How To Help Children Improve Short Term Memory

The Memory Game

Remember that memory game we all played as kids? You have a series of cards all faced down. You turn two of them up and if they match, you leave them up. You keep going until you turn up two non matching cards. This teaches you to try and remember where certain cards are so that you can win the game. This is a great activity for increasing short term memory and it’s a lot of fun. You can pick up the memory game at any children’s or toy store, or you can make your own with a little bit of artistic ability and set of index cards. Once the kids are continuously selecting the right cards, you know they’re picking up the lesson and increasing their short term memory.

Auditory Cues

In helping children, don't forget about the auditory part of that short term memory. This is an easy game you can play with children. Simply repeat a list of items, such as a series of names, a series of animal names or whatever else you can think of. Have the children listen closely. At the end, have them write down the list as best as they can remember. As time goes on, increase the size of the list until they can repeat the list no problem.

Remember, whenever you’re playing a game with children, make sure you have some sort of reward system in place. When the children think they’re going to be rewarded for winning these games, they will try that much harder and will pick up the information in no time. The rewards don’t have to be big or expensive, but they should be enough to make them want to increase their short term memories and compete against others to see who is best at these little games you’re playing with them.

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