Brain Science & Action Based Learning

Hi Parents!  Ms. Vanessa here!

I am the Lead Instructor for K-Division (3-5 year olds), and I recently attended a training hosted by the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children (TXAEYC for short… still a mouthful!) called ACTION BASED LEARNING.  I’m fairly certain I was the only martial arts instructor, but boy oh boy was it relevant to what we do at Lions!

The presenter gave us SO MANY examples of brain activity and development that are
1) vital to the success of young children in school and life and
2) learned and strengthened by movement and action.

That’s basically EXACTLY what we do as Krav Junior teachers! I was so excited!

We all know that physical activity, and martial arts in particular, help children with impulse control, academics, attention, growth mindset, grit, teamwork, social skills, and more.  This training gave me words, concepts, and science to explain the how and the why!

In short, it was AWESOME, and I want to share that awesomeness with you!!

Action Based Learning

Did you know that brain science shows that if children are sitting all day, they are missing out on vital movements that increase brain function and activity?  We as Krav Junior Teachers (especially the ones teaching kids age 3-7), are helping our students develop their brains in ways that help them in every facet of their lives!  

For example, a child who is having difficulty with cross-lateralization skills will also have trouble placing words on a page, reading from left to right, and writing patterns in a sequence.

What’s cross-lateralization, you ask?

Excellent question! It means using your limbs to cross the midline of your body.

Try this exercise for yourself…

Use your left hand to gently pinch the tip of your nose. While leaving your left hand there, reach your right hand across your face to gently pinch your left ear.

Now switch!

Were you able to do it? Was your right hand on your nose and your left hand reaching over your left and pinching your right ear??

This can be a tricky task! Once you get it, try doing it several times in a row! Then speed it up once you really get cookin’!

THIS is cross-lateralization! It’s GREAT for the brain at all ages, but especially for the young child’s developing brain.

By incorporating cross-lateralization movements into our Krav Junior classes, we help set them up for success in language acquisition, classroom behavior, pattern recognition, writing, and more!

Want to learn more??

Stay tuned for more blog posts on what I learned in this training! Or reach out to me at lionskravmaga@gmail.com. I’m always happy to nerd out on child development with like minds!

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