Children with memory deficits often receive poor marks at school, which often bear no relation to their level of intelligence. How can we explain these shortcomings and remedy the problem?
Not everyone is born with the memory of an elephant. The good news, however, is that memory can be considered a muscle. The ability to memorize important information expands and improves with exercise. So it’s essential that children take part in regular memory exercises, and that their daily environment is favorable to the development of their cerebral capacities.
There are two main types of memory:
it generally helps children understand and remember recently communicated information.
When a child assimilates a subject more precisely, the information becomes “engraved” in the memory over the long term, becoming acquired knowledge.
Depending on the child’s age (from 3 to 12 approx.), the aim is to offer fun memorization games. There are online versions (lululataupe, for example) to get you started. You can also buy or make memory cards (culture and co or amazon online stores).
The brain needs around 8 seconds to receive and assimilate information. Regularly encouraging children to concentrate on intellectual or physical tasks for a few minutes can have extraordinary effects on their ability to memorize.
Learning through the senses (sound, object handling, smell, color, etc.) is sure to help children memorize better. It can also be useful to have the child read aloud, and then ask him/her to summarize what he/she has understood from his/her reading.
Mind Mapping is one of the methods used to graphically represent ideas more clearly. Its vocation is to facilitate memorization and the organization of thought thanks to a productive and attractive formatting of graphic information.” (Sébastien Martinez method). Teaching children to produce mind maps from the very first years of elementary school can have extremely beneficial effects, helping to develop their ability to retain information over the long term.
Tablets, TVs, computers…all types of screen, especially for the youngest children, alter the development of their brains to a greater or lesser extent. Offering children playful activities, whether Montessori or not, in which they can make the most of all their 5 senses, will have a positive and definite effect on short- and long-term memory.
Of course, memory also depends on a good diet. Avoiding junk food and excess sugar, and eating healthy foods (oily fish, dried fruit, starchy foods, eggs, strawberries, etc.) will greatly help children boost their memory.
Every child needs around 9 to 10 hours’ sleep a night, as well as daily exercise to burn off energy and relieve stress. It is therefore essential to provide children with an environment conducive to their physical and moral well-being, to boost their cerebral capacities.
Here at ActivStudy, we offer a range of methodological and wellness courses for students as young as first grade. Don’t hesitate to put all the above strategies into practice, and contact us if you’d like to find out more about our programs.