Simple yet Effective Ways to Sharpen Memory in Children

By: Sapna Ganeshan
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:26:34
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Did you know that there are three distinct memory stores in the child’s brain? They are the sensory register, short-term memory store, and long-term memory store. This is where experiences are retained, stored, and recalled.

Memory as you know plays a crucial part in learning and intelligence. And in order to enhance memory, you would need to promote aspects like focused attention, associated ideas, and repetition in your kids.

It is Really up to You

Many of us grew up thinking that thinking power and memory were inherited - that is why some people are average while others are geniuses. This is a myth, research proves that you the parent can raise your child’s intelligence and improve memory greatly.

All you need to do is be a caring parent and devote time to the child. Nurturing is what creates a child who is caring, loving, and giving.

First you must never think negative thoughts. Children can feel your inner emotions and unexpressed feelings. A positive internal dialogue communicates to the child and enhances not just thinking but self-confidence.

Introduce breathing exercises as well as daily physical activities like gymnastics, jogging, sports, swimming, and so on. Do them with your child. Deep breathing and physical exercises stimulate a kid’s mental processes as well as overall performance.

Did you know, mental gymnastics can be done by playing games like checkers, chess, scrabble, word jumbles, and cryptograms and so on. These games stimulate the mind and enhance strategy skills.

Make the home environment comfortable and warm. Be sure to converse with the children whenever you can. This develops their language skills right from birth to around 26 months of age and that too at a very rapid rate.

One of the age-old methods to enhance intellectual potential, build vocabulary, enhance memory and attention span is repetitive reading - so read to the kids when they are young and repeat the same story time and again so that the child absorbs every nuance.

The World of Memory Games

The easiest and most interesting way to help children sharpen their memories is to introduce them to different kinds of games.

For example you make up a limerick in which piggy goes to the market to buy his mother cake, next repeat the rhyme and add one more object to the list—cake and soap. And, as your child repeats the lines he will need to stretch his memory to remember what all piggy needed to buy.

Another oft played game is to put out a jumble of objects on a table. Next allow the child or group of children to glance at the objects for say two minutes. Cover the objects with a cloth and ask each child to jot down a list of what is on the table. This will test their recall and by asking questions about the objects you could jog their memories. Play the game often and you will find that the kids become whizzes at it.

Technology has introduced great innovations in memory games and children are drawn to the wonderful 3D graphics and compelling tales that absorb their attention completely. These are not just entertaining but are designed with enhancement of brain power and memory as the ultimate goal. For example, Smart Neurons has designed several educational CDs and DVDs that integrate imagery with sound and words keeping the children engrossed by the changing contexts, including music as well as words and sentences that are a part of the child’s vocabulary and appropriate to the age group and developmental stage of the child.

Article was contributed by Sapna Ganeshan – Creative Head for http://www.smartneurons.com. Smart Neurons offers kids’ educational software, video and other educational aids that encourage critical thinking, imagination and leadership skills among children.

Article source: Expert Articles