Bicycles, baby dolls, Nintendo—oh my! As parents, we’re often tempted to spoil our kids—even if it means maxing out our credit cards in the process. We’re also conflicted about what to buy them; video games and DVDs keep their interest, but we worry we’re not doing enough to stimulate their minds.
There are compromises—for our wallets and our guilty consciences—if we know what we’re doing.
“Simple toys, when used properly, can help develop complex learning skills,” says Tanya Mitchell, a brain-training expert and author of Unlock the Einstein Inside: Applying New Brain Science to Wake Up the Smart in your Child. “Cognitive skills, like attention, auditory and visual processing, memory and processing speed, are essential tools that help kids become better learners. Research now shows that learning skills can be taught—and therefore improved. Brain training—like in these games that parents can play with their kids—does for the mind what exercise does for the body.”
Here are a few simple games and materials that Mitchell recommends:
Alphabet blocks or Scrabble tiles ($6–$12)
Help develop analysis skills by using alphabet blocks to make up nonsense words starting with two to three blocks (or tiles). Pick a vowel and a consonant and create a nonsense word, then have the child remove one of the blocks and add a new one while verbally trying to figure out what the new nonsense word sounds like. Great consonant sounds to start with are /b/ as in cab, /m/ as in ram, /t/ as in cat, /k/ as in duck, /p/ as in cup. Start with four basic vowel sounds, /e/ as in Ed, /i/ as in it, /o/ as in on and /u/ as in up.
“If they can’t read, just say the sounds for them,” advises Mitchell. ”And ask them to try to figure out from hearing the sounds what the new word would sound like when they switch the blocks.”
This builds phonemic awareness through sound blending and segmenting. And because this exercise is about sounds, not letter knowledge, parents should work with basic sounds and not use letter names, which can be confusing.
Wedgits ($19–$45)
Use these building tools along with the accompanying pictures of completed projects to increase attention, logic and reasoning, and visual processing. “Parents can use a stopwatch to encourage a fast completion,” says Mitchell, “which increases processing speed.”
How-to-draw Books ($3–$7)
These simple books are great for visual processing, attention to detail, and planning.
Speed Stack Cups ($10–$40)
This fun, simple game is good to build speed, planning and eye-hand coordination.
Old Maid ($3)
Spread cards out face down and have children draw two at a time looking for matches. Cards that don’t match are put back in the same location. This builds memory and attention.
Playing Cards ($2)
Time children while they sort cards into red and black piles, then challenge them to do it in a shorter time. Then make it harder by having them sort into three piles: red, black and face cards. Keep raising the level of intensity by asking them do it faster and
by adding challenges, such as having them count by 2s or 3s while they’re sorting. An excellent way to build divided attention and processing speed.
Puzzles ($2–$15)
“Math, science, test taking and, most importantly, reading comprehension, all require visualization skills,” says Mitchell. “Puzzles are great tools to develop visual discrimination, as well as logic and reasoning.”
Simon ($13–$35)
Children can increase their sequential processing, short-term memory, attention and visual processing with this sound and light mimicking game.
Soduko ($2–$5)
Available for children and teens of all ages, this numbers puzzle can strengthen deductive and intuitive reasoning, numerical fluency, planning, problem solving, working memory and sequential processing.
Chess ($5–$30)
A classic brain game, chess helps with divided attention, executive processing, logic and reasoning, planning and problem solving.
Mitchell encourages parents to look for games that are appropriate for their child’s age, as well as any cognitive weaknesses of which they’re aware.
“A parent whose child has Attention Deficit Disorder, for example, would want to shop for toys that improve attention,” explains Mitchell. “Likewise, a child who struggles with reading would benefit from games that practice sound blending and segmenting.”
For a free list of more than 30 games and the skills they strengthen, visit www.unlocktheeinsteininside.com.
Wendy Burt-Thomas’ third book, The Writer’s Digest Guide to Query Letters, is available through www.GuideToQueryLetters.com.