Why Are Brain Breaks Important.

How many times, as a student, did you get a bunch of problems to practice the current topic being taught in class?  I remember getting like 30 problems to do and by the time I got to the end of the assignment, I could barely tolerate doing the problems.  I didn't take any breaks because I had to get it all done and my parents believed one needed to start and finish the work in one go.  

What I've noticed over time is that I do much better when I take breaks.  It seems to allow my mind the time it needs to connect pieces so I understand the material better.

By definition, a brain break is a small break to give students a mental break designed for students to focus and get ready to work again. The break can give time so students can get the blood flowing, increase the amount of oxygen going to the brain, and it provides the time students need to reset and get a bit more energy.  A small brain break also gives students a chance to process and think about the material behind the things.

Incorporating regular brain breaks into the schedule can result in students having better behavior, increase their productivity, improve comprehension, have better creative thinking, while spending more time on task.  Time for brain breaks should be regularly scheduled so they are not spending too long on any one task.  When they spend too much time focused on one activity, it can be counter productive. A brain break should include some movement and music and help reduce the level of frustration students experience when working too long on a task.  The length of a brain break depends on the age of the students.  

There was a recent study published which took a look at the brain.  They discovered there was a spike in brain activity during the break where the brain appears to be reviewing the material the student had just been exposed to but it was happening at an extremely high rate of speed. The review of the material went from the neocortex, home to the processing of sensory and motor skills, to the hippocampus which is the center of the brains memory.  This happened at least 24 times within 10 seconds.  So even though the students are taking a physical and mental break, their brains are still processing the material.

When people or students learn a new skill, it has to be connected with prior learning or previous memories.  The process is called binding and it is an important part of learning new skills.  When we learn a new skill, the brain uses the time during a break to review the material, compress  and imprint the new material so it's stored efficiently.

Furthermore, when planning to use brain breaks in class, it is important to schedule them before students become fatigued, bored, or distracted, thus there need to be frequent breaks especially in the longer classes.  It is suggested that elementary students get a 3 to 5 minute break every 10 to 15 minutes while secondary students should have a break every 20 to 30 minutes.

One does not need to plan entertainment for these breaks.  Instead, have the students get up, stretch, move around, or even chat some.  I've found that high school students do not want to exercise or even sing songs but sometimes I've put on music or even math "rap" videos to entertain them. Other times, I have things placed around the room for students to get so they are moving out of their seats.

In fact, there is research to indicate that scheduling brain breaks during tests including standardized tests results in improved test scores. As far as the effectiveness of brain breaks in class, there are indications that student performance increases.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.