Did you know??

• The brain weighs approximately three pounds. So, can we deduct this from what we weigh so everyone feels better when getting weighed at the doctor....since it's the same for everybody- fair is fair! Men's brains are slightly larger than women's by only a few grams. There is no evidence that men are smarter than women because of their larger brains. Did you really need to ask if they were???
• Studies show that fifty minutes of exercise per day improves the executive skills of the brain. These skills include planning, organizing and multitasking. Does this mean that now I'm only smart every other day when I work out???
• In 2003, over one hundred violent crimes were perpetrated by children under sixteen who testified that they had difficulty distinguishing between reality and what the were playing in a video game. Video games are a $10 billion industry in America. I remember seeing this as a problem in the classroom with my older students that could easily be absorbed or obsessed into video games instead of socializing with their peers.
• Singing to yourself is a sign of a healthy brain. Classical music played in the nursery improves the health of a preemie, causes weight gain faster, and lowers the anxiety of the preemie's parents. I play baroque music in my classroom and it is unbelievable the difference I see in the children when it is not playing. The students and I had to get used to having this play in the background at first, but then we knew something was off or different if I forgot to turn it on. Can you picture teenage boys and girls asking for Bach or Mozart in the class??? They did!