Brain training game aids kids' learning skills, study claims
DS Lite sales to soar
A daily 20-minute ‘brain training’ session on the DS Lite appears to help improve kids' learning and behaviour skills, according to research conducted by government educational body Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS).
The organisation recently ran a ten-week trial at Dundee school St Columba's Primary. Children aged between ten and 11 spend the first 20 minutes of every school day playing More Brain Training with Dr Kawashima on the handheld console.
Teachers reported rapid improvements in pupil behaviour, co-operation with other kids and their ability to focus on lessons.
The study also recorded recognisable improvements in pupils’ mental arithmetic skills, concentration levels, quality of behaviour and ability get on with tasks on their own.
The trial has been so successful that daily sessions with the software may be implemented in other Scottish schools, LTS said.
Although the report’s findings seem positive for children, there’s no official recommendation that adults will get the same benefit by playing the game before work each day. However, it’s another weapon in your armoury of excuses if your boss catches you playing with a DS Lite during working hours...
COMMENTS
Brilliant!
Now the old "Pleeeese Mum/Dad, I need it to help with my homework" ploy can be used by a whole new generation of kids!
It certainly worked for me in 1982 with a ZX81 (and again the following year with a ZX Spectrum). :D
5/6yo vs P5/P6
Please read up on the original publication: it's not about 5/6-year-olds, but pupils in P5/P6, so almost twice as old... does make a difference, doesn't it?
Control groups?
Surely, in order for the study to be valid there should have been control groups doing something other than playing on the DS. Then you compare the results of the various groups and find out if your target group's results are owing to the brain train game, or if other activities would yield similar or better results.
One group with DS. One with comic books. One coloring. One being threatened with suffering if they don't do better than the other groups. Much more interesting possibilities than this dull one theory, one control, one result hooey.
Ministry of the Bleeding Obvious
I remember sitting down for an hour of maths every morning at school. It was usually the most boring part of the day, our teacher did it to us so she could have a cup of tea and sort out any other problems she had before actually doing any teaching.
Giving kids a nice shiny toy and saying "Play this game! It's designed to stimulate your brain!" is a pretty damn obvious way to engage their enthusiasm. They'll want to come to school if they get the shiny toyz to play with every morning, plus they're actually doing something good for the brain into the bargain.
Can't see the problem with it anywhere, except that no-one thought of it earlier.
