She was interested in hearing about the “opposite” game played by researchers as “all of a sudden, the brain says, what’s going on here,” she says, adding she plans to use this new technique in class. It’s all about building relationships, and seeing mom and dad play, too.” “As a teacher, I know it is important but it is also fun. Toronto teacher Erinn Clark, currently on maternity leave, has seen the importance of these types of instructional game in both the classroom and at home.Īs a French immersion teacher, Clark has used Simon Dit (Simon Says) to improve students’ vocabulary and help them follow instructions as well as give them a chance to be the leader of the game.Īt home, it’s the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulder game, in French because she wants her two children, Sayako, 4, and Gemma, 22 months, to have good French language skills. She will be testing the game at an Oregon Head Start program, which promotes school readiness. It is being heralded as a possible early intervention technique to bring children from disadvantaged backgrounds up to the level of their peers. Department of Education to do a four-year study to evaluate and refine the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulder game that could be used by educators to find out if students are prepared for school. McLelland has just received a $1.6 million grant from the U.S. The part of the brain that controls self-regulation is often referred to as the “executive function” of the brain, she says, and the early training of these repetitive memory games means the child learns that when things get difficult - such as memorizing mathematical tables - “They say, I can do this. ![]() “They say, are you trying to trick me,” laughs McClelland, “You can see their minds working, and then we add more and more.” McClelland, who plays Red light, Green light with her own toddler, says the study’s game increased in difficulty with children instructed to do the opposite, to stop, remember and pay attention. The study of self-regulation as a doorway to academic success is a growing field, says Wanless, with the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulder game being increasingly seen as a way to instill this in preschoolers. Wanless, her former graduate student, has since been appointed associate professor in the University of Pittsburgh’s College of Education. The study published in June in the journal Psychological Assessment was co-authored by Megan McClelland, an associate professor of human development and family science at Oregon State University. “If we can help them improve their self-regulation skills, they will do better in school,” says Wanless, “It’s available to all and it’s fun and it’s fantastic to see kids having fun.” The study is titled Preschool-age kids in different countries improve academically using self-regulation game. No-cost games such as Red Light, Green Light and Simon Says present a great opportunity for educators and parents to help prepare young children for the rigors of later learning, she says, especially for at-risk children. “Although there were differences in classrooms and parenting, scoring better on this task helped children do better, no matter what the environment.” ![]() ![]() “The universality of these skills is amazing,” says Wanless. The educator’s study of 800 preschool children in four countries found that whether in Taiwan, China, South Korea or the U.S., children who could master the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulder game had better early math and literacy scores. Wanless, an expert in human development, is honing their self-regulation skills - the ability to remember, follow instructions, concentrate and make decisions - that will help them succeed in school later. As she sings a little song and points to parts of her body, the children follow suit. She frequently has her two children, Maryella, 4, and Charlie, 2, playing Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulder at her local park. Shannon Wanless knows the importance of playing follow-the-leader games.
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