Starting a child off on the right foot is often a challenge and leads parents on a merry chase. They want to find the correct preschool offering or setting that will give the child the best opportunity to make it big in the world. But what all parents want most is a happy, well-adjusted child who will flourish and not struggle. To avoid the struggle as much as possible, it is important to understand cognitive development. Parents need to make sure their child’s brain has all the tools it needs to function at its best. The demands of the curriculum today are difficult for many parents to wrap their heads around. This makes it difficult to assist their student in the learning process, especially in the math field.
The methods of teaching math have changed drastically from the parents’ own experiences in the classroom. Gone are the days of math facts recitation repeatedly daily, and here are the times of multiple ways to get to a solution and show me each way. The process has become more important than the answer which is hard for many to grasp. Here are a few thoughts to help guide parents in this new competitive world.
Cognitive development is crucial to a child’s development of the skills that will follow him/her all the way through the school system. Unfortunately, many parents do not know to get a cognitive assessment done or even where or when to start this process. While it helps to take the assessment before starting school, it is never too late. Adults can benefit from knowing their own cognitive strengths and weaknesses so they too can work on enhancing their own skill sets. You can take the assessment with a local psychologist, a school diagnostician, or at LearningRx Shreveport-Bossier. Many preschools even partner with some of these resources to get screenings or offer discounts to these facilities.
What if the brain cannot process the information at the speed of delivery? This makes the student struggle to keep up with the others in the class and ultimately fall behind. What if the memory is not as strong as it should be because the apple didn’t fall far from the tree? Then the child struggles to remember what the teacher has told them or to follow multi-step directions when orally given.
So how do these things get addressed? Knowing the strengths helps to continue to build on these. Knowing the weaknesses allows for the intervention necessary to get the child off to the right start. After getting the results, then the fun begins. Cognitive intervention/exercise is much like physical exercise. Many times, it even involves using body movement as this connection is crucial in the brain. Gross body movement involves large muscle groups, while fine motor movements include tasks like handwriting. If a child has trouble with these movements, an occupational or physical therapist can help assess and treat the issue. A speech therapist can also assess and treat speech difficulties. Examples are delayed language or trouble forming certain sounds.
Cognitive therapy falls into two categories: behavioral and foundational. A cognitive behavioral therapist assesses and treats the behavior much like a counselor. Behavioral concerns are addressed with play therapy and other techniques. A cognitive trainer at LearningRx Shreveport-Bossier exercises the brain. It improves memory, processing speed, attention, and logic.
Cognitive exercise is something we all do to some extent because we use our thinking skills daily. When an area is weak, it is used less and thus never strengthens. It is the purpose of cognitive exercise to deliberately work these weak skills until they become stronger. As a result, IQ is boosted; and the student becomes a better learner at any age. IQ is simply the sum average of all our thinking skills. The stronger these skills are, the better the IQ. Neuroplasticity means that the brain is malleable and that it can be trained, which in turn boosts the sum average of the skills (IQ).
One of the most incredible ways to work on cognitive skills is simply through games. Games of all types including limited technological games have value. The interaction with the adult is what increases the vocabulary and trains the child to think. Learning to cook well means that one must practice the cooking and not just watch and read a recipe. Learning to play the piano means that one must practice doing so to become a master at it.
The same is true with thinking skills. To become a master at thinking and processing lots of new information – thoughts and data -, one must practice doing so. Games and toys that are difficult and challenge the child are beneficial and can boost great thinking skills. Card games are a great way to boost skills as you can see in our Facebook video. Other types of games with cognitive benefits are listed in Games for the Parent’s Toy Box. For more information on how games benefit children, go to Raise Smart Kids or Learning Works for Kids. You can also get our LearningRx game pack.
There are many free games and activities both online and homemade that can be beneficial to boosting a child’s cognitive function. Local facilities like Bricks for Kids and many more offer classes for music, dance, karate, and gymnastics. These work on different parts of the whole body/brain connection. The main point is to be deliberate. Be purposeful in choosing what activities your child does.
SchoolHouse Rock can be also beneficial, so put some music on that teaches a few facts and dance the night away with your preschooler. After all, the parent is the best toy/learning activity that a child can have. And that includes the cardboard box with which to make imaginary places. It is the imagination that takes us places through incredible reading and playing together.
** For more on this amazing research, check out the available studies online at LearningRx Shreveport Research. For more information on brain training in general, go to LearningRx Shreveport Brain Training. Contact the LearningRx Shreveport-Bossier center by calling 318.797.8523 or emailing shreveport.la@learningrx.net.
Sign up for our monthly newsletter here!
This article is by Donesa Walker, M.Ed., B.C.C.S., Owner and Executive Director of LearningRx Shreveport-Bossier. She has over 30 years of experience in teaching and educational administration. She opened LearningRx Shreveport-Bossier in 2008. She wanted to help families tackle the root issues behind dyslexia. Since then, both Donesa and her center have received a plethora of awards from local and national organizations. Donesa has published over 20 books and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Psychology. This article was previously published in LOLA magazine and The Collective .