Logic

Play logic puzzles with your kids. Do Mad Libs. Play with Tangrams. Make learning an experience.

These are things my mom and dad did, guess what, they are helping my mind to work on new pathways and heal more completely than if there was no basis to build on. With new ideas and tools presented in Speech and Occupational therapy I have a foundation to build on. It is shaky and incomplete, but it is a matter of connecting the missing pieces.

Today I worked on simple logic puzzles. It was challenging and fun. I can do the simplest problem solving. For example:

1. Mrs. Shore is Mary Jane's mother. Mrs. Desmond is Mrs. Shore's mother. How is Mrs. Desmond related to Mary Jane?

Yup, I had to diagram it. I got caught in all the M's. Thanks to my parents and their creative approach to learning, I knew to diagram it.

Play with your kids. Teach them to use resources to access different parts of their brain. I was always a visual learner before. Now I am much more kinesthetic. I go through the motions and actually require textures to access some of my reasoning skills. A rough towel placed over my work area helps me to stay focused and present in the now while I work to complete my homework assignments.


Games that can help access learning and reasoning:

1. Word games- word finds, crossword puzzles, Boggle
2. Jigsaw puzzles- work at different levels for different skill levels. Have the images be something you like. Make it fun. You can even work through photo printing to have personal photos reproduced into puzzles. (Walmart photo center can do it, but there are some really cool sites that have online resources too.)
3. Hidden picture games. Or, more personally, find the Thimble. Hide a small object in plain view in your home. When someone finds it, they win a small reward in addition to getting to hide it next. The trick is small and plain view. A thimble is perfect.
4. Memory- work with smaller grouping according to skill level. Again, make the images relate to the person. (I have a Princess Bride card pack that I use; I can only work with 10 pairs, anymore is overwhelming.)

Daily activities to stretch your mind:

1. Complete tasks out of order/sequence. (Not even close for me yet.)
2. Try doing some activities without using visual cues. Close your eyes, when safe to do so. I can walk better and more smoothly when not trusting my vision. (My body remembers how to move without my mind in the way.)
3. Try completing tasks with your non-dominant hand.

Play, have fun. Learning is more than just reading and reciting. More than calculating and figuring.

God Bless.