Create a pile of assorted coins and a stop watch. Choose five coins from the pile and put them in a sequence (Example: Two quarters, two nickels and a penny). Tell your child to look carefully at the coins, and then cover the coins with a piece of cardboard. Start the stopwatch and have them recreate the sequence of coins using coins from the pile. When they are finished, stop the watch and remove the cardboard. Write down the time it took the children and if they were correct. If they did not do it correctly, have them repeat the game. As the child improves, start to make harder patterns and provide them less time to look at the coins.
Have the child sit in a chair without moving and time how long the child can accomplish this. As you repeat this activity, the connections between the brain and the body are strengthened, which improves self-control.
Games such as Memory or Simon says are fun ways to improve memory and concentration. Memory motivates children to remember locations of pictures and Simon says helps them memorize sequences of visual and auditory stimuli. Playing these games exercises the brain and strengthens their connections, which improves their functionality.
Having a child relax and visualize an activity helps the brain improve or learn new skills. For example, if you imagine your golf swing, the brain records the experience as a real experience. This strengthens brain connections, leading to actual improvement. Have the child imagine things such as paying attention in class and the brain will start to train it to pay attention in class.
Crosswords improve a child’s attention to words and ability to sequence. When a child tries to identify problems with a picture or tries to find hidden objects, the child’s attention and concentration improve.
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