At the Fort Wayne Center for Learning, we encourage our students to work their hardest each and every day. Our instruction requires them to use parts of their brains that they may not have exercised before. However, we also encourage students to take frequent, brief breaks during their sessions for various reasons. “Brain breaks” are more than just a time to rest, they give the brain a chance to decompress and process the new information it is learning!

In 2021, the National Institute of Health (NIH) published a study on what happens in the brain when we learn a new skill, and how “wakeful rest” (rather, brain breaks) influences overall performance on said skill. Shockingly, the results of the study showed that students who received periods of “wakeful rest” during their trials of learning the new skill showed higher rates of retention and mastery of it. Furthermore, the researchers concluded that when the brain is taking a “break” during learning, the hippocampus, or memory center of the brain, is still firing. In other words, when we give students brain breaks, the memory center of their brains are still compressing and processing that information! When given that opportunity of rest, the brains were more successful at learning new skills than those who were not given brain breaks.

Apart from memory consolidation, brain breaks promote many positive qualities such as mindfulness, engagement, participation, self-awareness, as well as social-emotional regulation. Studies have shown that for elementary students, it is best to work for 10-15 minutes at a time followed by a brief 3-5 minute break, whereas high school students increase to 30 minutes of productivity followed by a 5-10 minute break.

Incorporating brain breaks into learning isn’t just a way to rest—it’s a scientifically backed method to enhance memory retention, engagement, and overall cognitive performance. At the Fort Wayne Center for Learning, we prioritize these moments of wakeful rest to help our students succeed both academically and personally. By allowing time for the brain to process and consolidate new information, we set students up for greater mastery and confidence in their skills. So next time you’re deep in concentration, remember that a well-timed break isn’t a distraction, it’s a powerful tool for learning!

Sources:

Terada, Youki. “We Drastically Underestimate the Importance of Brain Breaks.” Edutopia, George Lucas Educational Foundation, 21 Apr. 2022, www.edutopia.org/article/we-drastically-underestimate-importance-brain-breaks.

Egger, Fabienne, et al. “Boost Your Brain, While Having a Break! The Effects of Long-Term Cognitively Engaging Physical Activity Breaks on Children’s Executive Functions and Academic Achievement.” PloS One, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 6 Mar. 2019, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6402646/?utm_source=chatgpt.com.

“New Research Shows How Taking Short Breaks May Help Our Brains Learn New Skills.” SciTechDaily, 10 June 2021, scitechdaily.com/new-research-shows-how-taking-short-breaks-may-help-our-brains-learn-new-skills/?utm_source=chatgpt.com.

Tapp, Fiona. “Kids Need Brain Breaks - and so Do Adults.” BrainFacts.Org, www.sfn.org/sitecore/content/home/brainfacts2/thinking-sensing-and-behaving/learning-and-memory/2020/kids-need-brain-breaks-010920?utm_source=chatgpt.com. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

Chiaro, Chelsea. “Brain Breaks: The Science behind It and the Benefits.” TeachHUB, 8 Apr. 2024, www.teachhub.com/classroom-management/2024/04/brain-breaks-the-science-behind-it-and-the-benefits/?utm_source=chatgpt.com.  

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