What is dominance and is it important in BabyGym?
Yolanda de Kock
Dominance is a survival mechanism. To be able survive, a person should instinctively
react in a specific way, without even thinking about it. Fortunately, the inherent ability
to do just that is locked up in every individual’s dominant profile.
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All of us have a genetic dominant profile. This profile consists of a specific side of the
three dimensional brain, as well as one each of the eyes, ears, hands and feet. To
enable these different parts of the profile to act efficiently during times of survival, the
dominant side of the brain takes the lead while the non-dominant brain and all the
parts that it controls, ‘shut down’.
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How everyone of us act, depends mainly on which of the left and right side of the
brain is dominant. In general the left and right brain hemispheres process and act in
two completely different ways on information received.
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The left hemisphere of the brain is the more logical and rational side of the brain.
This hemisphere is able to control emotions, is more organized, prefers rules and
boundaries and is time conscious. The left side is also more structured, prefers to
plan ahead and is thorough and correct. People like this like to be in control of
everything and focus on right and wrong. For them, there is no grey area. They
think with their head and not with their heart. They like facts and are fluent with
words.
Left brain dominant babies tend to talk sooner and walk later,
while right brain dominant babies tend to walk earlier and talk later.
The right hemisphere of the brain is the more creative and intuitive side of the brain.
This hemisphere is more emotional and ‘thinks’ with the heart rather than with the
head. People like this act on emotion, are impulsive and do not always consider the
consequences of their actions. They do not like rules and boundaries and are more
spontaneous. Even though they are very innovative, they are not well-organized and
do not always plan ahead. They focus more on people than on the task at hand,
and are not very time conscious. They are more comfortable to have around.
Dominance is a matter of timing and degree of involvement.
Even though taking the lead by one of these parts of the brain is extremely important
for survival, people are designed to use both hemispheres of the brain, as well as
both ears, eyes, hands and feet. Because of our genetic dominant profile, we tend
to process information and act on it by mainly using our dominant side. However, the
learning and thinking process is enhanced when both sides of the brain participate in
a balanced manner.
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For the brain to do this, the non-dominant hemisphere of the brain and the nondominant parts of the profile need to be stimulated, in order to strengthen the use of
the whole brain. If not fully stimulated and strengthened, the non-dominant side
tends to “switch off,” even when relaxed, and it can lead to certain challenges. It is
BabyGym’s purpose to attend to these challenges by developing the baby and
focusing on prevention rather than cure.
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For BabyGym it is not important which hemisphere of the brain, ear, eye, hand or
foot is dominant - what is important is to stimulate both sides of the brain, both ears,
both eyes, both hands and both feet simultaneously, to strengthen all the networks
and not only those of the dominant side. With BabyGym a baby develops into a
whole brain human being.
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BabyGym gets babies moving!
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When a baby moves repeatedly, the basic building blocks of all learning styles will
already develop and be strengthened in this early childhood stage.
• When babies lie on their backs and gaze at their hands or at a mobile, they
develop the skills needed for both eyes to work together.
• A good posture develops when they are able to move their knees freely and
roll over without restriction of movement - like when they are sitting in a baby
chair for hours on end.
• Crawling develops both the left and right hemispheres of the brain,
• With repeated movement and the use of both eyes, ears, hands, feet and
brain hemispheres, the brain becomes integrated.
An integrated brain is important for learning and development, because each of the
hemispheres observes reality in an unique way. When functioning together, they can
complement one another in a balanced way. Under development or over stimulation
of one of these hemispheres, prevents the child from whole brain processing, since it
limits it to either the analytic and critical hemisphere OR to the emotional and
creative hemisphere. This will prevent sensory information to be processed in an
integrated manner, before being sent to the motor system.
What is BabyGym?
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Sensory stimulation and integration forms the foundation of thinking and action - thus
for learning and development. With this in mind, we as BabyGym Instructors want to
get the body and the whole brain ready for learning! In BabyGym babies and
children learn and grow by movement through play. By encouraging the baby to
move and play using the entire body, whole brain learning can take place. It is never
too early to start with BabyGym.
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At conception, the baby is endowed with unique structural and developmental genes
for the programming of the development of the brain (primitive reflexes). If all goes
well during pregnancy the baby’s brain can develop to its full potential. Development
of the brain occurs through the division of neurons. When a baby is born, the brain
has the most neurons than it will ever have. Neurons are build and militated by being
used repetitively through movement. From the beginning, right through life, the
unused neurons fade away automatically. To prevent the neurons from dying as a
result of lack of movement, BabyGym uses constant movement and exercises and
as such, helps with the crucial development of the brain and the body.
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During the process of development, dominance will determine how information will
go from the dominant senses to the dominant part of the thinking brain, where a
specific way of processing takes place; and results in a preferred way of taking
action and communicating. In BabyGym we extend these possibilities of the baby’s
profile, by stimulating both sides of the hemispheres to help the baby to develop the
whole brain and body for learning. When this is done successfully, the child will be
comfortable with receiving information from the far senses to the thinking brain, in
more than just one preferred way.
BabyGym makes the baby aware of, and stimulates and strengthens all the senses
and muscles that both the dominant and the non-dominant sides of the brain and the
body, are able to collect, process and deliver information.
BabyGym promotes whole brain learning.
All learners are born with the potential to learn and achieve. Unless the senses,
brain and limbs are fully developed, learners will never reach their full potential. In
BabyGym the senses, brain and limbs are stimulated to work together while wholebrain learning takes place. In BabyGym we want the babies to move as much as
possible for the senses, brain and limbs to develop. BabyGym uses physical
movement to enhance learning ability.
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Melodie de Jager
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Movement is life
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BabyGym follows the natural developmental phases of the child, to strengthen the
muscles and co-ordinate the body. In BabyGym the knowledge of these
developmental phases is limited only to information necessary for drawing the links
between the developmental phases and their relevance for whole-brain learning.
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BabyGym offers a simple yet powerful program
to enhance the baby’s mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being.
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de Jager, M. 2008. BabyGym. Metz Press: Welgemoed.