Step 4: Cognitive Skills

Here is a brief description of the skills:

What to do:

There are many things you can do and purchase of all price ranges. Pyramid of Potential, Inc. has several for sale, but I want you to determine the best choice for you in your circumstance.

Guidelines:

Cognitive skills training will work well if the skill above is worked on at least 5 days a week at a challenging level. If the level is too easy, it does not change the brain - the connections are already there. If it is too hard, people tend to shut down out of frustration. The level must be challenging and engaging. If a person has significant anxiety, it may be difficult to work at this level. In this case, work to integrate the Moro Reflex.

Continue to work on the skill for about 30 working days (6 weeks if doing only 5 days a week).

Apps and on-line programs:

These can be great and mostly inexpensive, but they come with a caution: the person who is doing the work must be self-motivated, even when the work is challenging. If a parent, friend, teacher or coach is involved, the program can work well.

Learning Centers and Coaches:

You may be able to find a coach and training for an individual in your area by searching the following places:

Brain Advancement Coaches, trained by Pyramid of Potential and Kathy Johnson for an intensive 4 month program: http://www.brainadvancementteam.com/locate-a-coach/

Learning Rx, http://www.learningrx.com/locator/

Do it yourself:

Card games:

Sort a deck of cards into suits as fast as you can to improve processing speed.

Play Blink and Set to improve reasoning skills.

Workbooks:

There are workbooks that work on one skill at a time, such as Sudoku which can improve working memory and reasoning. www.mindware.com has several selections for improving logic and reasoning skills. Take a look around and you will be able to find simple workbooks for several skills.

There are two excellent workbooks that combine the skills for you, available from www.pyramidofpotential.com/store.

For elementary age kids, look for Growing Brains Everyday which includes activities to be done 10 minutes a day, 5 days a week for 150 days. It's on sale until October 31 (hurry!), and more information can be found at www.pyramidofpotential.com/growing-brains. It includes ALL steps to increase IQ.

For older children and adults, I recommend Equipping Minds Workbook, found directly at http://www.pyramidofpotential.com/products-for-parents/. It includes a copy of Maintaining Brains as well.

Be a brain trainer:

To become a coach to work on yourself, your children, or others, go to www.brainadvancementteam.com  for more information. Although the next class doesn't start until February 1, we are offering a huge early bird special through November - $100 off!