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Task Switching — cognitive flexibility

💡Benefits

Switching between tasks (Monsell, 2003) trains the brain's ability to move quickly from one rule to another — cognitive flexibility. It is one of the three core executive functions (Diamond, 2013).

🎮How to play

The rule changes from time to time (e.g. number even/odd, or letter vowel/consonant). Pick the correct answer quickly according to the current rule.

📚Scientific sources

  1. Monsell (2003). Task switching. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 7(3), 134–140. https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Task+switching+Monsell+2003+Trends+in+Cognitive+Sciences
  2. Diamond (2013). Executive functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 135–168. https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Executive+functions+Diamond+2013+Annual+Review+of+Psychology

Frequently asked questions

It teaches your child to switch quickly between two rules, strengthening the brain's ability to move smoothly from one task to another, along with attention control and cognitive flexibility.
Yes, on MentalMath this game is completely free and needs no registration.
It can feel unusual at first, but the current rule is always shown on screen, so children gradually build up their speed.
Because it requires holding two rules in mind at once, this game is recommended from about age 7-8.
Yes, it works on phone, tablet and computer; 5-7 minutes of regular practice a day noticeably improves switching speed.
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