PPBF: Your Fantastic Elastic Brain

Another PPBF, another winner!

Introducing ... 

Title: Your Fantastic Elastic Brain

Author: JoAnn Deak, Ph.D.

Illustrator: Sarah Ackerley

Publisher: Little Pickle Press

Date: December 13, 2010

Suitable for: ages preK-third

Non-fiction

Themes: How the brain works, mindset, self-control

Brief synopsis: This book explains in concrete, easy-to-understand ways exactly what the brain really does and how it really works.

Opening pages: What does your BRAIN really do? Does it fill the space between your ears? Well yes ... but your brain can do so much more!

Resources: 

Read a review at Engage Their Minds blog {here}.

Download lesson plans from the publisher {here}.
Learn more about the brain from Dr. Medina's Brain Rules {here}.
Use ideas from my Brain Breaks Pinterest page {here}.

Watch the book's trailer on You Tube.

Why I like this book:

Knowledge is power, so why wouldn't we want to know how our brain works and what it needs to stretch and grow and do its best job? I can totally see using this with a mindset lesson or just as a resource for self-exploration and regulation.

A few years back, we had a Conscious Discipline training and I became so intrigued by the brain and how it works. Here's a peek at some of my notes:

How is the brain like a pharmacy?

A brain cell - neurons

*if chemicals in the brain are balanced, neurons are working 

*enrichment changes brain cell structure, brain makes more connections

*stresses at home can cause brain to not function as well - academic or behavior

The brain stem is all about survival.

*brain needs to know it is safe -- developmental need is safety

*Children that are living in their brain stem (needing safety)

                  ~throw fits

                  ~shut down

Survival Skills that you will see when someone is ‘in their brain stem’ in need of the safety:

         Fight - hit, kick, push, physical aggression

         Flight - withdraw, hide, run, scream

         Fool - deceive, lie

         Freeze - they will not be able to respond

What we don’t want to do is react the same way they do!

When they stumble, stand by them, encourage them, have other students in the class encourage them. Children will mirror back to you your mood, your behavior, your look. They need a connection - handshake, knuckle bump. Ask yourself: Is it attention or connection that students want?

If limbic - (child is whiney, complaining) - child needs choices.

If brain stem - child needs assertive command or silence.

Best exercise for the brain is physical exercise - get more blood to the brain. The brain is pattern-seeking and is survival-oriented. - what are the homes of our children like, chaotic or organized?

**Connections on the outside with other people make neural connections on the inside through touch, eye contact and presence.  

Cortico-limbic Connections        

         *Cortex (cortex overrides limbic system) -- reason, logic

         *Limbic System (limbic system overrides brain stem) -- emotion, memory

         *Brain Stem -- survival, fight or flight

Self-control is the process of guiding yourself from the lower centers of your brains to the higher centers of the brains so that you may learn. Discipline is the process of guiding children from the lower centers of their brain to the higher centers of their brains.

What do I do when a child is in their brain stem?

         1. give the child an opportunity to cool off

         2. support the child with the de-stressing strategies

         3. model stepping back and taking time to breathe

         4. do not attempt to teach

When they move to the cortex, Teach!

~A child will learn best after the crisis is over and there has been time for the stress chemicals to drain out of their system

~Practice desired skill first. Sometimes it will take a lot of practice.

~Consequences may be imposed later if the child does not learn the skill through practice.

Are you intrigued yet? Check out this book and prepare to be AmAzEd by Your Fantastic Elastic Brain. Then head over to Susanna's blog for more PPBF picks.