B a r b a r a s h e r I l L u s t r a t I o n s b y r a L p h

T
Y P E S O F
A
T T E N T I O N
E
N C O U R A G E D
Open and focused
M
A T E R I A L S
None
D
I R E C T I O N S
Take any facts your teenager needs to remember, such as facts that need to be
memorized for school, and help her make a visual picture that incorporates
Games for Teens
155
10_736546 ch05.qxp 5/26/06 12:01 PM Page 155

---

the key words. The vision doesn’t have to make sense and probably works
best the more ridiculous it is.
You can practice this technique by taking a grocery list and making a
picture in your head that includes all the items. It might look like a pineap-
ple with a sausage link necklace riding on a loaf of bread and . . . well, you
get the idea. Go to the store together and see how many items you
both remembered using this technique.
V
A R I A T I O N S
⽧ Make an acronym: use the first letters of each of the
items to make a word.
⽧ Make an acrostic: use the first letters of the key
words to make a sentence.
W
H A T
’
S
B
E I N G
L
E A R N E D
All children can benefit from incorporating this technique, especially in a
school setting. They are learning the benefits of combining focusing with
an open imagination. Children with ADD and some children with an
Autistic Spectrum Disorder such as Asperger’s are said to have superior
visual skills and would find it especially helpful.
Send Joy to Bulgaria
Even though feelings of being alone and isolated seem to be part of our
human existence, in many ways we are connected to everyone else in the
universe. Whatever happens to one of us has an impact on us all.
This game uses that universal connection to help your teenager focus
and enjoy trying to connect with someone far away.