Author : Ms. Shubhra Johri Sinha
(Head of School, Ekya Byrathi)
www.daylife.page
A healthy memory is important for children’s development. Abilities to remember and perform task are all related to memory. Memory plays an important role in concentration and in following instructions. Weak working memory skills can affect learning in many different subject areas including reading and math.
Tips to boost memory in children
Make learning an exciting experience
Encourage your child's interest to study by visiting the library and read books on various topics. Visiting to a science museum or an art gallery can also helpful for visualizing and remembering the latter. Visualization of any form of content will help the children to remember the tasks faster. Restrict the screen time of your children. Instead, encourage them to involve in reading and other outdoor activities.
Exercise
Exercising is another habit that must be a part of everyone's daily schedule. The earlier the kids develop the habit of exercising daily the better it is for them. Being physically active helps the brain to stay sharp and boost their brain function.
Make mind maps
Make a mental map of different thoughts and how they relate to one another. Making links between words and themes encourages children to actively interact with the content and build better knowledge, which is a crucial aspect of memory.
Encourage kids to read actively
Taking notes and underlining or highlighting the words might help children retain information for long time. Reading loudly is another form to boost working memory. Reading and writing along strategy help in building long-term memory.
Use patterns whenever possible
Helping your child use patterns is another approach to improve their memory, from learning the alphabet to categorising objects. Going through the exercise of coding and categorising information into patterns can dramatically improve your child's long-term memory because this strategy involves recurrent effort.
Taking short breaks in between
After concentrating on lessons for a length of time, it is necessary to take a mental break. In order to efficiently take in new knowledge, the brain requires replenishment of its reserves. Simple actions like drinking water, standing, walking around, or stretching help revitalise your child's brain and prepare it to accept and process more information.
Bright Colours
Making use of bright colours while teaching your kids is another tool to ensure that the information stays in their brain for a longer time. Bright Colour is something that gets through our mind easily and thus should be used tactfully. Highlighting important passages with different bright colours and using sticky notes on the textbook can be beneficial.
Nutrition
Memory is substantially enhanced when children consume a well-balanced diet rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids. Avoid sugar and high calorie food. This will further help in the development of a child's memory
Incorporating these activities and habits into a child's everyday routine will surely help with memory improvement. Make time to study and learn new things with the child in a pleasant way. This will undoubtedly build a great atmosphere. Child will be more receptive to learning new things with parents encouragement and support. (The author has his own study and views)