WAYS TO IMPROVE MEMORY IN CHILDREN
The memory of children starts growing from their early childhood. They start learning and remembering the way things work and their outcomes. This ability keeps growing until they are four years old. This ability reaches its maximum capacity at the age of four. This post will help you find out the ways to improve memory in children.
Having a good memory helps children with thinking, talking, and solving problems. Teachers and parents can teach kids effectively depending on their capacity for memory. So parents and teachers should know the ability of kids to remember things at different ages. Understanding how children’s brains develop and ways to improve memory can really help them learn well.
Different Types of Memory
- In the first three years of life, children start to show explicit memory which is divided into two parts: semantic memory and episodic memory. In semantic memory, children start to remember facts and information. In episodic memory, children start to recollect personal experiences and events.
- Short-term memory is where the brain takes information quickly but struggles to process it.
- Working memory is another type of memory where the information of short-term memory gets processed. This type of memory is very important for regulating behavior and solving problems.
- Long-term memory is where information is stored for a long time. Autobiographical memory is where semantic and episodic memories are combined which helps to remember events from your life.
How to Help Boost Memory in Children
Here is the list of things that you can do in everyday life to help to improve memory in children as a parent, teacher, or caregiver:
- Play memory and card games
You can improve memory of your child, if you make learning interesting. Playing games like card games teaches them the rules and tracks how others are playing. Memory board games are also great for improving the memory of a child. They help kids practice remembering things.
- Let your child teach you
A great way to help your child remember what they are learning is to let them teach you. When someone can teach something, it means they really understand what they have learned and that is why they are capable of explaining it to others. Teachers often pair students in class for this reason. This helps them remember things and they feel more confident about what they are learning.
- Encourage active reading
Always encourage your child to read actively. If they make notes, underline, or highlight keywords, they will be able them for a long time. To improve their working memory, reading out loud is another option. Reading and writing along with these strategies can help them build long-term memory.
- Build on skills
As your child learns something new or gets used to completing easy tasks, give them new tasks that are slightly harder to complete. Research shows that the other way to improve memory in kids’ is learning new skills. Just make sure you do not haste while giving them new challenges, try to increase them gradually.
- Repeat information
When you repeat things more than once, it helps them to understand things better and remember them for a long time. They need time and practice to remember things when they work on building their working memory.
- Use visuals
To help kids with ADHD, you can use pictures to show them the steps to complete a task or leave sticky notes around to remind them about things they need to do. It is a great way to improve memory in kids.
If your child has trouble remembering things like how to spell common words you can make posters and sheets containing that information. When they will see that information again and again, they will start remembering it.
- Give short instructions
Break down the information are smaller parts if your child struggles to catch it. That way they will not feel the burden of remembering so many things and can process a smaller part of the information step by step. After finishing the task you can give them another one. It is a great strategy to improve memory in children.
- Avoid distractions
When your child is focused on doing something, like studying or learning new skills, make sure to avoid distractions. Focusing helps to learn things fast and boosts memory. Try not to create so much noise and also turn off TVs and other screens.
- Create routines
Another successful strategy for making kids improve their memory is to create habits. For example, creating a routine that they can follow before going to school can be helpful. In schools, teachers can also make routines, such as allot kids work that they can do daily after entering their classes.
- Nutrition
Using strategies can be very helpful in improving the memory of kids but along with that nutrition is also very important. Eating healthy food that contains nutrients like fruits, vegetables, and fish with omega-3 can help improve kids’ memory.
Improving memory is a process that can not be achieved in a short time. All children have their own level of learning and strength of remembering things. If a strategy is working on a child doesn’t mean it will also work on another. So try to find out the ways that actually help your child to remember things.
Keep them motivated throughout the process, don’t expect quick results from them, and celebrate their small achievements. Focusing on these strategies can help to improve memory in your kids.
Also read:- Maa Anandmayee Memorial School Dehradun