|
Body
|
Cognitive flexibility is related to how quickly your child adjusts to new situations or switches their attention to something else easily. It's one of the three executive function skills, alongside working memory and self control, which allow us to plan, set goals and achieve them. Each skill plays an important role in how your child learns, and they’re all connected.
In particular, this skill works closely with working memory for children to be creative and see things from different perspectives. Research has linked cognitive flexibility to the way information is taken in and processed – so it’s needed for effective learning.
Help your child learn the ability to adjust with these easy ideas.
Age one: read aloud
Reading aloud to your one-year-old develops language, literacy, and social skills. It exposes toddlers to words that have various meanings, and they’ll hear about different characters and scenarios and need to make sense of them. Choose books with visual and tactile cues to make reading stimulating and fun; your one-year-old will find it easier to understand the meanings if they can see and touch images in the book. Also, keep interacting with your child and ask open-ended questions like, “What did the pink dog say?” to help improve memory, language and critical thinking skills.
Age two: Try pretend play
Pretend play is perfect for toddlers. In your child’s mind, an empty box can magically transform into a space shuttle, a stick can become a guitar... There’s no limit! Imaginary play stimulates creativity and improves the ability to look at things from different perspectives, as kids need to keep thinking of new roles for “characters” and new scenarios. Anything can be a prop, from playground equipment to a cardboard box – make suggestions yourself and join in the fun! Also, encourage dress-up games with old clothes, hats or bags.
Age three: Play sorting games
One task this age group commonly struggle with is sorting according to different categories. But you can help your little one practice by playing simple card games – whatever kid of cards you have, ask your child to sort the pack according to a category (for example, pick out all the animals). Repeat this a couple of times and then change the category (now sort by color). Keep switching the rules to help your child learn to adjust.
Age four: Play listening games
Your four-year-old has high energy levels and is developing fast. Fun activities that practice listening skills are perfect now. Try games like Sleeping Lions, Simon Says and Red Light, Green Light, which will sharpen your child’s focus. Changing the rules will also teach your child to look at the games in a new way and update how they play. To play Red Light, Green Light in the garden or park, choose a start line and a finish line – when you say, “Green light,” everyone runs to the finish line. If you say, “Red light,” they must stop and stay still (or start at the beginning). After a few rounds, announce a change to the rule and introduce new lights – for example, blue for skipping, or yellow for hopping. Or give two instructions at once to encourage careful listening. Let your child be in charge too, and allow them to make up their own rules.
Age five: Change daily routines
A daily routine is important in building consistency in your child’s life. Changing it might seem daunting, but don’t worry – your child is much more resilient than you think. Doing things that are out of the ordinary helps to build and strengthen neural pathways as children process and adapt to these small changes, meaning they can swiftly adapt to change in similar situations in the future. Try a different route home from school and encourage your five-year-old to help with directions by giving them a simple map. Your child will develop mental flexibility as they “read” the map.
Age six: Tell jokes
Have a good laugh and help your child to build cognitive flexibility by telling them some jokes! Tell your child a joke that involves play of words and language (for example, “What do you call friends you like to eat with? Tastebuds!”) Take time to explain what the punchline means and how the word “tastebuds” contains two meanings in the context of this joke. Encourage your child to come up with their own jokes; your six-year-old will develop their language skills and you’ll both have a giggle.
Age seven: Talk through problems
Your seven-year-old is growing at an incredible rate, physically and cognitively. But even though their abilities are developing, your child will come across new challenges, both at home and at school. Teach them to cope by talking through problem by themselves (self-talk). This teaches kids to look at the situation from a new perspective and come up with solutions. It will also help to boost your child’s confidence. Talk through an imaginary situation and ask a routine set of questions, such as, “Have I faced this before?” and “What would I do differently this time?” Discuss a variety of solutions and decode which works best in the situation, teaching your child that taking responsibility for their own actions is a good habit.
Remember: Kids will benefit from well-developed cognitive flexibility to make sense of new information and adapt to unfamiliar situations now and in the future as adults.
UTM-EM-055-APR-21
References:
Understood - How to help kids build flexible thinking skills
Neeuro - How Cognitive Flexibility Can Make You (and Your Kids) More Productive!
PBS - Flexible Thinking: How to Encourage Kids to Go With the Flow
Thinkergarden - ways to help your kids develop cognitive flexibility
Journal of Experimental Child Psychology - Cognitive flexibility in young children: General or task-specific capacity?
|
