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Many common games are good for your students' brains. But problem-solving games are the best. Problem-solving games increase neural connectivity, the number of glial cells, and overall brain mass. Problem-solving games must have content that requires different ways to solve the problem, They must be challenging yet non-threatening. And problem-solving games must stimulate a variety of emotions. When choosing a problem-solving game to play with your intervention class, look to traditional games for ideas: Monopoly, Clue, Trivial Pursuit, Chutes and Ladders. 

Here's an example of an adapted game: use Monopoly as a graphic for your students. After read the text, have your students work in pairs to substitute, alter, and re-label the game. As the brain learns new material or a new reading strategy, it stimulates cells to grow branch-like extensions called dendrites. Each dendrite is another neural pathway by which cells can connect to each other. What we call going deeper with a piece of text really refers to cells making more connections and finding new pathways to other cells. Maximize the number of connections that your students make by providing multiple contexts to learning.

Try teaching a topic in several different ways. Encourage peer teaching. Use more small-group or partner work. There are many benefits to students working with a partner. Students learn to work with all types of people. Students learn to acknowledge individual differences. Students learn to relate to their peers. Students are actively involved in their learning. When working with a partner, there is more opportunity for personal feedback. Partnering students allows the teacher to be more flexible with working with individual students. The informal setting of a partnership helps build self-confidence in students.

Enhance learning by increasing the quantity and quality of feedback. Feedback can be as simple as verbal affirmation or a lengthy explanation of why an answer is correct. What ever form it takes, it's good for the brain. The feedback actually increases the number of dendrites in the brain. The brain is a complex organ that thrives on information. Long-lasting memory is affected by neural and dendrite growth. Feedback is necessary for this growth. The feedback must be daily.

Provide ways that students can find answers through self-correction. Have students use checklists and timelines to set daily and weekly goals. Have students summarize the day's learning in a short paragraph. Have students create the grading rubric. Use a variety of tools to provide feedback. Establish rituals to provide feedback. Your feedback should be educational. Feedback should always be given in a timely manner. The feedback should be sensitive to the student's needs.

Childhood games are an excellent way of reviewing content material. Some games are suited to repetition and drill. Others are good for raising the level of feel-good amine in the brain. Research shows that cognitin and emotions influence each other. Pay close attention to students' feelings before starting any game. Emotional states trigger either activity or inactivity. Are the students in the right frame of mind for what you want from them? Making emotional connections to material is important.

Emotional investment drives attention and motivation. Learning is more fun if it is attached to strong feelings. If students have a good feeling about what they've learned, they'll recall it later and they will want to come back for more.