Building Memory Skills in Children
09-02-2017 | Posted By: Admin | 1736 View(s)
Children’s lives are enriched by their memory skills, as it also makes them discuss a lot of things and topics, which in turn also improve their language skills. It’s an art of teaching your child about enhancing their memory skills. Different children have different memory skills. Some children have high memory powers and can process and retain information easily. But, some children have small memory skills, and they need extra help and support from their family and school. Hence, it’s pivotal that parents develop the memory skills of their child when they are in playschool itself; because in that period, they not only develop their social skills but also learn to process and to store different types of information.
Ways to build your Child’s Memory Skills:
Build Connections
One easy way to build memory skills is by building connections among different concepts. Parents should try to relate to what their child is learning with what they already know. Also, they should make a theme for the overall concept, so that they can relate well to it. For example, if the parents are teaching their child a ‘History’ chapter, they should create a series of related events which is connected to the main theme of the lesson. This way, the child will learn the art of relating one concept/event to the main theme.
Make it Precise:
Any information/instruction that is too long is difficult to be retained by children. Thus, parents should make it brief and precise, avoiding any complexities. For example, instead of giving a complex instruction like, “If you complete these 3 home works and pack your school bag for tomorrow, I will allow you to watch your favourite cartoon for 1 hour.” they can also say, “Once you have finished your homework and packed your school bag, you can watch cartoons.”
Segregate the Work:
Children cannot take a lot of information at one point in time. Thus, parents should not give a very long portion to their child to read/learn. They should segregate the work into small portions and ask their child to finish one portion at a time, and also provide feedback regarding what they understood, before moving on to the next portion.
Memory Games:
Learning becomes more attractive when it includes fun. Hence, play memory games with your child so that they can adapt to the process of learning with a fun element. There are many memory games available like colour memory games, sequence memory, matching game, etc.
Repetitions:
As the proverb rightly says. “Practice makes a man perfect”, likewise, parents should teach their child to repeat what they have learnt and understood. Parents should let their child teach them so that they can repeat the information they have processed. Repetitions help in retaining the information for a longer period.
Healthy Diet:
“A healthy mind dwells in a healthy body”. Providing a good nutritious diet to children also enhances their memory skills. There are certain “foods” that improves brain function, the level of concentration, memory and overall boost a child’s brain. Some of the “brain foods” are – melons, almond, spinach, broccoli, citrus fruits, walnut, green tea, berries, green vegetables, soybeans, and so on.
Yoga & Exercises:
Research suggests that yoga asana is very helpful in enhancing concentration in children. Meditation, breathing exercises and some other ‘yoga postures’ help a child in relieving stress and improves his focus and level of concentration. Thus, parents should inculcate ‘yoga practice’ in their child to develop memory skills and be fit.
Consult a Therapist:
Sometimes, it so happens that even after trying all the memory building techniques, their child tends to forget everything. In such cases, parents should not stress the child to remember or should punish them. Rather, they should consult a therapist to find the cause of their child’s memory concern.
Having a good memory shapes a child’s life and turns him into a successful person. Good memory is the basic foundation of a child’s healthy life. Therefore, parents should focus on the diet of their children so that they can be healthy and fit, both physically and mentally. Also, parents should focus on their child’s memory skills and enhance it from a very small age. Building memory skills in a child are difficult but an essential task, and by making it fun, both parents and child can enjoy it.
