Building Strong Minds: How Designs for Strong Minds Strengthens Attention and Working Memory
As children move into elementary, middle, and high school, the demands shift. They need to sit through longer classes, manage homework across subjects, and remember more complex instructions. For many kids, these thinking skills don’t come easily.
That’s where Designs for Strong Minds™ (DFSM) comes in. This program uses structured paper-and-pencil puzzles and iPad games to help strengthen the “mental muscles” behind learning — attention, working memory, problem solving, and flexible thinking.
What Is Designs for Strong Minds?
DFSM was developed by Dr. Donalee Markus to train the brain using visual puzzles that are free from language or emotional content. By keeping the tasks context-free, kids practice pure thinking skills such as:
Staying focused on the task (attention control).
Holding rules or steps in mind while solving (working memory).
Switching strategies when something doesn’t work (flexibility).
Planning, checking, and adjusting (problem solving).
👉 Think of it as a gym for the brain. Each puzzle is a “rep,” and over time the brain grows stronger.
Why These Skills Matter
These aren’t just “school skills” — they’re life skills. Kids with stronger executive function can:
Follow multi-step directions.
Keep track of assignments.
Manage workload during tests and projects.
Adjust when things don’t go as planned.
Stay focused despite distractions.
When these skills are weaker, children may look inattentive, disorganized, or impulsive — even if they’re bright and capable.
How the Program Works
Paper-and-Pencil Puzzles
Children solve visual puzzles that gradually increase in complexity. They must plan, detect errors, and adjust strategies as they go.
iPad Games
The apps offer interactive visual puzzles with built-in feedback. These challenges target visual discrimination, form constancy, and flexible thinking. They adapt in difficulty so that children stay engaged without being overwhelmed.
Both formats are structured enough to push growth but playful enough to keep kids motivated.
What It Looks Like in Action
Children often start with Strong Mind Puzzles, where they have to figure out a rule from the information shown and then follow it. As the puzzles progress, the rules become more complex, with additional choices and built-in mistakes that the child needs to notice and correct. Alongside these, there are visual sorting games that target skills like visual discrimination, spatial relationships, visualization, form constancy, and visual closure.
Each step challenges the brain to stay focused, hold rules in mind, and adjust strategies — strengthening attention, working memory, and flexible problem-solving.
Who Benefits
Designs for Strong Minds can support:
Elementary students who struggle with focus or following instructions.
Middle schoolers managing more complex assignments.
High schoolers preparing for tests, essays, and independent learning.
Children with ADHD or learning differences who need stronger executive function.
Even teens who are doing well academically but want sharper skills.
Why We Use It
At Activate. Integrate., we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. DFSM is one of the tools we use alongside movement, sensory work, and timing programs like Interactive Metronome.
Together, these approaches:
Regulate the body through movement and sensory input.
Activate the brain through rhythm and engagement.
Integrate higher-level thinking with puzzles and cognitive challenges.
This layering helps children not just “get through school,” but build a foundation for long-term success.
What Parents Can Try at Home
Even without the formal program, you can support thinking skills by:
Playing memory games (“I went to the store and bought…”).
Working on puzzles and mazes together.
Playing strategy games like Connect 4, Set®, or Uno.
Creating small compare-and-contrast challenges at home.
Small, consistent practice strengthens attention and problem-solving over time.
The Big Picture
Designs for Strong Minds isn’t random “brain games.” It’s a structured way to build the attention, memory, and problem-solving skills that help children succeed in school and beyond.
If you’d like to see whether programs like Designs for Strong Minds can support your child, we’d be happy to talk with you.