Here are some great books that we use to teach kids about the brain in preparation for Healthy Brain/Screentime Turnoff Week. In first through fifth grades we use the Smartboard with pictures, info, and links to video and animations that show the brain, healthy and unhealthy neurons, and how neurotransmission works. We also use these books, and would use them more extensively in class councils if we didn’t have the Smartboard. (more…)
Freebie Alert!
The kids at our school LOVE learning about their brains! As I mentioned in my last post, It’s Not Mania, It’s Brain-O-Mania!, I began teaching about the brain in a quest to help kids learn how to limit their screentime and increase the amount of time they spend engaged in exploring, playing, being active, reading, and other brain-healthy activities. Once I realized how fascinated and excited the kids are about neuroscience, I started incorporating it into other lesson topics — feelings, bullying, conflict resolution, personal safety, and substance abuse.
Last fall I discovered a great, FREE resource for teaching about substance abuse and the brain. (more…)
This is my busiest time of the year! (Which might help to explain the lapse in blogging.) Classes, groups, and individual counseling are full steam ahead; we are deeply into the application and interview process for hiring multiple new teachers; kindergarten screening and middle school transition are looming; lots of kids are really struggling; and next week is our Healthy Brain/Screen Time Turnoff Week.
Ten years ago, our teachers began noticing some significant changes in kids’ ability to focus and persevere on their work. (more…)
