Brain training can be helpful for improving emotional control in children, as well as helping with executive function, working memory, and more. However, what evidence-based interventions and self-regulation activities can be integrated to get a positive result? Here, we explore if brain training can actually help to improve a children’s emotional regulation and more.
What do We Mean by “Brain Training” for Children?
Brain training as we know it is typically a series of structured activities that are designed to exercise cognitive skills. This can include memory games, attention tasks, impulse-control exercises, or computer-based “brain-training” software, depending on what you would like to strengthen.
The idea behind brain training is simple — treat the brain like a muscle. You must stimulate it in targeted ways to strengthen neural pathways, and over time those ‘mental muscles’ will get stronger.
If you are thinking about signing your child up for brain training or doing it yourself, please remember that brain training can take many different forms. There isn’t a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to do it, and personal preferences and baseline abilities will play a key part in what works and what doesn’t.
Why Is Brain Training Popular?
Many people are drawn to brain training for a number of reasons, including the potential improvement in areas such as emotional control, working memory, focus, and more. Not only that, but brain training is accessible and a proactive step that can be taken to not only improve on areas of cognition, but also help as a preventative measure for individuals who are concerned about some aspects of brain function.
While methods and interventions such as behaviour management or talking are useful and have their place, many families also like to do something proactive to support their child’s mental and emotional growth. Brain training can be perfect for this, as we can help children and adults alike work to improve emotional control, working memory, and more — but this takes dedication.
Brain training is also popular among many people for one very simple reason: it’s accessible for everyone! Whether you are a child or older adult, or have a laptop or only a phone, these activities can be done via a variety of means. Many exercises are relatively simple and fun, making the ‘work’ feel like it isn’t work at all.
Can Brain Training Actually Improve Emotional Control in Kids? What Does the Research Say?
To-date, research on the impact of brain training on emotional control in children is mixed, but there is promising evidence to explore. Many studies throw out broad and life-changing claims about brain training, and we would like to remind you that these exercises are not a ‘fix all’, and should be used as part of a holistic approach—and certainly not be used instead of modern medicine.
What Recent Research Supports the Claim?
Recent studies have looked at the impact of brain training on emotional control in preschool children. For example, Xie, Liu, and Fang (2021) found that cognitive training that targeted executive functions (inhibitory control and working memory) resulted in the test group children (30 total) using adaptive emotional regulation strategies and a reduction in maladaptive strategies compared to the control group (31 total).
Another study by Li et al., 2020 found that the four-year-olds assigned to the emotional function training group scored significantly higher on emotional competence compared to the control group. This included emotional regulation as well as emotional comprehension. This study also noted that there may be a link between children’s working memory and inhibition control with emotional control and competence.
It is also worth pointing out that a recent meta analysis pointed out that there were small-to-medium effects on emotional regulation from a collection of interventions including emotion-focused programmes, therapy, and behavioural support. This suggests that emotion-focused brain training programmes can be helpful in improving emotional control, particularly when paired with other methods.
Is There Any Recent Research That Might Disprove it?
On the other hand, other recent and larger-scale studies and meta analyses have challenged the idea that brain training can produce meaningful results and changes. For example, a 2024 study conducted by UCL researchers involving 235 children aged 6–13 years old found that, despite participants improving on the specific training tasks they completed, such as inhibition tasks, there was no carry-over to broader behavioural, emotional, academic, or neural outcomes.
This was the case at the one-year follow-up, and shows us that the participants only got better at the activity they did, and there were no far transfer effects. However, there was some evidence of near transfer effects, as the children improved their performance on the specific tasks they trained on/
Professor Steinbeis, the lead author of the study, stated: “Our findings suggest that even though cognitive control is clearly very important for other real-life outcomes, we simply do not see that training can yield such broader benefits even when trained over an extensive period of time. We should stop seeing cognitive control as a skill that can be readily boosted by training exercises, as that is likely a waste of time and resources.
“While our study only investigated a specific set of training exercises, they were designed in line with the best evidence and did improve children’s abilities on the specific tasks themselves, so we find it unlikely that other training exercises would be any better at improving real-life outcomes.”
When Brain Training Falls Short: What Parents Should Know Before Investing Time or Money
Brain training is not a ‘cure all’, and there is no silver bullet to magically improve brain function. At The Brain Workshop, we believe that transparency is key, which is why we remind you: brain training offers near-transfer effects, not far-transfer. This means that cognitive abilities can be improved for the tasks that are trained on, not necessarily in wider areas of life.
It’s also important to remember that the impact of brain training varies greatly, depending on a number of factors. From how frequently you take part and the intensity, to the baseline cognitive level—everything plays a role.
How Can Parents or Carers Support Emotional Regulation at Home?
Guardians can support emotional regulation at home in a number of ways, and all of them are important. These include modelling emotional regulation, encouraging physical activities, using consistent structures and routines, considering any additional support, encouraging imaginations, and fostering emotional literacy from a young age.
Here are six simple ways you can support emotional regulation at home:
- Model emotional regulation and children will copy you
- Encourage movement and physical activity
- Use consistent structures and routines
- Consider additional support (e.g. therapies) where needed
- Encourage imaginations and make-believe
- Foster emotional literacy and talk about feelings
What Should You Ask Before Choosing a Brain Training Programme for Your Child?
If you are thinking of signing your child up to a brain training programme, you may want to ask if the programme suggested has been peer-reviewed and tested (and who it was tested on), where improvements there were, and the time and effort it takes to see results.
Here at The Brain Workshop, we pride ourselves in our dynamic methods that can improve cognitive abilities without taking the fun out of it. We are dedicated to turning weaknesses into strengths, and helping everyone achieve their full potential to get the most out of life.
If you are interested in signing up for brain training at The Brain Workshop, you can expect this process while working with us:
- Assessment – a thorough assessment is completed to determine the root cause of any learning challenges you may be experiencing
- Targeted training – weak cognitive skills are targeted and turned into strengths through our personalised strategies and expert experience
- Progress monitoring – improvements and documented and tracked through regular re-assessments so that we can alter our approaches to allow you to get the most out of brain training
- Long-term benefits – you can apply newfound skills to daily life and enjoy the lasting impact of brain training through success and an easier life
Contact The Brain Workshop for a Personalised Brain Training Programme
If you’d like evidence-based support tailored to your child, from assessments to guided activity plans, get in touch with The Brain Workshop today. Here, we can help you decide what is realistic and worth trying, and craft a personalised brain training plan suited to your child’s needs.
Learn more about us at the Brain Workshop, meet our team, check out events, or even read our FAQ. Or, if you want to see our real-world impact, read our success stories and learn more about our training resources.
