NeuroFitness Inc.

2006

1
C H I L D B R AI N D E V E L OP ME N T AN D F U N C T I ON
by Dr. Scott Thei rl

Purpose
The purpose of the Super Fi t Brai n Ki t i s to bri ng the sci ence of how t he brai n l earns di rectl y to
parents and i nto the home to hel p i nsure the cl assroom success of f uture generati ons. Thi s
program uti l i zes si mpl e brai n-based exerci ses that parents perf orm wi th thei r chi l dren (ages
three and up) i n thei r own home several ti mes throughout the week. These exerci ses stimul ate
the regi ons of the brai n that have been shown t o be cruci al to al l hi gher l earni ng. In essence,
these exerci ses prime the brai n f or the cl assroom envi ronment.

Background
There are basi c, yet cri t i cal , brai n f uncti ons that need to exi st pri or to the i ntroducti on of any
f ormal teachi ng methods. These f uncti ons i ncl ude the abi l i t y to i denti f y short sounds f rom l ong
sounds, rhythm, timi ng, bal ance, vi sual coordi nati on f or both f ast and sl ow eye movements at
di stance and cl ose proxi mi ty, and ki nestheti c/propri ocepti ve sense (body sense). Though some
chi l dren devel op these abi l i t i es natural l y, many chi l dren benef i t f rom exerci ses that trai n the
brai n. These brai n f uncti ons, i f not present, can sabotage a chi l d s abi l i t y to l earn. Wi th these
brai n-based l earni ng dysf uncti ons, the chi l d s i nabi l i t y to l earn i s not necessari l y due t o poor
teachi ng methods, but i s due to the brai n s l ack of preparedness to accept and i nt egrate the
i nf ormati on f rom the teacher. Once one understands the neurol ogy of the l earni ng process, i t i s
easy t o understand the necessi t y of devel opi ng these f uncti ons duri ng earl y chi l dhood. Speci f i c
exerci ses are one way t o support and encourage that devel opment i n young chi l dren.

The Super Fi t Brai n Ki t i s a brai n primer that insures the brai n has the basi c coordi nati on skil l s
to al l ow i t to assi mi l ate i nf ormati on recei ved i n a f ormal cl assroom setti ng regardl ess of the
teachi ng st yl e. For many educati on prof essi onal s, thi s program wi l l represent a paradi gm shift.
The ol d paradi gm f ocuses al l attenti on on what books, curri cul ums and teachi ng methods wi l l ai d
the students the best. Thi s new paradi gm f i rst asks, Does the chi l d have the basi c brai n ski l l s
to l earn i n the cl assroom? In other words, i t i s i mportant not to put the cart bef ore the horse.
Bef ore any t ype of teachi ng methods and books can be wel l uti l i zed, basi c brai n and body ski ll s
must be i n pl ace. These necessary brai n f uncti ons are the basi c bui l di ng bl ocks of the vi sual ,
audi tory, vesti bul ar/bal ance, and sensory/motor systems. These systems are necessary f or
hi gher l evel (f rontal l obe) l earni ng. In order to understand how these systems prime the brain
f or hi gher l earni ng, i t i s necessary to revi ew the way i n whi ch the brai n matures and what
stimul ati on most exci tes i ts di ff erent areas.

Many areas of the brai n must work together i n order to process our surroundi ngs and al l ow us to
l earn f rom acti vi ti es. There are general aspects of f uncti on that can be associ ated wi th t he
di f f erent l obes of the brai n and the ri ght or l ef t hemispheres. For exampl e, the regi on i n t he l ef t
temporal l obe that deci phers spoken l anguage i s cal l ed Werni ckes area. In chi l dren, the
cerebel l um i s a cruci al pi ece f or earl y chi l dhood l earni ng. Much has been di scovered about t he
rol e of the cerebel l um and i ts rel ati on to l earni ng muscl e
movement patterns. However, the cerebel l um i s al so
i nvol ved i n cogni t i on, l anguage, pl anni ng and attenti on.
These are newer di scoveri es, and some of the most important
f i ndi ngs of recent sci ence i n regards to chi l dhood l earni ng.
Pl ease ref er to the books ref erenced to gai n a deeper
understandi ng. In order to understand j ust how i mportant the
cerebel l um i s to hi gher/cogni ti ve l earni ng we wi l l have to go
i nto some depth wi th neurol ogi cal connecti ons and f uncti ons.

If i ndeed speci f i c movement ski l l s are cri ti cal to enabl e a
chi l d s brai n to l earn cl assroom book knowl edge, then as a
soci et y we are greatl y hi nderi ng a chi l d s potent i al by
l i mi tati on, and more frequentl y el i mi nati on, of physi cal
educati on cl asses and recesses that al l ow f or and teach
movement as a necessary part of school l i f e. As many school
Basic brain anatomy as viewed
from the left side.
NeuroFitness Inc. 2006

2
budgets cannot address thi s need f or physi cal educati on, i t becomes al l the more cri ti cal to
i ntegrate a home exercise program f or the brain and the body. It i s al so i nteresti ng to note that
educators conti nue to demand earl i er readi ng and wri t i ng ski l l s from chi l dren, even though we
are not encouragi ng one of the maj or precursors to these ski l l s: movement. Though the concept
of cutti ng physi cal educati on cl ass time to al l ow f or more time to study readi ng, wri t i ng and
ari thmeti c may make sense f or schedul i ng and standardi zed tests, i t does not support the
neurol ogy of earl y chi l dhood l earni ng. The exerci ses contai ned i n thi s program are not desi gned
to repl ace physi cal educati on at school . In f act, they are desi gned to compl iment gross motor
physi cal acti vi ti es and cardi ovascul ar benef i ts that are acqui red i n a structured P.E. cl ass. If
there i s no P.E. cl ass at your chi l d s school , thi s program is sti l l appropri ate and i t coul d be
argued that i t becomes even more important. Al though chi l dren wi l l not be acqui ri ng
cardi ovascul ar benef i ts, thi s program wi l l provi de neurol ogi cal benef i ts of specif i c brai n-primi ng
movements.

Chi l d brai n devel opment, maturati on and the rol e of the cerebel l um i s a very i nt eresti ng
progressi on. At bi rth the human brai n wei ghs approximatel y 0.9 pounds. As an adul t, the brai n
wei ghs approxi matel y 3.1 pounds. Thi s i s consi derabl e growth much of whi ch happens i n the
f i rst years of l i f e. The brai n doubl es i n wei ght duri ng the f i rst year al one. As an i nf ant, we
possess the abi l i t y to use al l of our senses, but not al l of our senses wel l . The vi sual f i el d i s
l i mi ted to approximatel y ei ght i nches f or the f i rst three months, but by age f i ve we shoul d be abl e
to hol d f ocus on obj ects twent y f eet away. The i nf ant can respond to sound, but i t t akes many
months of l earni ng to di sti ngui sh bet ween happy and threateni ng noi ses and many years to l earn
proper l anguage. Taste devel ops i n the l ater months wi t h new f ood and dri nk experi ences and
pref erences qui ckl y become apparent. The sense of touch i s present i mmedi atel y wi th i nf ants
t ypi cal l y want i ng to be hel d and hugged cl osel y. The vesti bul ar system (i nner ear canal s that tel l
the brai n i f the head i s movi ng through space) works immedi atel y at bi rth as demonstrated by the
rel axati on that happens wi t h gentl e rocki ng moti ons. The propri ocepti ve system (f eedback from
j oi nt and muscl e receptors) works immedi atel y at bi rth gi vi ng the brai n i nf ormati on on where the
body i s movi ng, but i t takes many years f or thi s system to become wel l coordi nated f or specif i c
movements such as those requi red i n dance and sports. The bal ance abi l i t y of a chi l d takes
years to devel op and st arts sl owl y wi th si tti ng postures, then crawl i ng, wal ki ng whi l e hol di ng on,
wal ki ng al one, and runni ng.

The pi cture i s qui te cl ear: brai n maturati on takes time and ski l l s bui l d upon themsel ves to al l ow
f or a more compl ex understandi ng of , and i nteracti on wi th, our surroundi ngs. The most complex
earl y chi l dhood brai n i ntegrati on i s that i nvol ved wi th bal ance and movement because i t uses
three systems: vi sual , vesti bul ar and propri ocepti ve al l at the same time. These systems al l f eed
i nto and are i ntegrated i n the cerebel l um to hel p the chi l d coordi nat e t hei r bal ance, body and eye
movements. The real i t y of these mul ti pl e i nput systems i nto the cerebel l um al l ows us many
opportuni ti es to stimul ate and exerci se the cerebel l um. Brai n exci tati on f rom propri oceptors is
possi bl y the most i nf l uenti al sti mul ati on to the brai n. Propri oceptors respond to the Earth s
gravi tati onal f i el d and gravi t y i s the onl y constant stimul us i n our envi ronment. For exampl e,
si nce the cerebel l um recei ves i nput f rom proprioceptors (receptors that tel l the brai n where the
body i s i n space) we may want to have the chi l d si t on an obj ect, such as an i nf l atabl e cushi on,
that al l ows thei r body to move a l i ttl e i nstead of al ways si tti ng on a hard f l oor or chai r. The
resul t: the brai n recei ves more stimul ati on f rom the propri oceptors. Thi s i nf ormati on i s processed
through the cerebel l um, up to the f rontal , temporal and pari etal l obes typi cal l y resul ti ng i n
i mproved f ocus and concentrati on. Addi t i onal l y, the chi l dren have to ut i l i ze more of thei r
postural stabi l i zi ng muscl es to si t on a sof t obj ect resul ti ng i n i mproved spi nal strength and
posture. As a si de note, i t i s i nteresti ng to real i ze how many adul ts stand, wal k around, pace
and f i dget wi th obj ects when they are concentrati ng on probl em sol vi ng. Movement hel ps the
brai n thi nk.

It i s time to vi si t the anatomy that expl ai ns why t he Super Fi t Brai n Ki t i s the premi er program f or
bri ngi ng the sci ence of brai n devel opment i nto the home and school . Under opti mal
ci rcumstances, the brai n matures i n a certai n hi erarchal order. However, cri ti cal devel opmental
steps are f requentl y bei ng missed as chi l dren physi cal l y move l ess and repl ace exerci se and
pl ayi ng wi th si tt i ng and stari ng at vi deo/di gi tal sources f or l ong peri ods of time. Thi s recent
change of l ess movement qual i t y and quanti t y can be especi al l y detri mental to chi l d brai n
NeuroFitness Inc. 2006

3
devel opment i n the f i rst f i ve years as these are the years when many of the basi c physi cal
movement patterns are l earned and practi ced. The basi c order of brai n devel opment i s f rom the
bottom upward and f rom the back f orward.

With thi s order we observe that the cerebel l um i s the pri mary brai n area to be sti mul ated and
uti l i zed earl y i n l i f e. The cerebel l um i s stimul ated pri mari l y by t wo sources: 1) the vesti bul ar
system and 2) the propri ocepti ve system. The vesti bul ar system i s part of the i nner ear and i s
composed of the semi -ci rcul ar canal s, utri cl e and saccul e. These anatomi cal components tel l
the brai n i f the head i s movi ng i n space and gi ve speci f i cs to what di recti on and how f ast the
movement i s occurri ng. The propri ocepti ve system i s composed of receptors i n the body s j oi nts
and muscl es. These receptors tel l the brai n where a body part i s i n space and i f i t i s movi ng. To
demonstrate the propri ocepti ve syst em i n acti on: cl ose your eyes, put your arm up i n f ront of
you, guess whether your pal m is f aci ng up or down, open your eyes and see i f you were correct.
If you were, then your propri ocepti ve syst em was worki ng! The hi ghest concentrati on of
propri oceptors i n the body i s i n the spi ne, speci f i cal l y
the cervi cal spi ne/neck. Thi s makes good sense as i t
i s cruci al that our brai n know how our neck is movi ng
i n order to protect i tsel f.

The cerebel l um uses thi s propri ocepti ve f eedback f rom
the neck muscl es and j oi nts, and i nf ormati on f rom the
vesti bul ar system, to hel p coordi nate ref l exi ve eye
movements as wel l as neck movements. The pathway
that connects eye movements wi th spi nal muscles and
vi ce-versa i s cal l ed the medi al l ongi tudi nal f asci cul us
(MLF). Proper f uncti on of the MLF and cerebel l um are
cruci al f or optimal l earni ng potent i al as chi l dren are
conti nual l y usi ng t hei r eyes and movi ng thei r necks to
and f rom obj ects on desks and around the cl assroom.
If the MLF and cerebel l um are poorl y coordi nat ed, the
chi l d wi l l have great di f fi cul t y when eye movements and/or neck movements are requi red. These
brai n-based coordi nati on di f f i cul ti es between the MLF and cerebel l um can contri bute to a chi l d
seemi ng i nattenti ve, di si nterested or f rustrated. Consequentl y, the Super Fi t Brai n Ki t pl aces
great emphasis on exerci si ng the MLF and cerebel l um connecti ons to i nsure student success i n
the cl assroom.

It i s important to know t hat the cerebel l um has di f f erent areas that correspond to the di f f erent
parts of the body. The pathways that coordi nat e eye movements and spi nal muscl es l i e i n the
mi ddl e/medi al part of the cerebel l um. The pathways that coordi nate arm/hand and l eg/f oot
movements l i e i n the outer/l ateral part of the cerebel l um. In general , the f urther out to the si des
of the cerebel l um, the further out to the si des of the body i t i s coordi nati ng. These di ff erent
areas of the cerebel l um that coordi nate speci f i c body movements have al so been shown to work
together wi th other areas of the brai n.

The mi ddl e/medi al cerebel l um, known as the vermi s, i s al so known as the l i mbi c cerebel l um,
because di ff i cul ti es i n thi s area can present as l i mbi c system probl ems. The l imbi c system i s
deep i nsi de of the brai n and consi sts of mul ti pl e nucl ei
(groupi ngs of cel l s) that are responsi bl e f or emoti onal
processi ng, responses or outbursts. Chi l dren that have
anger, tantrums, rage, emoti onal f ragi l i t y, etc. are
showi ng thei r l i mbi c system i n acti on. It i s the j ob of
the f rontal l obes to keep the l i mbi c system i n check by
i nhi bi ti ng i t.

The outer/l ateral cerebel l um, known as the
neocerebel l um, i s i nvol ved i n cogni ti ve processi ng. It i s
al so i nvol ved i n hand/f oot coordi nati on through the
dentate nucl eus. Cogni ti ve processi ng i s done
primari l y i n the f rontal l obes of the brai n, speci f i cal l y i n
Basic order of brain development;
bottom upward and back forward.
NeuroFitness Inc. 2006

4
the pref rontal corti cal areas, and al l ows f or attenti on, organi zat i on, pl anni ng, etc. The
cerebel l um i s i n constant communi cati on wi th t he f rontal l obes. These connecti ons are known as
corti copontocerebel l ar pathways and are some of the l argest pathways i n the brai n.

The Super Fi t Brai n Ki t i s based on these neurol ogi c pathways. For exampl e, when chi l dren use
and strengthen thei r cerebel l um, the cerebel l um stimul ates thei r frontal l obes whi ch can then
hel p keep emoti onal out bursts i n check by i nhi bi ti ng the l i mbi c system. Thi s i s but one benef i t of
wel l f uncti oni ng f rontal l obes. The f rontal l obes are al so responsi bl e f or cogni ti ve processi ng
and executi ve f uncti ons i ncl udi ng probl em sol vi ng, pl anni ng, organi zat i on, moti vati on, attenti on,
and soci al l y appropri ate i nteracti ons. Expressive speech, the abi l i t y to tal k, i s al so part of f rontal
l obe f uncti on, speci f i cal l y the l ef t frontal l obe. It i s the f rontal l obes that make human bei ngs
human and al l ow f or such great i ntel l ectual pot enti al .

There are many connecti ons f rom the cerebel l um to the other l obes of the brai n. One exampl e i s
sensory pathways t hat go f rom the body, up the spi nal cord i n spi nocerebel l ar paths, to the
brai nstem, through the cerebel l um and end i n t he pari etal l obes. The pari etal l obes tel l us where
on our body we f eel somethi ng. The pari etal and f rontal l obes then pl an i f and how we shoul d
move to accommodate the sensati on we j ust f elt.
A second exampl e demonstrates connecti ons
between the cerebel l um and an area i n the
temporal l obe known as the superi or temporal
gyrus (a.k.a. STG). Studi es demonstrate that the
cerebel l um and STG, among others, are i nvol ved
wi t h ti med movement acti vi ti es such as f i nger
tappi ng. More i mportantl y, the STG i s i nvol ved i n
audi tory f uncti on (heari ng) and i mpl i cated i n
percepti on of speech, speech producti on, and
i ntegrati on of audi tory and vi sual f uncti on. Thi s
demonstrates how i t i s possi bl e to use speci f i c
cerebel l ar movement exerci ses to stimul ate known
brai n pathways that can resul t i n i mproved
heari ng, l anguage and speech. Sti mul ati on and
strengtheni ng of speci f ic brai n areas i s the
sci enti f i c basi s behi nd the Super Fi t Brai n Ki t.

Associ ati on areas are key to understandi ng how the brai n ti es toget her al l di f f erent t ypes of
i nf ormati on. Associ ati on areas are regi ons of the brai n that l i e bet ween the speci f i c l obes and
connect them. The j ob of these associ ati on areas i s to hel p any one area of the brai n real i ze al l
of the di ff erent f uncti ons that another area of the brai n may be perf ormi ng at the same time.
Af ter recei vi ng i nf ormation on what the surroundi ng areas of the brai n are doi ng, the associ ati on
areas coordi nate al l of thi s i nf ormati on and send i t to the f rontal l obes so that we can make an
executi ve deci si on on how t o respond to the current
si tuati on.

One exampl e i s the pari etotemporocci pi tal associ ati on
cortex. Thi s particul ar area ti es together what we f eel
(pari etal l obe) wi t h what we hear (temporal l obe) wi th
what we see (occi pi tal l obe). It i s easy to see t he
i mportance of these associ ati on areas otherwi se how
woul d we know whet her the roar of a l i on i s f rom an
educati onal f i l m or an actual l i on. Though thi s exampl e i s
dramati c, we must use our vi si on, heari ng, smel l , touch,
taste and propri ocepti on senses to pai nt the bi g pi cture
of our surroundi ngs. Associ ati on areas provi de i nsi ght to
why mul ti -sensory exerci ses and mul ti -sensory teachi ng
methods are so important. The Super Fi t Brai n Ki t
f requentl y uses mul ti -sensory exerci ses to encourage
strengtheni ng of brai n associ ati on areas.

Association Areas gather together and share
information from the separate lobes of the
brain.
NeuroFitness Inc. 2006

5
Many compl ex brai n f uncti ons are i nterrel ated t o cerebel l ar f uncti ons. The cerebel l um provi des
much stimul ati on to the l obes of the brai n to al l ow f or sharp thi nki ng and heal thy executi ve
f uncti ons such as attenti on, soci al i nteracti on, pl anni ng and organi zat i on. It i s easy to
understand why the cerebel l um i s a l ogi cal pl ace to f ocus on f or earl y chi l dhood exerci ses.

The cerebel l um perf orms many f uncti ons i ncl udi ng:

Coordi nates smooth (vs. shaky) muscl e movements
Control s body muscl e tone (poor cerebel l um f uncti on = hypotoni a or l ow muscl e tone)
Coordi nates rapi dl y al t ernati ng body movements (i e: f l i ppi ng your hands up and down)
Coordi nates bal ance
Coordi nates gai t (wal ki ng)
Ini ti ates body movements/responses
Stops eye movements
Invol ved wi t h the abi l i t y to keep rhyt hm
Invol ved wi t h the abi l i t y to deci pher short from long sounds
Coordi nates muscl es of speech

It i s important to note that as a chi l d grows, the cerebel l um and brai n conti nue to mature.
Consequentl y, i f a chi l d demonstrates diff i cul ti es wi th some of the above l i sted f uncti ons, they
may si mpl y need more ti me to mature. Many chi l dren wi l l devel op these basi c neurol ogi c
abi l i t i es wi thout any addi ti onal i nterventi on or practi ce, but that does not mean that they wi l l
have al l of these abi l i ti es i n pl ace as they begi n school . Some wi l l need to l earn these ski l l s f or
the f i rst time. Because these brai n f uncti ons are l earned, and not necessari l y aut omati c, i t woul d
benef i t al l chi l dren t o engage i n a brai n-based exerci se program to devel op and/or strengthen
these basi c body and brai n f uncti ons necessary f or success i n a f ormal cl assroom envi ronment.
At any age, the brai n and cerebel l um l earn and grow stronger wi th sti mul ati on and repet i ti on.
The Super Fi t Brai n Ki t stresses the importance of repeti ti on of exerci ses that stimul ate these
areas of the cerebel l um and brai n whi ch can resul t i n i mproved body, bal ance, speech, readi ng
and cogni ti ve f uncti on. Chi l dren that have al ready accompl i shed the abi l i t y to perf orm the
body/brai n exerci ses that are i ncl uded i n the Super Fi t Brai n Ki t wi l l strengthen thei r al ready
exi sti ng abi l i ti es. Chi l dren that have di f f i cul t y wi t h the body/brai n exerci ses work to establ i sh the
neurol ogi c connecti ons, known as pl asti ci t y, that are necessary bui l di ng bl ocks f or greater body
and brai n f uncti on. Improved pl asti ci t y al l ows for easi er l earni ng and t eachi ng as wel l as athl eti c
abi l i t y. The Super Fi t Brai n Ki t hel ps al l chi l dren be strong and ready f or excel l ence ri ght f rom
the start of thei r academic career.

A di scussi on of earl y chi l dhood devel opment i s not compl ete wi thout an overvi ew of the vi deo
i nf ormati on age. Chi l dren of al l ages are now consumi ng many hours of tel evi si on, computers
and vi deo games each day. These sources of stimul ati on to the brai n, through the eyes, have
consequences that are not f ul l y real i zed yet, but cl earl y have the potenti al to sti mul ate and
change the young, mal l eabl e brai n. TV, computers and vi deo games shoul d be l i mi ted so as to
mi nimi ze possi bl e changes i n the brai n that may af f ect optimal f uncti oni ng i n the school setti ng.
Many prof essi onal s, mysel f i ncl uded, are begi nni ng to theori ze that prol onged hours i n f ront of
the TV and computer are l i teral l y rewi ri ng chi l dren s brai ns to be pri mari l y passi ve, vi sual -onl y
l earners at very young ages. Consequentl y, these newl y rewi red brai ns do not l earn to seek
out acti ve mul ti -sensory l earni ng experi ences that i ntegrate vi si on, heari ng, touch, smel l , taste,
movement and bal ance. In some cases, the chi l d mi ght actual l y rej ect such experi ences f or l ack
of an abi l i t y t o process the i ncomi ng stimul ati on.

The argument i s of ten rai sed, I watched tel evi si on as a chi l d and do not have any of these
l earni ng/att enti on di f f i cul ti es. But today s TV programmi ng and adverti si ng i s qui te di f f erent
than that of past decades. Of ten, the col ors are bri ghter, the i mages move qui cker and change
more f requentl y and the sounds are l ouder and f aster. Adverti sers have spent much time and
energy researchi ng and desi gni ng the perf ect commerci al that wi l l grab and hol d your attent i on.
And i f you do not thi nk that TV i s addi cti ve f or the brai n, j ust observe an i nf ant worki ng to turn
thei r head towards the TV the moment i t i s turned on. The chi l d can t comprehend what they are
watchi ng and yet thei r brai n i s i nstantl y sti mul ated by i t.

NeuroFitness Inc. 2006

6
What does al l of thi s have to do wi th the cl assroom? Chi l dren s brai ns have been wi red to take
i n very f ast i mages and ever changi ng sounds. As a consequence, chi l dren are not as adept at
f ocusi ng on sl ower i mages that of ten accompany one sound--that of a teacher. It i s
unreasonabl e to thi nk that a chi l d can si t i n a cl assroom f or hours every day, wi th the same
vi sual vantage poi nt, l i steni ng to one person i f thei r brai n i s used to worki ng i n qui te the opposi te
manner. With the impl ementati on of the Super Fi t Brai n Ki t, the chi l d s brai n and body wi l l be
exerci sed i n ways that are desi gned to bal ance the sl ow, coordi nated physi cal movements that
are needed i n the cl assroom wi th the mul ti -sensory sti mul ati on that they are of ten surrounded
by.

I i magi ne that thi s summary of neurol ogi c devel opment and i ntegrati on has provi ded
understandi ng and i nsi ght as to the i mportance of masteri ng the seemingl y si mpl e exerci ses that
make up the Super Fi t Brai n Ki t. It i s my experi ence that these exerci ses can be trul y l i f e
changi ng f or chi l dren, regardl ess of age, gender, l evel of devel opment or previ ousl y di agnosed
chal l enges.