Developing your child’s memory can lay the groundwork for their future academic success. Children’s cognitive abilities are growing quickly at this age, which is between seven and eight years old. Now is the ideal moment to involve them in learning activities that will improve their memory.
Easy, enjoyable games and exercises can have a significant impact. Including memory-enhancing activities in everyday routines helps students learn more effectively and reinforces their knowledge in a fun and engaging way. Your child’s memory development can be supported by a variety of techniques, such as memory games and storytelling.
Customizing these activities to your child’s needs can also be aided by knowing how they learn best. You can help your child develop a love of learning while strengthening their memory by emphasizing engaging and interactive teaching techniques.
- Features of age
- We conduct tests
- How to improve memory?
- Effective exercises and games
- Video on the topic
- “How to train your memory. Learning to retell. A training book for children aged 6-9 years"
- MEMORY DEVELOPMENT/Mnemonics/GAMES for memory development
- How to develop memory in a child aged 7-8
- How to develop memory in a child [Superchildren]
- How to improve memory in a child
Features of age
With the start of school, your child is entrusted with a novel and unprecedented responsibility: whereas previously matters were straightforward and unambiguous, your child is now expected to perform at both home and school. As a result, the majority of kids experience what is known as the "7-year crisis." They fear ridicule from their peers and failing to live up to the expectations of their parents, who they hold in the highest regard. Children experience constant tension in their nervous systems, which causes them to become forgetful and absentminded. This age-related temporary decline in memory is an exception to the developmental norm.
However, some kids find learning to be simple and stress-free.
They do, however, also have "gaps" in their recollections, though these are probably related to laziness in one way or another. If you want to know why things go in one ear and out the other, you should watch your child closely, talk to him more, set lower expectations, and reject categorization in any form.
We conduct tests
You can test your own memory, retention, and replication of information. For this, there are a few easy memory tests available:
- Luria test. This research method will show how developed the child"s voluntary memory is, it is the most important element of the learning process. Conduct testing in a calm environment, preferably in a quiet room so that nothing distracts the child. Ask the child to sit comfortably and try to remember the words. Name ten words that the child knows well without unnecessary haste (with a pause of 2-3 seconds), but they should not be logically related. Example: cat, school, spoon, swing, forest, jam, car, sea, milk, elephant.
Request that the child repeat the words he can recall, then write down how many and which of the words he can recall immediately.
Next, go through the word list again and give it another go. This will allow you to determine which words the child "fixed" in his mind the second time around. Express your gratitude to him and postpone the remainder of the exam. Asking the child to recall the words you mentioned after an hour and a half will reveal how well they are replicating new information, a process known as delayed memorization.
If the child was able to recall three to four words on the first try, their memorization skills are normal. A child with a normal memory should be able to repeat at least 6-7 words on the second try. The child should be able to recall at least six words after an hour. After two tries, a child with high memory skills should be able to name eight to ten words, and with low indicators, just one or two.
- Smirnitskaya"s test. This test will allow you to assess the state of visual memory, which is important for learning. Place 10 pictures with a variety of objects (a ball, strawberries, a balloon, etc.) in front of the child. d.), give him two minutes to look carefully at the entire row, and then ask him to turn away and remove 1-2 or even three cards. Ask your child to answer what is missing. If he succeeds on the first try, then everything is fine, but if even on the fifth try the child has difficulty saying which cards are missing, this is a rather alarming sign.
- Long-term memory test. To conduct the study, you can use the same cards with images of objects familiar to the child. Put them in a row, then show them one by one and say what is depicted there. Then remove the cards and ask the child to list all 10 words that were heard. Then return to this in an hour and a half and ask to remember what was depicted on the cards and what words you said. The result is assessed as follows: normally, a child remembers up to 7 words the first time he or she watches or listens. After an hour or an hour and a half has passed, he or she should remember at least 5-6 of them.
A child between the ages of 7 and 8 should be given lots of stimulating activities to help them develop their memory, such as memory games, storytelling, and list practice. They can also be helped to retain and recall information by creating regular routines, using visual aids, and encouraging regular reading.
How to improve memory?
It’s time to help your child with their memory and attention if the test results don’t meet your expectations. In a month or a month and a half, your child will be able to memorize content with ease and speed thanks to a number of easy "home" methods, and they will be able to repeat it accurately over time.
Make it a daily ritual to inquire about their well-being.
Allow them to go into great detail about their school day, including the color of their deskmate’s hair elastic band. Ask clarifying questions about the books’ content more frequently and read aloud to them. Enroll your child in a sports program and ensure that they get enough exercise and fresh air.
Effective exercises and games
- "Journey to Africa". You can play this useful game in the evening, even at a family dinner or on the way to school. You start and say: “I went to Africa and saw an elephant there!”. The child’s task is to repeat the name of your animal and add a new one (“I went to Africa and saw an elephant and a monkey there!”. You or a third family member should list the animals already named and add one of your own (“I went to Africa and saw an elephant, a monkey and an ostrich there”). It’s good if the chain length to the first mistake is 20-25 words.
- “Detective Sherlock Holmes”. You can play this game during a walk, on the way somewhere and even in your own kitchen. Name a square-shaped object that is in your field of vision (a cereal box). The child picks up the “baton” and names the second square object in your kitchen (a photo frame). Then it’s your turn, and then the child has the floor again. As soon as you have sorted out all the square objects in the room together, ask the child to close his eyes and hide one of them. The child"s task is to find the missing item.
- "Big difference". Offer the child two identical pictures that are only slightly different (these can be found on the Internet and printed out). Ask him to find all the differences in the allotted time (5 minutes, for example). The exercise is constantly becoming more difficult, the child is offered more complex pictures, and less and less time is given to find the differences.
- "What does it look like"?. The purpose of this exercise is to teach the child to remember using associations. Tell him an unfamiliar word, for example, "electorate". Ask to think what it could mean, let your son or daughter name all their associations, and only then, tell them that in fact these are people who go to the elections. The more associations a child comes up with, the more likely it is that in 2-3 days he will tell the correct meaning of a complex word himself.
| Method | Description |
| Play memory games | Use fun games like matching cards or Simon says to improve focus and memory. |
| Read stories together | After reading a story, ask your child to recall details about the plot or characters. |
| Encourage drawing from memory | Have your child draw a picture of something they recently saw, helping them remember visual details. |
| Practice repetition | Ask your child to repeat important information like names, phone numbers, or directions. |
| Use songs and rhymes | Teach your child songs or rhymes to remember information more easily, like days of the week. |
Supporting a child’s memory development between the ages of 7 and 8 can be enjoyable and beneficial. You can improve their memory and processing of information by utilizing games, stories, and common activities. The secret is to make learning engaging and dynamic so that it feels more like play than a chore.
While it’s crucial to promote consistent practice, don’t forget to exercise patience and support. Since each child develops at their own rate, it is important to provide a supportive atmosphere that will boost their self-esteem. Reward minor accomplishments to sustain their motivation.
By using the appropriate strategy, you can support your child’s overall cognitive development in addition to helping to enhance their memory. These preliminary endeavors will establish a robust basis for subsequent education and development.
