Picture this....a young boy doing his daily school work at his desk. You're working with him on science. The 'deer in the headlights syndrome' is taking over. (In case you aren't familiar with this syndrome, the symptoms include but are not limited to: slouched shoulders; head propped up with hand; eyes open but staring off into space, then rolling into the back of the eyelids; excessive, almost debilitating yawns; followed by loud snoring. (only slightly kidding here). Bottom line - you are losing your student.
You look at the clock, see that lunchtime is approaching, realize that the brain sitting before you needs to WAKE UP!, and you say something like, "Let's do some of these activities just before we break for lunch." Miraculously, the half-dead, zombie-like student that slouched before you moments before is now wide-eyed, smiling, and awake. His pencil is gripped firmly in his hand anticipating the unfolding of the book, and the sound of an enthusiastic, "Whoopee!" fills the air. (still only slightly kidding)
What, you ask, could elicit such a reaction?
It's Mind Benders, the deductive reasoning puzzles loved by children and useful in teaching and developing logic, deductive reasoning, and reading comprehension - all while having fun. Don't let your kids miss this resource.
There is just a slight exaggeration to my description of the response I described above. My son helped me coin the phrase, "The Can We do More, Mom? Books" - a list of resources my son just couldn't get enough of and didn't want to quit. Mind Benders is the first resource I recommend to you if you want to get a great deal of benefit for very little investment of time or money.
But, the story doesn't end quite yet. After working a couple of puzzles, I announce that it's time for lunch. This growing, seemingly always hungry boy groans in disappointment. He looks at your face pleadingly and says, "Can we do just one more, Mom? Pleeeeese?" It's hard, but you are committed today. You intend to get lunch done on time and move him on to his English, or Spanish, or whatever is scheduled for the afternoon. You shake your head, "No". He is undaunted, considers his alternatives and asks, "Well, then can I take it up to lunch with me?" Hmmmm, let me think that one over for about 1/100 of a millisecond....of course you can! And he does! I stopped pinching myself long ago for this 'too good to be true' event.
"Mind candy", that's what these puzzles are and so much more. The Mind Benders series, which starts with a preschool version using pictures to aid in the deduction, provides exercises that even adults would find challenging. Surprisingly, at the B-levels, students studying for the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) will find deductive reasoning puzzles to help them do meaningful preparation in this style of thinking.
In addition to teaching children to think logically the puzzles can be used to motivate struggling readers. The short verbal-based clues require students to read carefully each and every word. A missed 'not' in the clue can result in a logical wrong turn. Children who tend to read too fast will discover the benefits of slow, careful reading with comprehension when working with the Mind Benders series.
Pick up a copy at my online shopping center. Then post here about how your children rave about these activities... I know they will!
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