Teach Effectively!

Over at Skeptic’s Dictionary Robert Todd Carroll has an extended and detailed analysis of the bologna marketed under the brand name “Brain Gym.” Mr. Carroll, who retired as professor of philosophy in 2007 after teaching taught courses on logic and reasoning, created a Web site (and wrote a book) that covers diverse lunch meats ranging from supernatural, paranormal, and pseudo-scientific. His examination of Brain Gym shows that it falls into the third category of those three…at least, he doesn’t go into any connections between Brain Gym the supernatural or paranormal.

Professor Carroll’s entry about Brain Gym begins with a brief coverage of the history of the product, shows it’s ties to chiropracty, notes the paucity of research support for it, lists some of the unfounded claims for benefits, documents others’ doubts about it, and generally explains why one should step backward and away from Brain Gym, keeping one’s eyes open widely and holding one’s hands near one’s shoulders with the palms and facing forward and fingers extended. There is virtually no reason to expect that Brain Gym will help with attention or Attention Deficit Disorder, learning or Learning Disabilities, reading or Dyslexia, etc.

Professor Carroll explains why teachers should not be snookered by the hype used in promoting Brain Gym. Parents might want to read this entry, too, so that they can be prepared to call “Baloney!” when confronted with it.

Actually I think Brain Gym may have some value. Over on LD Blog I commented on Professor Carroll’s entry a couple of months ago, taking the opportunity to make an editorial point:

The problem with Brain Gym and many of its siblings is not that the activities might not be worthwhile, it’s that the advocates over-reach so substantially. Shoot, I’m glad to advocate that we teach kids who might fit the clumsy category how to walk, move, dance, play basketball, and etc. I just don’t want people to be sold a bill of goods about how doing so will improve those children’s reading, etc.

Read Professor Carroll’s entry about Brain Gym on the Skeptic’s Dictionary.