child’s world. Examining how speech may translate differently for

different types of learners, it sharpens up awareness of reasons why some children may not ‘hear’

what is being asked of them and the need to ensure that oral communication is influenced by

sensory preferences.

General Visual Auditory Kinaesthetic

I don’t understand I’m in the dark That’s all Greek to me I can’t make head nor

tail of it

I don’t know It’s not clear yet I can’t tell if that’s right I don’t have a handle

on that idea

I understand I see what you

mean...

I get the picture

That rings a bell That feels right

I get your drift

I think My view is… Something tells me I hold these views

I’m confused This is a mess There’s no rhyme or

reason to this

I can’t get a grip

It’s too obscure It sounds crazy None of this fits

Suggested reading

Bandler, R. (1985) Using Your Brain for a Change, Real People Press

NLP Comprehensive (1993) NLP The New Technology of Achievement, Simon and Schuster

Audio

O’Connor, J. & McDermott, I. (1996) An introduction to NLP, Thorsons Audio

O’Connor, J. (2001) NLP Workbook, element

www.neurolinguisticprogramming.com

www.skepdic.com/neurolin.html

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9. Thinking Skills

Karen Gold’s article in the Times Educational Supplement (see below) provides a good overview

of the current thinking about the various theories on thinking skills. Since the 1990s there has

been a growing body of evidence that shows that teaching thinking boosts children’s school

achievement. In 1999, the then Education Secretary, David Blunkett added five ‘thinking skills’ into

National Curriculum 2000. These were:

♦ Information processing

♦ Reasoning

♦ Enquiry

♦ Creative thinking

♦ Evaluation

Unfortunately, Gold points out, nobody in schools was quite sure how to teach them!

The traditional model of thinking skills was based on ideas of Piaget and Vygotsky, but this

cognitive acceleration model is now seen as being too narrow. It tends to be linked to specific

subjects and encourages ‘cognitive conflict’ in children, making them solve specific maths/science

problems which are slightly beyond their expected mental development.

Other psychologists have argued that thinking can be improved more quickly through direct

teaching. It also involves creativity as well as deductive reasoning.

The literacy trust website www.literacytrust.org.uk/database/thinking/html looks at several

initiatives which evidence the value of teaching thinking skills. Certainly the accelerated learning

initiative looks at specific techniques and much of the material for the gifted and talented has gone

back to looking at ideas which de Bono was outlining more than 30 years ago.

De Bono’s The CORT Thinking Programme, produced in 1973 looked at strategies for generating

ideas for lateral thinking. He called them ‘attention-directing tools’ and they included:

Thinking tools can be used independently or as small groups of two or three. They are attention

directing tools and different from de Bono’s The Thinking Hats. These, he suggested, can also be

used individually and separately or in a sequence.

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Reuven Feuerstein has been described as the father of the thinking skills movement and has

been working on teaching thinking skills for over 40 years. He believes that cognitive deficiencies

can be corrected and intelligence is modifiable, not fixed. ‘Intelligence is not a static structure, but

an open dynamic system that can continue to develop throughout life’. He developed Instrumental

Enrichment (IE) as an intervention programme to enhance cognitive skills necessary for

independent thinking. The goal of this programme is to shape the cognitive structure of the

individual and to produce and set in motion their further development (website – see below).

Instrumental Enrichment is intended to:

♦ sharpen critical thinking with the concepts, skills, strategies, operations, and attitudes

necessary for independent learning;

♦ diagnose and correct deficiencies in thinking skills;

♦ help individuals how to learn.

The programme was developed for low-performing adolescents, but has been developed and

taken up more widely to improve the intellectual and behavioural performance of pupils in

mainstream schools. It has also been successfully used with children with dyslexia and Down’s

Syndrome and other genetic conditions.

Suggested reading

De Bono E. (1992) Teach Your Child How to Think, Penguin.

Fisher, R. (1998) Teaching Thinking, Cassell.

Gold, K. (2002) ‘Thinking: the next big idea’ in TES 14/06/02.

www.edwdebono.com

www.literacytrust.org.uk/database/thinking.html

9. Philosophy for children

A separate strand of teaching thinking, with roots in philosophy rather than psychology, has been

gaining popularity in schools. The best know proponent of philosophy for children is Robert Fisher.

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His book Teaching Children to Think makes excellent reading and covers many different areas

involved. It identifies and acknowledges the work of others in the field. It covers creative and

critical thinking, problem solving, instrumental enrichment, ways in which to teach for thinking in

language, maths and across the curriculum. His chapter on philosophy for children provides some

very practical ideas for running a discussion. He looks at and defines different structures to use –

individual, group, tutorial, didactic, conference, class meeting and Socratic. This highlights the

different teaching roles of the teacher as well as clarifying the role of the learner. He looks at

starting points for discussion on matters of ‘perennial concern’ such as fairness, freedom,

friendship, truth, knowledge and judgement.

Suggested reading

Fisher, R. (1995) Teaching Children to Think, Stanley Thornes

Fisher, R. (1995) Teaching Children to Learn, Stanley Thornes

www.brunel.ac.uk/faculty/ed/Robert_Fisher

An overview chart