Is Brain Gym® an Effective Educational Intervention?
Lucinda S. Spaulding
Liberty University
Mark P. Mostert
Regent University
Andrea P. Beam
Liberty University

Brain Gym® (BG; BGI, 2008) is a popular commercial program sold by Brain Gym® International (BGI). Making extravagant claims for improved intellectual and physical development, it is used in more than 80 countries. While BGI’s claims are persuasive, to date there is little empirical evidence validating the approach. We examine some theoretical assumptions from which BGI was developed, review the efficacy literature, and provide suggestions for making informed decisions about the judiciousness of investing time and resources in this program.

Over the past several decades much attention has been devoted to connecting advances in neuroscience research to educational interventions for improved learning. Unsurprisingly, a whole industry, aggressively marketed, has developed to advance, among other ideas, the notion of “brain based” learning (Ansari, 2008; Goswami, 2006). Brain Gym® International (BGI) is a program purportedly based on theories of neuroscience and educational kinesiology (Dennison, 2006) that has gained significant acceptance among athletic and corporate trainers, educators, and educational consultants in the United States and abroad. However, while BGI claims are persuasive and proponents’ anecdotes attractive, to date there is little sound empirical research supporting BGI’s developmental or educational claims.

We briefly examine the phenomenon of brain-based learning, the theoretical assumptions from which BGI was developed, standards for establishing intervention efficacy in special education, and the application of these standards for evaluating BGI interventions.We conclude by providing suggestions for making informed decisions about the judiciousness of investing time and resources in this program.

Correspondence should be addressed to Lucinda S. Spaulding, Liberty University, School of Education, TE 112, 1971 University Boulevard, Lynchburg, VA 24502. E-mail: این آدرس ایمیل توسط spambots حفاظت می شود. برای دیدن شما نیاز به جاوا اسکریپت دارید