Bal-A-Vis-X developer meets with MES teachers
A group of Marion Elementary School teachers spent Wednesday and Thursday in training with Bill Hubert, who originated a system of simple exercises designed to stimulate brain functions.
Bal-A-Vis-X (Balance-Auditory-Vision-Exercises) is based on research that shows movement helps improve learning.
Rhythmic patterns in exercises involving balance boards and balls or bean bags are designed to stimulate both right and left sides of the brain, to improve overall comprehension and hand-eye coordination
Stan Ploutz, principal at Marion Elementary School, said the training was voluntary but about 75 percent of teachers participated.
"We have teachers who use some of these activities in their classes already," he said. "It's a simple thing, but you can see where it has benefits for our students."
Hubert, who teaches in Wichita, used student volunteers to demonstrate. Some were local youths, others work with Hubert at Hadley Middle School.
A local student with no experience stood on a balance board. He and Hubert started by tossing bean bags to each other, then one ball, then two, then four, then six.
After Hubert and the student had six balls bouncing between each other, Hubert said, "That's after just eight minutes. Think about the improvement after six weeks."
Students like the exercises because they are fun and challenging, and no athletic skills are necessary.
"A kid who thinks he can't do anything else can get really wicked with these balls," Ploutz said.
Students of all abilities see gains in eye-hand coordination, which leads to greater confidence and comprehension.
"In my experience, the only ones who have not profited are those who refused to follow instructions," Hubert said.
Eye coordination was demonstrated with a student from Wichita, who has been involved in Bal-A-Vis-X since January. She stretched out on the floor, looking up at a tennis ball Hubert moved in various directions.
Her eyes locked on the ball and remained focused. In comparison, a student with little practice was unable to maintain focus.
"All it means is that the muscles around the eyes aren't as strong as they need to be," Hubert said.
But even the minutes spent trying to track the ball enabled the student to read a paragraph more easily. Students whose eyes dart and jump find reading hard because they can't smoothly follow a sentence from beginning to end.
"These probably aren't his favorite things — right now," said Hubert, holding up a book. "When you have a visual learner whose eyes don't work so well, it's very tough for them to learn."
Media specialist Elaine Shannon said some teachers use exercises to sharpen focus at the start of each morning and afternoon. They find it improves comprehension and behavior.
The goal is to buy a set of balance boards, balls, and other items for each grade level. The items would be shared among teachers and classes.
"It may come from classroom budgets, or it may be something we ask PAC to help us with," Shannon said.
People have dominant hands (left- or right-handed), but other senses have dominant "sides," too, Hubert explained.
To demonstrate, he told a student to go listen at a closed door. The student instinctively pressed his dominant ear (in this case, his left) to the door.
"In 10 or 20 years, if you are his spouse, and he's driving, and you think you're communicating with him, you're crazy," Hubert said.
Some teachers chart the "handedness" of all their students, he said. If a student has a dominant left side, teachers stand to the student's left when giving instructions..
Hubert said Bal-A-Vis-X gives teachers a wide range of options, but they must use the exercises in the classroom to find what works best for them.
"Learn the exercises, then learn to teach the exercises," Hubert said. "It takes at least two years of experience to teach it well."
