Crispen Bvumbghe | Manager | Teacher Support | Good Work Foundation (GWF) | mail me |
Struggling to concentrate in class, at university or work? Recharge your grey matter and take a brain break. Educators say short mental breaks from tasks help children focus and retain information. Brain breaks boost focus by giving the brain time to reset and refuel.
Facilitators at the non-profit’s Open Learning Academy have seen these benefits first-hand. The academy offers free supplementary education to 29 public primary schools in Mpumalanga and the Free State. They have observed that just a few minutes during lessons to move about can make a big difference.
This movement may include stretching, dancing, breathing exercises, playing “Simon says”, or singing interactive rhymes such as “Head, shoulders, knees and toes”. This lively, engaging approach to learning aligns with our broader mission to reimagine education for rural South African communities.
Resetting physically and mentally
Brain breaks are intentional pauses in learning. They help learners reset both physically and mentally. The goal is to stand up, move around and avoid sitting still for extended periods. Brain breaks boost focus by preventing long stretches of mental fatigue and physical stillness.
Most people cannot concentrate for more than 20 minutes at a time. For children, attention spans are even shorter. However, if they take regular breaks and return to their tasks refreshed, they can reduce cognitive fatigue. They then regain the ability to think clearly and resume their work effectively.
When educators ignore children’s natural attention spans, they risk losing learners’ focus. Taking time out during a lesson for a short activity can improve memory retention. It also boosts creativity and leads to better task performance.
Brain breaks help learners stay engaged. They also assist teachers and facilitators with classroom management. When learners are bored, they tend to fidget and become disruptive. Active breaks help make each learning session more productive.
The same principle applies to office work. It is beneficial to step away from the computer. Walking around, stretching or doing a physical task helps employees return refreshed and refocused.
We must revolutionise the old ways of doing things in classrooms. We must adapt to modern realities faced by both teachers and learners. Taking regular mental breaks, whether at school or work, helps “switch on” different parts of the brain.
– Kate Groch, Former Teacher and CEO at GWF
Bringing your whole self to the learning process
In many schools, children sit still for long periods. This is the opposite of what they should be doing. Learning has become passive. Brain breaks interrupt this pattern. They encourage learners to bring their whole selves, physical and mental, to the process.
Although we call them brain breaks, they are also body breaks. Adding fun, play and interactivity improves children’s perceptions of the learning space. Kids enjoy moving as they learn. We need to energise them, activate their brains and keep them focused and excited to engage. These pauses also teach an important life skill.
Children learn how to stop what they are doing, take a break and return to the task to complete it. This skill prevents losing one’s train of thought or abandoning tasks entirely.
In modern life, people often chase distractions without regrouping. Breaking up learning time into smaller, manageable pieces helps learners refocus and complete their work. This is why brain breaks boost focus, improve engagement and teach habits learners can carry into adulthood.
When your bum is numb, your brain is dumb
Keller Education has been our training partner for almost five years. The organisation supports us in bringing wonder-filled education to rural children.
The human brain was not built to sit still and read all day. When your bum is numb, your brain is dumb. Neuroscience confirms that movement is a natural way to ignite learning. Movement improves blood flow and increases oxygen levels in the brain.
– Brad Keller, CEO at Keller Education
In conclusion
Children can focus for several minutes equal to their age, up to a maximum of about 20 minutes. For example, a 10-year-old boy arriving at our campus will need a change after 10 minutes. He will need novelty, movement or even laughter to re-oxygenate and re-energise the brain.
Brains learn best when bodies move. That is not an opinion; it is a scientific fact. Today’s learners belong to Generation Alpha, who are tech-savvy and constantly stimulated.
Educators must evolve to meet their needs. It is time to shift from school-centred systems to human-centred classrooms, where every learner is seen, heard and challenged in meaningful ways.
