Right Brain, Left Brain, Whole Brain‏

By Karla J. Donohue

Some kids are right-brain dominant. They're creative. They think out of the box. They dance and do art. They usually don't like math.Other kids are left-brain dominant. They take things apart to figure out how they work. They like order. They think about things and ask lots of questions. Math is often their favorite subject.

 

Nothing wrong with this, except that school is generally a left-brain dominant institution, especially as kids progress on to high school and then college. Although we're getting better at teaching to individual differences in grade school, left-brain teaching remains the norm in high school.

But just in case you're asked that question about poetry any time soon, and you want to have something to say without spluttering in indignation, I thought I'd throw together a few little-know facts about the effect poetry has on children's brains (and ours, for that matter).

And teachers report more and more right-brain dominant kids in their classrooms. So how will these kids succeed in high school and college? And what if they want to go on to medical school, law school, maybe become engineers? How can we help them?Learning to use the whole brain solves the problem. Learning how to diminish right-brain or left-brain dominance so they're using both sides equally. So what does this mean? And how do you do it?

First, let's take a look first at how the frontal lobes of the brain's neocortex work. This is the part of the brain right behind your forehead. The left side and the right side are connected by a fibrous band in the middle called the "corpus callosum." In order to use both sides of the brain, neurons on the left side have to be connected to neurons on the right side. In other words, the electrical charge between brain cells has to pass across the corpus callosum. O.K. that's the theory part.

Now the action part. How do you get this neuronal pattern? How do you get these synapses across the corpus callosum? It's really quite simple. Every time you cross your body's midline, you make neuronal patterns between the right and left side. Right-brain dominant kids are now able to use more of their left brain. And left-brain dominant kids able to use more of their right brain.

 

Just get them moving. Walking while swinging their arms. Skipping. Playing ball. Dancing. Running. Since moving is key, perhaps we're seeing more right-brain dominant kids because kids are less active.

Get kids doing Brain Gym's cross crawl. It's like marching in place. You can do it sitting or standing. Raise your right leg and touch your knee with your left elbow. Now left leg up and touch with right elbow. How many variations on this can you and your kids invent. Be sure to use music. Makes it more fun. How slowly can you do it? Slowly gives you more brain integration and better balance.

We usually think about why two people never think in a similar manner. Perceptions differ according to the individuals. The brain is in integral and crucial part of the human body. We all have got one brain, but even then why do we follow the concept of left brain and right brain? The different thinking between two people leads to the discovery of the left brain and right brain concept.

 

Many researchers had come up with different theories, but they were unable to prove the concept.

Those who are 'left-brainers' can definitely use the relaxation that the rhythmic word can bring, and use it to unlock lateral thinking. And 'right-brainers' can harness the power of rhyme to trick their brains into remembering all kinds of things that they shy away from, like the periodic table, or the names of dead presidents. Our two brains WANT to work together, and poetry is the perfect bridge to make that possible.

About the Author:

Learn more about a Left Brain Right Brain Test as well as mind secrets , now.