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This could be the culprit behind your classroom chaos. What are primitive reflexes? Primitive reflexes are present during the earliest stages of life to aid in birth and survival- these are normal and healthy at this time. Retention of these reflexes as a child grows can play a factor in learning outcomes, emotional behaviour, and… Continue reading Primitive Reflexes and the link to Classroom Challenges

Looking for some healthy reads for your classroom or home? Look no further! With most classes back in full-swing (in-person or virtually), there is no better time to add to your classroom book collection! We have compiled a list of our favourite books below to make refreshing your book roster just a little bit easier.… Continue reading Brain 1st’s Fall 2020 Reading List

THERE ARE A LOT OF MOVING PARTS GOING BACK TO SCHOOL. How can we make it easier on our teachers, parents, students and children as we navigate between changes at home, in school, and everything in between? Give them the tools to self-regulate, focus, understand their emotions, and be better humans. We’ve worked hard over… Continue reading Brain 1st Version 2.0: Ready for Our New Reality

Looking for activities to do with your kids over the summer? Kevin Dieleman, our Director of Physical Literacy, has provided a fun activity you can do with your kids at home to help them develop strong foundational movement skills while at home. This activity can be conducted indoors or outdoors and requires minimal equipment. Enjoy!… Continue reading Try This Physical Literacy Activity at Home!

The rise of COVID-19 has provided teachers with a new challenge: to create a plan that ensures continuity of learning through distance education. Questions about best teaching practices and how students can access resources are ideas we are here to face together. Below are some ideas on how teachers can bring Brain 1st to students as we practice social distancing. As most teachers… Continue reading Working together to bring Brain 1st to students, virtually.

This list provides some of our favourite reference material so you can learn more about the proven concepts used in the Brain 1st Program! Principles of Neural Science, Fifth Edition.By Eric R. Kandel (Editor), James H. Schwartz (Editor) & Thomas Jessel (Editor) A Teacher’s Window into the Child’s Mind and papers from the Institute for… Continue reading Reference Materials

As schools close due to COVID-19, we are all making an effort to adapt into a new, foreign territory where we may be faced with moments of difficulty and unsettling emotion. Below you will find four quick tips to help bring a sense of calm into times of stress and discomfort so we have the… Continue reading Stay grounded in times of high emotion

Last week Brain 1st Chief Science Officer and Co-Founder Laura Dieleman was on Global BC1 to discuss how parents, teachers, and students are dealing with the change in response to COVID-19, and how Brain 1st can be a positive resource to help support some of the pressures being faced. See the interview here.

It can be difficult to start a new routine. Below we have provided ideas when to schedule in your student or child’s Brain 1st sessions, to make their wellness easy and effective part of the day! As a brain warm up in the morning to get your students settled, focused, and ready to learn As… Continue reading Ways you can use Brain 1st instantly in your classroom or home

By Loughborough University Abstract: Following a daily movement programme can improve children’s physical development levels and has the potential to boost their chances in the classroom, researchers from Loughborough University have found. Academics from the University’s School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences have been working with two schools and more than 40 Foundation Stage… Continue reading Daily Movement Programme has Positive Impact on Children’s Learning