READING FLUENCY AND THE LAZY 8 EXERCISE,

Background Guilford Elementary School is located in the far eastern end of Loudoun County, in Sterling Park, near Route 28 and Dulles Airport, a few miles to the southwest. The school has a diverse, mid to low income population made up primarily of Hispanic, Caucasian, Black, Asian Pacific and other nationalities in that order. Supported by the STAR Research Program with the Loudoun County Public Schools Research Office, I conducted the 2006 research from an anatomical point of view. The eyes are controlled by muscles. Eyes move left to right and top to bottom during English reading. I questioned whether doing an eye exercise would warm up and stretch the eye muscles compared to most other effects of bodily muscle stretching. Logic suggests that if the eye muscles are prepared for reading, then improved reading results should follow.

Research Question During the 2006 spring semester, I conducted the first Lazy 8 exercise research trials with a third grade class. The intent was to see if words per minute (wpm) would improve after doing the Lazy 8 exercise. In 100% of the 2006 trials, all students increased wpm on the average of 22 wpm, a 12.2% increase. In order to substantiate the 2006 findings, I decided to evaluate one class in each of the five grade levels during the fall 2007 semester. This is the second annual research study conducted at Guilford Elementary School using the Brain Gym ® Exercise, Lazy 8 1. The Lazy 8 exercise is done with alternating use of the thumbs. The number 8 shape is traced in the air in a horizontal, or lying down position. Thus, the name Lazy 8. The left thumb begins tracing the number slowly from the center, bottom of the shape moving straight up and circling to the left. The eyes must track the thumb at all times. The thumb motion continues back up the center and circles to the right, coming back to the center, bottom starting point. This tracing motion continues for three rotations using the left thumb, followed by three rotations with the right thumb. Students were reminded as needed to keep their eyes on their thumb. 1

Brain Gym ® Inc., Dennison, Paul, Dennison, Gail; Educational Kinesiology

Data Collection One teacher from Grades 1-5 agreed to allow me to conduct this research with their students. All but one class was done between 7:45 – 8:10 AM. The lone class was a 5th grade class with a time frame of 1:45 – 2:10 PM. All students in every class were part of this study. A running record form was used to check off the words read. All students were informed of the procedure prior to reading. Students read aloud while I timed them for one minute. They were instructed to skip over any words they did not know, and not to try to sound them out. Teachers provided grade and reading level appropriate books based on each student’s reading level. DRA books were used in almost all cases. At the end of the first minute the student performed the Lazy 8 exercise to my satisfaction. Students then read for a second minute, but did not re-read the earlier passage. I then informed each student of their results. Two trials were completed with each student, in each class. Exceptions would include if the student were absent or had withdrawn enrollment. Students also did not read from the same book for the second trial. The second trials were conducted after every student in the class had completed the first trial.

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Findings The next five Tables contain the results of each student’s reading trial results, listed by their grade level. Each Table shows the Words Per Minute read before and after the Lazy 8 exercise. The far right columns show the increased percentage for each student, as well as, the increased number of words read after doing the Lazy 8 exercise. Table 1: 5th Grade Student I.D. Pre-Exercise Post Exercise Increased Increased (WPM) (WPM) Percentage WPM A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2 D1 D2 E1 E2 F1 F2 G1 G2 H1 H2 I1

110 153 118 144 160 149 147 116 105 105 162 149 166 131 160 136 170

134 174 153 180 187 155 172 169 125 170 178 180 195 163 186 194 190

12.2 11.4 13.0 12.5 11.7 10.4 11.7 14.6 12.0 16.2 11.0 12.1 11.8 12.4 11.6 14.3 11,2

24 21 45 44 27 6 25 53 20 65 16 31` 29 32 26 58 20

I2 J1 J2 K1 K2 L1 L2 M1 M2

127 150 152 150 133 120 137 148 109

197 186 186 180 177 149 161 164 151

15,5 12.4 12.2 12.0 13.3 12.4 11.8 11.1 14.0

50 36 34 30 44 29 24 16 42

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Table 2: 4th Grade Student I.D.

Pre-Exercise (WPM)

Post Exercise (WPM)

Increased Increased Percentage WPM

A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2 D1 D2 E1 E2 F1 F2 G1 G2 H1 H2 I1 I2 J1 J2 K1 K2 L1 L2 M1 M2 N1 N2 O1 O2 P1 P2 Q1 Q2 R1 R2

171 149 76 78 103 71 160 123 170 156 35 77 167 157 146 108 155 162 110 124 132 157 148 130 136 148 145 132 126 127 138 161 108 141 97 95

182 167 95 126 135 117 179 173 205 200 49 108 201 198 172 146 204 187 143 156 167 170 157 164 164 169 181 182 135 163 168 177 159 181 123 145

11.0 11.2 12.5 16.2 13.1 16.5 11.2 14,1 21.1 13.0 14.0 14.0 12.0 12.6 11.8 13.6 13.2 11.6 13.0 12.6 12.7 10.8 10.6 12.6 12.1 11.4 12.5 13.8 10.7 12.8 12.2 11.0 14.7 12.8 12.7 15.3

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11 18 19 48 32 46 19 50 35 56 14 31 34 36 26 38 44 25 33 32 35 13 9 34 28 21 36 50 9 36 30 16 51 40 26 50

Table 3 : 3rd Grade Student I.D.

Pre-Exercise (WPM)

Post Exercise (WPM)

Increased Increased Percentage WPM

A1 A2 B1 C1 C2 D1 D2 E1 E2 F1 F2 G1 G2 H1 H2 I1 I2 J1 J2 K1 K2 L1 L2 M1 M2 N1 N2 O1 O2 P1 P2

175 166 64 153 132 95 89 93 127 32 24 58 104 172 114 124 89 155 150 64 55 130 163 53 62 77 122 158 122 103 147

189 192 89 185 155 132 124 137 152 39 29 114 143 192 138 153 112 180 185 67 87 140 199 63 66 128 151 179 171 133 180

10.8 11.6 14.0 12.1 11.7 14.0 14.0 14.7 12.0 12.2 12.1 19.7 13.8 11.2 12.1 12.4 12.6 11.6 12.3 10.5 15.8 10.8 12.2 12.0 10.6 16.6 12.4 11.3 14.0 13.0 12.2

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14 26 25 32 23 37 35 44 25 7 5 56 39 20 24 29 23 35 35 3 32 10 36 10 4 51 29 21 49 30 47

Table 4: 2nd Grade Student I.D.

Pre-Exercise (WPM)

Post Exercise (WPM)

Increased Increased Percentage WPM

A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2 D1 D2 E1 E2 F1 F2 G1 G2 H1 H2 I1 I2 J1 J2 K1 K2 L1 L2 M1 M2 N1 N2 O1 O2

101

128

12.7

27

122 131 88 107 72 44 81 98 65 44 84 90 74 79 95 113 74 57 78 88 94 59 74 96 88 112 135 88

173 168 110 126 77 64 88 105 95 56 131 129 82 94 127 138 94 75 108 94 129 82 99 140 151 128 144 142

14,2 12.8 12/5 11.8 10.7 14.5 11.0 10.7 14.6 12.7 15.6 14.3 11.1 12.0 13.4 12.2 12.7 13.2 13.8 10.7 13.7 14.0 13.4 14.6 17.2 11l4 10.4 16,1

51 37 22 19 5 20 7 7 30 12 47 49 8 15 32 25 29 18 30 6 35 23 25 44 63 16 9 54

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Results In this study 100% of the trials (all students, all classes) showed an increase in Words Per Minute (WPM) after doing the Lazy 8 exercise. These findings replicate the 2006 findings with the sole 3rd grade class. Based on these two studies the question of whether an eye muscle exercise can significantly aid in improved reading abilities, as it relates to WPM, is affirmative. Except for the 5th grade students who read in the afternoon, all other classes read first thing upon arrival in the morning. When comparing the 5th grade afternoon results against the morning reading results nothing seems to point to a preferred time of day. The researcher wonders, however, if student eye muscles had yet stretched enough on the morning trials, and if the 5th grade student’s eyes were tired from a near full day by the time their afternoon reading trials took place. Another question from the 5th grade time period would be to investigate how long it had been since the students had done any lengthy reading before their afternoon trial began. The researcher visited with each student following their two trials, sharing their results, and asking the student if they understood how the Lazy 8 exercise can help them read more. On numerous occasions students would share how they could hear themselves reading faster and better, and how much easier their eyes moved across the page after doing the Lazy 8 exercise. Some students had difficulty continuing to keep their eyes focused on their thumb while performing the Lazy 8 exercise. The researcher would remind the student to focus on their thumb when their eyes wandered during the exercise. On a few occasions with first grade students, the researcher had to hold the students hand and remind them as needed to look at their thumb. A future research project may investigate low level readers to see if they show difficulty focusing long enough to perform the exercise. And then a follow up intervention may be prescribed with the parents to practice the Lazy 8 exercise at home with their child. The researcher also shared a human head model that exposed the eye muscles in Physical Education class. Students were able to see where the four major eye muscles are located, which aided in their understanding of the importance of stretching these muscles like any other muscle before a physical activity. Another teaching aid is used on a regular basis in the Physical Education classes, a product known as Silly Putty ®. The material is used to demonstrate how muscles do not stretch easily, or can tear if pulled too quickly without

warm up. And conversely, how easy it is to elongate the muscle once sufficient warm up has occurred. This is demonstrated by first pulling the putty apart before use, and then easily stretching it after a period of pulling and rolling.

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Both classroom teachers and the Reading Teachers were impressed with the findings. The Lazy 8 exercise is one of the Brain Gym® exercises that are performed by all students during the morning school announcements. These results were shared with all teaching staff and the administration. The researcher wishes to thank all the classroom teachers who agreed to support this research project, as well as, the Principal, Mr. David Stewart, for allowing the research project to be conducted. Regardless of the grade, reading level, ability level, time of day, or English versus Spanish text, all students showed a marked improvement in WPM. The researcher was unable to identify an area where the Lazy 8 exercise did not have a positive impact on the student. The greatest gain may well be the student’s understanding of how exercise can improve a physical skill, including that of reading. In my opinion these results help to clarify the importance of the brain/body connection.

Mark Pankau, Physical Educator Guilford Elementary School Loudoun County Public Schools Sterling, Virginia [email protected]