There is a great deal of attention focused on the importance of executive functions for successful learning. Executive functions are skills that help your child develop
Self-control
Working Memory
Cognitive Flexibility
Together, executive skills allow your child to plan, reason, pay attention and multi-task. These skills then help your child to develop other abilities, such as, understanding how others might be thinking or feeling. You can help your child to improve his/her executive function skills as early as 5 years of age by playing games.
That’s right, playing games can promote executive function skills. Playing games help children to think strategically, solve problems creatively, and develop social skills. I am not referring to the electronic kind, nor am I talking about the adult organized or structured activities such as lessons, athletic practice or highly organized camps. Children who participate in those activities get fewer opportunities to strengthen self-directed executive function. I am talking about board games, card games, and pretend play with others. I am talking about games that are fun for the family and big on educational benefit (as it turns out!).
At first, it might be hard work to learn to play a new game. Your child may need a social story ~ What we can learn from Losing a Game
http://jillkuzma.wordpress.com/friendship-interaction-skills/teacWhathing-ideas
With practice and lots of modeling a game can be fun. Here are a few of the games we love at Autastic Avenues along with some of the executive skills promoted by playing:
Zingo! Encourages matching and quick thinking as well as:
Emotional control – keeping your cool and staying focused throughout the game.
Flexibility- if you are not the first player to call out the name of the picture on the game chip, then you wait for the next one!
Working memory – remembering all the pictures on your card so that you don’t have to scan it with each play.
UNO is a favorite at Autastic Avenues. We play many different versions (changing up the rules occasionally helps with flexibility).
Response Inhibition – keep a poker face!
Working Memory – remember to say “UNO!”
Emotional Control – be a good sport, focus on the game and take changes in the game in stride.
Plan/Prioritize – make a plan based on the cards in your hand.
Goal directed persistence – Don’t give up when you keep changing your plan.
Sustained Attention – UNO can be a long game!
Out Burst Jr. is a great game for developing vocabulary. Sometimes we play in teams and sometimes not.
Time Management – thinking of all 10 items in a given category before the time runs out.
Impulse control – resisting the urge to “blurt” answers when it is not your turn
For a complete list of the games we use contact us ~ [email protected]