Drumming for your Brain

You need a friend to help you with this one, but it’s a great activ-

ity to do while you’re waiting. Ask your friend to hum a tune in his

head. But he can’t tell you what the song is. Next, ask him to tap

the tune’s rhythm out on the table.

Listen carefully, and then tap the rhythm out as soon as your

friend’s finished. See if you can remember the rhythm. Try to get as

much of the beat correct. Your memory for rhythm is closely con-

nected to your memory for language. By training how well you can

remember a particular rhythm, you’re boosting your language skills

as well. Read Chapter 8 for the benefits of music for the brain.

Read a Challenging Book

Don’t just be content with reading your usual newspaper or maga-

zine. Why not challenge yourself by picking up something new to

read? If you usually read fiction, pick up a historical novel instead.

Reading something new is a great way to expand your horizons

and get your brain thinking in new ways. If you’re not sure what to

pick, online bookstores like Amazon rank the bestselling books, as

well as providing customer reviews. So you can read what other

people think before you dive in. For some books, you can even

read a section or two inside before you buy. Whatever you end up

choosing, the important thing is that you try new reading material.

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