Cognitive stimulation is a fundamental neuropsychological technique for improving mental capacity in people. When applied to children, cognitive stimulation aims to improve basic cognitive processes, including memory, attention, and reasoning. Today, we focus on activities for improving reasoning in children.
What is reasoning?
Reasoning is a critical function for daily life since it involves the ability to compare results, make inferences, and establish abstract relationships. In other words, reasoning is the ability to consciously solve problems by establishing causal relationships between them. As all cognitive functions, reasoning can be improved not only in adults but also in children.
How can reasoning be trained in children?
Cognitive stimulation is an ideal technique for training reasoning. Therefore, today we introduce activities for improving reasoning in children:
Activities for improving reasoning in children
1. Converting Numbers into Words
This first activity to improve logical reasoning skills in children involves matching the numbers to their corresponding words. For instance, 887 to “eight hundred eighty-seven”. Students get to train two other cognitive functions with this exercise: semantic memory and reading.
2. Step by Step
“Step by step” is an ideal activity if you seek to improve reasoning in kids with the help of worksheets. This exercise involves identifying the correct sequence of steps necessary to perform a task.
The following example is a basic level worksheet for improving reasoning in children:
Now, we introduce an advanced level reasoning worksheet for kids:
In addition to reasoning, these worksheets also target planning.
3. Organize the Farm
“Organize the farm” is another activity to help kids develop their logical reasoning skills. In this game, children must complete a grid with pictures by following the instructions. In this farm, a different animal must be placed within each lot, each row, and each column. Children must put them in place so that they do not run away!
This activity is designed to train working memory, flexibility, planning, and reasoning.
4. Mixing Numbers
“Mixing numbers” is the last activity that we introduce today for building reasoning skills in children. In this math reasoning activity, children must classify a series of numbers according to their numerical value.
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I now have a 19 years old daughter born premature (27 weeks or less by two days?). The affected area is mainly the frontal lobe. She has a learning disability, social anxiety and fine motor skills issues. She is quite timid but has problems processing information or manipulating pieces of information. What exercises can she do to increase memory and confidence?
Hi Luisa,
From NeuronUP we thank you for sharing with us your story.
We recommend to trust the specialists who are the ones who can help her. Going to professionals is the best way to get the right tools for this type of situation. So you should take her to see a professional. NeuronUP is a cognitive rehabilitation and stimulation platform for professionals, if you wish to work with NeuronUP, you can inform your therapist about our tool and we will help you choose the plan that best suits your needs.
Best regards!