Building your child'sbrain skills without breaking your budget

Bicycles,baby dolls, Nintendo - oh my! As parents, we're often tempted to spoil our kidsat Christmas - even if it means maxing out our credit cards in the process.We're also conflicted about what to buy them; video games and DVDs keep theirinterest, but we worry we're not doing enough to stimulate their minds.

Thereare compromises - for our wallets AND our guilty consciences - if we know whatwe're doing.

"Simple toys, when used properly,can help develop complex learning skills," says Tanya Mitchell, a brain-trainingexpert and author of "Unlock the Einstein Inside: Applying New Brain Science toWake Up the Smart in your Child." "Cognitive skills, like attention, auditoryand visual processing, memory and processing speed, are essential tools thathelp kids become better learners. Research now shows that learning skills canbe taught - and therefore improved. Brain training - like in these games thatparents can play with their kids - does for the mind what exercise does for thebody."

Here are a few simple games andmaterials that Mitchell recommends:

• Alphabet blocks or Scrabble tiles ($6-$12)

Help develop analysis skills byusing alphabet blocks to make up nonsense words starting with two to threeblocks (or tiles). Pick a vowel and a consonant and create a nonsense word,then have the child remove one of the blocks and add a new one while verballytrying to figure out what the new nonsense word sounds like. Great consonantsounds to start with are /b/ as in cab, /m/ as in ram, /t/ as in cat, /k/ as induck, /p/ as in cup. Start with four basic vowel sounds, /e/ as in Ed, /i/ asin it, /o/ as in on and /u/ as in up.

"If they can't read, just say thesounds for them," advises Mitchell. "And ask them to try to figure out fromhearing the sounds what the new word would sound like when they switch theblocks."

This builds phonemic awareness through soundblending and segmenting. And because this exercise is about sounds, not letterknowledge, parents should work with basic sounds and not use letter names,which can be confusing.

• Wedgits($19 - $45)

Use these building tools along withthe accompanying pictures of completed projects to increase attention, logicand reasoning, and visual processing. "Parents can use a stopwatch to encouragea fast completion," says Mitchell,"which increases processing speed."

•How-to-draw Books ($3 - $7)

These simple books are great forvisual processing, attention to detail, and planning.

• Speed Stack Cups ($10 - $40)

Thisfun, simple game is good to build speed, planning and eye-hand coordination.

• Old Maid ($3)

Spreadcards out face down and have children draw two at a time looking for matches.Cards that don't match are put back in the same location. This builds memoryand attention.

• Playing Cards ($2)

Time children while they sort cardsinto red and black piles, then challenge them to do it in a shorter time. Thenmake it harder by having them sort into three piles: red, black and face cards.Keep raising the level of intensity by asking them do it faster and

by adding challenges, such as having them count by 2s or 3swhile they're sorting. An excellent way to build divided attention andprocessing speed.

• Puzzles ($2 - $15)

"Math, science, test taking and,most importantly, reading comprehension, all require visualization skills,"says Mitchell. "Puzzles are great tools to develop visual discrimination, aswell as logic and reasoning."

• Simon ($13 - $35)

Childrencan increase their sequential processing, short-term memory, attention andvisual processing with this sound and light mimicking game.

• Soduko ($2 - $5)

Availablefor children and teens of all ages, this numbers puzzle can strengthendeductive and intuitive reasoning, numerical fluency, planning, problemsolving, working memory and sequential processing.

• Chess ($5 - $30)

Aclassic brain game, chess helps with divided attention, executive processing,logic and reasoning, planning and problem solving.

Mitchellencourages parents to look for games that are appropriate for their child'sage, as well as any cognitive weaknesses of which they're aware.

"Aparent whose child has Attention Deficit Disorder, for example, would want toshop for toys that improve attention," explains Mitchell. "Likewise, a childwho struggles with reading would benefit from games that practice soundblending and segmenting."

Fora free list of more than 30 games and the skills they strengthen, visitwww.unlocktheeinsteininside.com.