What Does a Child’s Brain Record and Remember? – How to Help Your Child Remember Longer
Did you know that… memory is like a “backpack”?
This backpack is called “Working Memory”, which is where we temporarily store the information we have just received and are trying to process. But for young children, this backpack is not too big, so if the backpack is stuffed too much or not “organized” with the right way of studying, the child will easily forget right after studying.
So how can we help our children remember better without forcing them?
The answer lies in how they learn, not just what they learn.
Understanding working memory to help your child remember better
Working memory is where short-term information is temporarily stored and processed, such as when we do mental calculations, memorize phone numbers, read product instructions, etc. However, working memory has a limited capacity and can only be retained for a few dozen seconds if not reinforced (Cowan, 2014).
For young children, if the lesson is too complicated, rushed, or lacks illustrations, they can easily become overwhelmed and bored. For children to remember for a long time, information needs to be converted from working memory to long-term memory. This transformation is more effective when information is repeated many times, linked to previous knowledge or presented through many different channels (e.g. images, stories, real-life experiences), the brain will have more “paths” to store, helping children remember the lesson longer and more clearly (Azzam & Easteal, 2021; Teng & Zheng, 2023; Mayer, 2009).
“Memory channels” help children learn easily to remember
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Learning through images
Children remember images more easily than words. For example, children remember the letter A through the image of “Apple”. For complex lessons, parents can illustrate for their children or use books with many pictures
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Repeat
Repeat helps remember longer, but needs to be spaced out. Study today → repeat after 1 day → after 3 days → after 1 week. Flashcards are the ideal tool for applying this method of repetition in a simple and flexible way.
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Memorize with games
Turn learning into fun games or let your child play the role of the teacher. These activities will make it fun for your child, helping them remember more easily than rote memorization.
Understanding your child is the first step to accompanying them properly
If your child has just learned but immediately forgets, try asking:
“Do you want to learn by drawing or playing games with me/your mom?
Just by touching the right way, your child will remember for a long time, understand deeply and love learning more every day.
References refer
Azzam, M. B., & Easteal, R. A. (2021). Retrieval practice for improving long-term retention in anatomical education: a quasi-experimental study. Medical science educator, 31(4), 1305-1310.
Cowan, N. (2014). Working memory underpins cognitive development, learning, and education. Educational psychology review, 26(2), 197-223.
Mayer, R. E. (2002). Multimedia learning. In Psychology of learning and motivation (Vol. 41, pp. 85-139). Academic Press.
Teng, M. F., & Zhang, D. (2023). The associations between working memory and the effects of multimedia input on L2 vocabulary learning. International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 61(3), 1021-1049.
