PACE (Positive, Active, Clear, Energetic) is a learning readiness routine that both calms and enlivens the central nervous system by increasing oxygen to the brain, increasing and balancing electrical energy in the neocortex moving it away from the survival center of the brainstem to the frontal lobe, increasing polarity across cell membrane for more efficient thought processing and focused.

Water for Energy (Ionizes salts increasing the electrical potential across cell membranes. Essential for protein formation and functioning of nerve nets and increases oxygen uptake by hemoglobin.)

Brain Buttons for Clear (Enhances energy by stimulating blood flow to the brain, relaxes the visual system, stimulates nerve impulse transmission to both sides of the brain and body) Thumb and forefinger gently rub the soft area just below the collarbone in between the first and second ribs. The other hand rests on the navel. Alternate hands.

Cross Crawl for Active (Activates both brain hemispheres simultaneously. Done slowly activates the vestibular system for balance.) Walk in place touching one hand or elbow to the opposite knee. Relax the head and shoulders and move from the core.

Hook-ups for Positive (Activates sensory and motor cortexes in both brain hemispheres simultaneously. Tongue connects the limbic system to the frontal lobes for rational thought.) Cross ankles. Extend arms out in front, thumbs down, cross one wrist over the other, interlace fingers and draw hands down and up toward chest. Rest tongue on the roof of mouth as you breathe in through your nose. Relax tongue to breathe out. Uncross ankles putting feet flat on floor. Place fingertips of both hands together.

Breathing

Smell a rose/Blow out a candle.

Put your hand on belly and breathe in deeply through my nose. As your belly fills with air, it becomes round and full like a balloon. As you breathe out slowly through your nose, the air empties and your belly becomes flat.

Talking Fish – relaxes jaw and base of head, encourages eye teaming skills, and coordinates visual and facial muscles.

Rest your hands behind you ears, thumbs on lower jaw. Gently massage the points beneath your fingers. Pucker your mouth as though imitating a fish. Look all around you or talk to other fish as you move in your ocean environment.

Variations: Fish face

     Use crazy straws for drinking

     Use wide straws for slurping yogurt

Artistic Elephant – encourages soft focus, stimulates binocular vision, and encourages and increases integration of visual and auditory skills.

Stand or sit with knees slightly bent. Rest your head on your shoulder. Imagine a long paintbrush extending from your extended arm (trunk). Paint what you see with long easy strokes. Switch sides using other arm while resting head on other shoulder.

Variations: Make a big sweeping figure eight patterns in the air swaying from side to side.

The Owl – activates the brain for binaural hearing (using both ears), enhances short and long term memory, promotes efficient saccadic eye movement, and relaxes neck, shoulder and jaw muscles.

Crossing over the midline, place your hand on the tarpezius muscle and notice how it feels. Very slowly, turn your head to one side making a ‘whoooo’ sound like an owl. When your head is looking over your shoulder, exhale. Now, inhale, hoot like an owl and slowly turn your head to the other side. Exhale when looking over your shoulder. Repeat 3 times. Finish by coming to midline and tilting head forward. Breathe in through your nose and blow breath out through your mouth. This may be repeated a couple of times. Repeat entire process holding opposite side of the tarpezius muscle.

Variations: Put both hands on either side of your neck simultaneously and follow previous instructions. To engage more visual integration, blink lightly as you turn your head from side to side. Do in the receptive mode.

Thinking Cap – activates the brain for binaural hearing, enhances memory and recall, improved equilibrium (especially in a moving vehicle), and relaxes neck, shoulder and jaw.

Gently unroll the curved parts at the outer edge of both ears at the same time. Continue all the way to the bottom. Repeat three or more times.

Variations: Include sounds while you do the Thinking Cap. Rub your child’s ears for them.

Sound Slide – muscular contractions in the throat produce sensations to develop the speech centers of the brain, vibrations in the jaw area stimulate the inner ear, and a high to low pitch relaxes the back area of the throat.

Make a sound – ‘sliding’ your voice from high to low – and then have your child mimic that sound. Experiment with different sounds, pitch and rhythm as you interact with your child.

Variations: Mimic what your infant ‘says’ to you in a pleasant, high pitched voice making eye contact and smiling. Create or mimic the sounds of animals, machines, the weather . . . . incorporate whole body movements. Listen to instrumental music and create ‘lyrics’ using ‘la, la, la, do, do, do, etc.

Earth Buttons – brings attention to the front lateral midline, enhances visual organization skills of moving eyes vertically and horizontally in a comfortable fashion, and centering and grounding.

The fingertips of one hand rest under the lower lip while the other fingertips rest at the upper edge of the public bone. Breathe slowly and deeply for about 30 seconds (or more) and then switch hands. This is an effective time to engage full abdominal breathing with the balloon metaphor.

Variations: as you inhale, imagine a foundation moving up your midline. As you exhale, let the fountain shower back down. Look down (for grounding) while you hold these points. Hold these points and play ‘I spy’. Use your navel as a reference point. Place your palm on your navel and point your fingers downward.

Calf Pump – discharges the fear reflex, enhances focus and the ability to concentrate, and activates the brain for expressive speech and language abilities.

Stand and support yourself against a wall or the back of a chair. One leg is extended behind the front foot with heel off the floor. Deeply inhale, and while exhaling bring heel to floor as you bend your knee (not to extend past the big toe). Hold for a count of 4 – 8 seconds. Inhale bringing heel up and straightening front leg. Repeat process 3 or more times on same side. Switch legs and repeat. (Remember: Exert your pressure as you exhale.)

Variations: With a partner stand face to face with the soles of your feet firmly planted against each other. Applying firm but gentle pressure, take turns pointing your toes. Massage the calf muscle.

Jumping Through Hoops – jumping activates the vestibular system and enhances coordination, and when a hoop is used as a target, concentration and balance are fostered.

Have your child stand outside the rim of a hoop placed on the floor, with knees slightly bent. Then have your child push himself off the floor, straightening his legs and landing inside the hoop with feet together and knees bent. Repeat this process to jump back out of the hoop.

Variations: Pretend you are different jumping animals or objects. Enhance this activity with chants, rhymes, muscle or making sounds while you jump. Play Simon Says enhancing your child’s listening skills and ability to follow directions. Incorporate this activity into a sequence of movements. For very young children unable to jump, model or motor them through fingerplays or songs with corresponding movement.