Smart Mom’s Toy Box: November 2010

Smart Mom’s Toy Box: Good Old Fashioned Family Fun Games

During the holidays, family and friends often gather to play games overa piece of pumpkin pie or munch on cute Christmas cookies. Remember gamesyou used to play as a kid? Maybe it was Scrabble or Uno or Chess. Perhapsyou don’t remember the specifics, but it was more about being togetherand enjoying a laugh or a good challenge. No matter what, this holidayseason, break out the games! There are so many that sharpen your cognitiveskills (see bottom of page for definition of cognitive skills) and makeyour minds just a little more fit. Don’t let the turkey make yourbrain slow down this Christmas. Have fun and learn at the same time!

Expert Advice on Choosing Toys and Games

Nationally renowned brain training experts Ken Gibson and Tanya Mitchellhave created a free list to help parents shop for toys, games, and brainactivities that will help improve their children’s learning skills.(See the bottom of the page for a list of cognitive skills and their descriptions.)“Our hope is that parents will shop wisely for toys this year, purchasingtoys that can help develop the cognitive skills that make learning possible—likeauditory and visual processing, memory, logic and reasoning, processingspeed, and attention,” says Gibson.“Research now shows that learning skills can be taught—andtherefore improved. Brain skills training does for the mind what physicalexercise does for the body.”

“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 fromgames that practice sound blending and segmenting.”

Gibson is the founder of national brain training franchise LearningRx,and the co-author of“Unlock the Einstein Inside: Applying New Brain Science to Wake Upthe Smart in Your Child” with Mitchell.

Things to Keep in Mind

  • A smart toy box will focus on all major learning skills.
  • Parents can help their kids get smarter at any age.
  • Brain research shows that the brain continues to grow throughout life.
  • Parents should help prepare a good learner for school by developing learning skills.
  • Parents should take 30 minutes 3 times per week to work on developing these skills.
  • The best way to strengthen learning skills is to use fun, game-like activities.
  • Studies show that reading problems can be prevented.

1. Apples to Apples

Original version $20.00Jewish Edition $20.00Junior (Jewish, 9+) $24.97Bible Edition $20.74Disney $19.99Kids (7+) $15.42On-the-Go $13.10 Junior $19.99

Skills it strengthens: Executive Processing Inductive Reasoning Logic and Reasoning Planning Problem Solving

2. Chess

Classic Wood Chess Set $14.90

Skills it strengthens: Divided Attention Executive Processing Logic and Reasoning Planning Problem Solving Sequential Processing

3. Legos

LEGO Ultimate Building Set (405 pieces) $24.54

Skills they strengthen: Deductive Reasoning Executive Processing Planning Problem Solving Sequential Processing

4. Puzzles

Ravensburger Puzzle (3000 pieces) $24.88The Learning Journey Animal Puzzle (48-piece puzzle) $9.49Hollywood Ultimate Trivia Collection Puzzle (1000 pieces) $12.79

Skills they strengthen: Deductive Reasoning Inductive Reasoning Planning Problem Solving Short-Term Memory Visual Processing Working Memory

5. Scrabble

Scrabble Board $12.00Bananagrams $14.60

Skills it strengthens: Deductive Reasoning Inductive Reasoning Long-Term Memory Problem Solving Sequential Processing Short-Term Memory Simultaneous Processing Visual Processing Word Attack

6. Sequence

Sequence Original $19.36Jax Sequence States and Capitals $18.28

Skills it strengthens: Logic and Reasoning Planning Problem Solving Sequential Processing Visual Processing Working Memory

7. Slap Jack

Slap Jack Card Game $2.99

Skills it strengthens: Logic and Reasoning Numerical Concept Numerical Fluency Planning Selective Attention Sequential Processing Short-Term Memory Visual Processing

8. Stare! and Stare! Junior

Stare! 2nd Edition $27.99Stare! Junior 2nd Edition $21.99

Skills they strengthen: Long-Term Memory Short-Term Memory Visual Processing Working Memory

9. Uno

UNO Original Card Game $6.20UNO Attack! $20.00UNO Horse Edition $12.99UNO Star Trek Edition $12.99UNO It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Edition $12.99UNO Wizard of Oz $12.99

Skills it strengthens: Logic and Reasoning Numerical Concept Numerical Fluency Short-Term Memory Sustained Attention Visual Processing Working Memory

10. Say What?

Say What? $27.30

Skills it strengthens: Auditory Processing Divided Attention Logic and Reasoning Processing Speed Problem Solving Selective Attention Sequential Processing Short-Term Memory Sustained Attention Working Memory

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These websites and analyses are provided by LearningRx. We do not supportany particular website or store, but just want to bring you some initialresources to find these games more easily! We searched for the best pricesto keep these games within a reasonable budget. Have fun!

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The Smart Mom’s Toy Box… Building your child’s brain skills without breaking your budget

To find out more about LearningRx’s programs for preschoolers, elementarystudents, middle and high school kids, college students, and adults, go to theLearningRx Home Page. Prices may vary from day to day on Amazon, Target, Walmart, or other websites.

Cognitive Skills: What Are They and Why Do We Need Them?

Auditory Processing: to process sounds. Helps one hear the difference, order, and number ofsounds in words faster; basic skill needed to learn to read and spell;helps with speech defects.

Auditory Discrimination: to hear differences in sounds such as loudness, pitch, duration, and phoneme.

Auditory Segmenting: to break apart a word into its separate sounds.

Auditory Blending: to blend individual sounds to form words.

Auditory Analysis: to determine the number, sequence, and which sounds are within a word.

Deductive Reasoning: inference in which the conclusion about particulars follows necessarilyfrom general or universal premises; the ability to deduce.

Divided Attention: to attend to and handle two or more tasks at one time such as taking noteswhile listening and carrying totals while adding the next column withoutmaking errors. Required for handling tasks quickly or complete tasks withcomplexity.

Executive Processing: a constellation of several complex, inter-related mental operations orconstructs including the allocation of attentional resources, workingmemory, planning, problem solving, response inhibition, self-monitoringand regulation, and the maintenance of mental sets.

Inductive Reasoning: to make generalized conclusions from particular instances.

Logic & Reasoning: to reason, plan, and think.

Long-Term Memory: to store information and fluently retrieve it later in the process of thinking.

Math Computations: to do math calculations such as adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing.

Numerical Concept: to understand the meaning of numbers and their relationship with othernumbers and quantities.

Numerical Fluency: to quickly, efficiently, and accurately apply relationships between number concepts.

Planning: to prioritize information and organize processes into a logical, sequential order.

Problem Solving: to organize information, define the goal of inquiry, plan a series ofsequential steps, and apply the steps accurately to satisfy the goal of inquiry.

Processing Speed: the speed at which the brain processes information. Makes reading fasterand less tiring; makes one more aware of his or her surrounding environment;helps with sports such as basketball, football, and soccer and activitiessuch as driving.

Selective Attention: to stay on task even when distraction is present.

Sensory Motor Integration: to have sensory skills work well with motor skills—i.e. eye-handcoordination.

Sequential Processing: to process chunks of information received one after another.

Short-Term Memory: ability to apprehend and hold information in immediate awareness and useit within a few seconds.

Sustained Attention: to be able to stay on task.

Visual Processing: the ability to accurately create, maintain, and analyze a visual representationor picture mentally. Helps one understand and “see” math wordproblems and read maps; improves the ability to accurately perform mentalmath and computations; improves reading and comprehension skills.

Working Memory: to retain information while processing or using it.

Take the First Step!

Contact us today to book an assessment and get started with Learning Rx!