Are You Left-Brained or Right-Brained? Part I

Dear Readers,

I was just talking to my daughter, Phillise, the other day about this very subject. She was talking to her dad about this and they concluded that she is left-brained, while I am a combination of right-brained and left-brained. It is an extremely long read, but is so worth it.

***Thanks to one of my readers, I’ve updated the broken link***

Here’s the link just in case you’re interested:          https://testyourself.psychtests.com/testid/3178

I will post Part II tomorrow!

(Click the image to get the printable version of the exercise!)

Are you right-brained or left-brained? That is the question…! Understanding which side of your brain you use most to learn can totally transform the way you feel about school and academics. This is exciting stuff – and we are here to help you transform!

Over the next several weeks, we are going to help you figure out your strongest learning styles.  How are we going to accomplish that?  Well, we’re going start by teaching you to analyze “what makes you tick?” You’ll be doing some fun exercises, and a little self-analysis, to figure out which side of your brain is the “strong side,” and what kind of learner you are.  Once you are armed with that information, you will be ready to embrace your learning style.

No more wondering, “How do I learn?” or “I don’t know how to study!”  We will give you suggestions for studying techniques that will make you an academic rock star! If you find yourself scratching your head wondering, “HUH?” in class – then these next few weeks will transform that to an, “A-HA!” May the academic force be with you.

Are You Right-Brained or Left-Brained?

If your Left Brain had an arm wrestling contest with your Right Brain, who would win?  Believe it or not, the answer to this question is important to your academic success.  There is a big difference in how you learn and process information, depending on which side of your brain is the strongest – or dominant – side.  The more you understand how your brain and body work together as you’re sitting in the classroom, the better you’re going to feel about school.

Here’s an example:

RIGHT-BRAINED PEOPLE – If you are right-brained, you are usually more artistic, than scientific. Your favorite subjects are probably English, Arts, or Music. You enjoy games like Charades and Pictionary – activities that utilize the creative part of your brain to get your point across, or to assimilate information.  Now we realize that most kids aren’t thrilled about cleaning their rooms but a right-brained person can really keep things messy.  They can have piles of things all over the place, but they defend them as “organized” piles and somehow know exactly where to find their stuff.

LEFT-BRAINED PEOPLE – If you are left-brained, you like things a little more organized.  Math and science are usually your favorite, or least challenging subjects. You rock on a True/False test and almost always read the directions so you know exactly what to do. Your favorite games are word or number puzzles and Jeopardy.  You like games with exact answers. You might even be one of the only kids in the world that like to have a clean room.
Do either of those sound like you?  Keep reading to find out more.

Did you know there are two sides to your brain? The left-half of the brain controls the right side of your body, and the right-half of your brain controls the left side of your body. Imagine your brain is an old-fashioned dumbbell. The two sides of your brain, or the weights, are connected by an area called the corpus callosum. The corpus callosum is the bar between the two weights.  Information has to cross the corpus callosum in order for your body to function.

You know that feeling when you’re taking a test, and you can’t think clearly enough to write a good essay, even though you know the answers? This is an attack of the corpus callosum…but more on that later.

You might have learned that a left-handed person is right-brained, and a right-handed person is left-brained. This is often the case, but not always. You might be able to tell which side of your brain is the strongest by reading the strengths of each half of the brain – and recognizing one sounds more like you.

Right-brain/Left-brain Activity

Print this diagram for the following activity.  If you’re pretty sure of your dominant brain side, put an “X” on that side of the head.  If you aren’t sure, proceed with the following activity.The dominant brain will be the opposite of the side you have the most circles on  (remember – the right-brain controls the left side of the body and vice-versa).

Now you know your dominant brain side, as well your body’s strongest side for various studying skills – such as listening, visualizing, writing, and so on. Save your work sheet and next week, we’ll explain what it means for you as a student, and how you can use this information to do better in school. In the meantime, try to figure out which side of the brain is more dominant in your parents, your friends, and your siblings.  They might start to make a whole lot more sense…

Stay tuned for the next episode, when we teach you how to use that dominant-brain to support your learning style.

Just in case you’re interested, here’s the link:

http://thepremiertutors.org/2012/04/are-you-right-brained-or-left-brained/#.ULqqbKXFW1s