Cognitive Flexibility
Additionally, cognitive flexibility is needed for effective problem solving, as it sheds light on new perspectives and helps children come up with multiple solutions to an issue.
Cognitive flexibility builds on the other two core executive functions. According to early childhood educator Amanda Morin, cognitive flexibility actually involves the development and use of two skills: flexible thinking and set shifting. The former is when children are able to think about something in a new way, and the latter involves the ability to let go of old learning and embrace new ways to approach a problem or do something.
Cognitive flexibility is not yet developed in very young children. However, a parent can help their child sharpen this crucial cognitive skill through engaging in the following fun activities at home:
Toddlers
- Bring their young child outdoors. Nature presents different stimuli, such as sounds, textures, temperatures, and smells, that provide their toddler with many opportunities to shift focus, while understanding that everything is interconnected. Parents can help their child along this journey of learning by prompting with, “Look at this tree! Touch the bark—what do you feel? Now touch the leaves! How do they feel?”
- Change routines slightly. Routines are great, but when a young child grows up, society is not going to present them with predictable experiences. Parents can enable their toddler’s gear-shifting ability to embrace change by including very small changes in their routines. For example, if a parent always dresses their child by putting on their t-shirt before their socks, they could switch the order and observe if their child notices (and reacts) to the change.
- Give surprises! A pleasant and exciting way for young children to hone cognitive flexibility is through the introduction of occasional surprises in their day. For example, parents can pack their child’s favorite toy and surprise them with it when they reach their destination after a walk together. Their child will need to shift attention and adjust to this exciting, new “twist.”
Preschoolers
- Engage in pretend play. Imaginary play encourages a child to assign multiple roles or uses to one object. For example, a stick can function as a wand, a baton, or an oar. The ability to look at the same thing in a different light triggers imagination and hones cognitive flexibility.
- Change rules of favorite games. It doesn’t have to be a huge change. For example, this could be as simple as swinging their child in the opposite direction of what they are used to on the swing.
- Encourage tactile stimulation through arts and crafts. Using different bits and pieces to create one “masterpiece” teaches a young child that there are many uses for an item, or that they have the ability to transform one or two items into something else. For example, soil and water when mixed become mud, or a simple piece of cardboard transforms into the roof of a house.
Primary Schoolers
- Encourage reading. Children need to use flexible thinking to understand the rules of language. Cognitive flexibility enables a child to correctly pronounce the words “dough” and “tough,” by understanding how the same combination of letters can make different sounds. They also learn that the same word can have different meanings depending on the context, such as in “This bird is a crane” versus “The crane lifts the blocks.”
- Promote writing. Children have to think flexibly in order to create an interesting, meaningful, and comprehensive piece of writing. However, parents should not make it a chore. They can encourage their child to write in a journal or put their experiences in writing after a fun day out.
- Teach their child a second language. In order to master two languages, a child’s brain has to switch between the rules of each in order to learn them both, thus enhancing cognitive flexibility.
Reference
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/positiveparenting/middle.html