What Is Brain Training?
Brain training is any activity that strengthens cognitive skills and abilities. Most exercises rely on specialized one-on-one strengthening exercises, similar to going to the gym but for your brain! Your child may be doing exercises like learning to track what they are reading more efficiently, or practicing social skills in a virtual reality environment. The idea behind brain training exercises is that, with practice, your child can improve functions like working memory, concentration, and the ability to retain and recall new information. These exercises are also essential for overcoming the specific challenges of learning disabilities. For example, a child with dyslexia may benefit from working memory training, as it helps them recall and process the information they just read.
A Few Challenges of Brain Training for Kids
Finding the right balance for brain training can be challenging. You need to be able to push your child outside of their comfort zone so that they can learn effectively, but you don’t want to overwhelm them and discourage them from brain training exercises. Additionally, to see any sort of appreciable result, your child needs to participate frequently—multiple times a week for an extended period of time. This can be difficult for many parents, especially if they care for multiple children or have other obligations. Despite the challenge, cognitive training is well worth the effort and can change your child’s life.
Struggling to Find A Brain Training Program for Your Child?
5 of the Most Impactful Cognitive Brain Training Exercises
There’s no one-size-fits-all brain training solution—children’s needs vary depending on their specific learning disability and cognitive abilities. However, there are a number of methods that have been found to be effective in improving cognitive function in children with learning disabilities.
Memory Games
Playing memory games can help improve your child’s working memory, which is the ability to hold and manipulate information in your mind over a short period of time. By engaging in card games or trying to remember sequences of numbers, letters, or colors, your child can also build essential skills like:
- Visual memorization
- Short and long-term memory
- Concentration
- Spatial and temporal awareness
Problem-Solving Activities
Puzzles and other similar activities can help your child improve their problem-solving skills. Activities like Sudoku, crosswords, and jigsaw puzzles are great examples of activities requiring your child to identify patterns and find creative solutions. You can also encourage your child to solve math problems or play board games.
Problem-solving tasks train the brain to think critically and develop skills such as:
- Logical reasoning
- Decision making
- Analytical thinking
- Creative problem solving
Visual Processing Activities
Children with learning disabilities often struggle with visual skills, including tracking objects, focusing on details, discriminating between similar objects, and visually sequencing information. Visual processing activities like identifying shapes or colors, playing matching games, or pattern recognition can help them improve their ability to process visual information.
Language Exercises
For children with reading disabilities, exercises that focus on phonemic awareness, such as rhyming games and sound-matching activities, can help improve their ability to recognize and manipulate sounds into words.
Comprehension exercises like story mapping and summarizing activities can also help your child improve their ability to understand and remember what they read. They are a great way to help your child organize their thoughts and parse through large amounts of information.
Attention and Focus Exercises
Activities that require sustained attention and focus, such as meditation and mindfulness practices, can help improve your child’s ability to stay focused and on task. Additionally, computer-based training programs that increase your child’s working memory capacity can help them learn, pay attention, self-regulate, and avoid impulsive action.
Discover Abbey Neuropsychology's Transformative Brain Training Program
To ensure your child has the tools necessary to improve their cognitive skills, they need an individualized brain training program crafted for their unique needs. This helps you address specific cognitive functions, like memory, math, or language proficiency, and track progress over
time.
At Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic, we’ve developed a Transformative Brain Program that helps each unique child establish the cognitive skills they need to succeed in school, sports, social situations, or at home. Whether your child struggles with reading comprehension or is unable to remain attentive in class, we can help them manage their learning disability and transform their lives.
Schedule an initial call today to learn more!