Concentration directs a student’s attention consciously. Concentration does not come naturally to students. It is a skill that requires practice to improve. Increased concentration on activities helps increase productivity and helps to manage stress.
Concentration through Games and Puzzles
Board games, jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, chess, checkers, and other games prevent some of the summer slide of skills. Games promote logic and reasoning skills. Puzzles reinforce and strengthen brain cells and form new ones.
- Jigsaw puzzles build comprehension. Working with siblings, peers, 0r other family members puzzles promotes cooperative learning. It improves listening, communication, and problem-solving skills.
- Word games help increase skills in spelling and reading. Crossword puzzles and word searches promote skills. They use both hemispheres of the brain and provide a mental workout.
- Word searches develop vocabulary and spelling skills for all ages.
- Anagrams also strengthen vocabulary skills and encourage the use of creative words.
- Mystery puzzles sharpen logic and reasoning skills. These puzzles require reading a story, assembling the puzzle, and solving a mystery.
Puzzles and games require a variety of approaches. Thus, students use trial and error and plan different theories. Crossword and jigsaw puzzles require spatial reasoning skills. Puzzles help the brain regulate mood, memory, and concentration by releasing dopamine in the brain. Thus, working puzzles for about 25 minutes a day raises the IQ by 4 points.
Brain Fitness
Brain fitness is important all year. It helps prevent the summer learning slide. It’s not just for the school year. It’s defined as “the ability of the brain to learn what the organism needs to know to survive in a changing environment.” the brain improves cognitive health. The brain undergoes constant changes with new connections and pathways. A fit brain lowers cognitive aging. It’s based on the understanding of the ability to train or rehabilitate itself through brain plasticity.
Students need to maintain skills during the summer months or during time off from school. The most important skills include:
- Working memory is most important. It enables students to store information and comprehend language, reading, and reasoning. It is in the short-term memory.
- The ability to plan is a fundamental skill. Through puzzles and games, students create a plan to carry out tasks for a specific goal.
- In the games and puzzles, students focus attention on the process and the goal.
Summer will always be a challenge for busy families. Thus, there are many ways to keep students busy and learning. Loss of learning happens as students do not use the skills they’ve learned throughout the year.
