Many parents become aware that their child has trouble remembering things, like daily routines or schoolwork. Both the parents and the child may find this frustrating. Finding strategies to assist requires an understanding of the reasons why a child’s memory might not be as good as it should be.
A child may struggle with memory for a variety of reasons, from environmental factors to developmental stages. Simple distractions, sleep deprivation, or even underlying medical conditions can cause memory problems.
Thankfully, there are useful methods for enhancing a child’s memory. Parents can assist their child’s cognitive development and assist them in overcoming memory difficulties by determining the underlying cause.
| Causes | Solutions |
| Lack of sleep | Ensure the child gets enough rest each night |
| Poor diet | Incorporate brain-boosting foods like fish, nuts, and vegetables |
| Stress or anxiety | Encourage relaxation techniques and open communication |
| Limited mental stimulation | Engage in activities that challenge memory, like puzzles and games |
| Distractions during learning | Create a quiet, focused environment for study time |
- Main reasons
- Daily routine
- Lack of vitamins
- Not enough training
- Neurological disorders
- Other reasons
- Diagnostics
- What exercises to do?
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Main reasons
Most of the time, parents become aware of their preschool-aged child’s poor memory at that age. They highlight the fact that some information is not well retained in memory; for instance, a baby finds it challenging to recall the names of other people or colors.
First graders frequently experience difficulties when they have to recall a lot of new information, such as a text that needs to be read aloud. Children who are older (9 to 11 years old) may also experience challenges when absorbing a lot of material in high school. However, there are a variety of causes for memory loss.
Daily routine
A disturbed daily routine is a common cause of issues with memory and other cognitive functions. When a child is overburdened with activities, he may not get enough sleep at night and his memory, attention, and other brain functions may suffer. A child in preschool or primary school shouldn’t be overburdened with learning and growth-oriented activities. They make memorizing harder and make people less interested in learning new things. A child’s sleep patterns at night should reflect their age.
A child’s mental activity will suffer and they will perceive all new information negatively if they don’t get enough sleep at night and find it hard to wake up for school.
Lack of vitamins
Children who eat a balanced diet get all the nutrients necessary for healthy growth, including helpful vitamins that enhance brain function. The child’s diet needs to consist of foods like fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts, greens, and legumes. Kids should avoid eating too many sugar-filled products and as little salty and fried food as possible.
Now that you have established nutrition, you can be certain that health issues, including memory loss, have not resulted from a deficiency in essential vitamins. If you’re still unsure, pick the best multivitamin complex for your child by speaking with a pediatrician.
Not enough training
Regular exercise is necessary for memory improvement as well as physical development. The child should be taught the necessary information if he is unable to memorize it. Various tools are used for this, and a wide variety of them are available in bookstores.
Furthermore, there are training groups for memory, attention, and other critical skills that will help the child in the future in many cities.
Neurological disorders
A neurologist may diagnose encephalopathy, neurosis, hyperactivity syndrome, or other illnesses based on symptoms such as worsening memory. In cases like these, the physician may prescribe memory exercises in addition to specialized medications that impact mental growth and activate brain activity. Since many of them have negative effects, they are only utilized in severe situations and for specialized purposes.
Other reasons
Memorization issues can also result from other factors, such as a child who lacks motivation or interest. In this instance, he may disregard the knowledge he learned in school because he can recall everything that piqued his interest. Psychological trauma can also result in memory impairments. They appear some time following a traumatic incident, such as following a parent’s divorce or relocation to a different city.
Diagnostics
Parents should be aware of their child’s behavior if memory issues were found in the first grade or during attendance at school readiness classes.
Find out if the child really can’t answer questions or complete basic tasks, or if he just doesn’t like the group, the rules, the limitations, the higher expectations, and other similar nuances.
Keep an eye on the circumstances in which forgetfulness and inattention occur in addition to academic work. Ask the child about his day, the previous weekend, the activities of the previous New Year’s holidays, and comparable events to assess general memory. Discuss topics that you and your child both understand so that you can determine if the responses are accurate. Children usually respond to these kinds of questions. If you experience memory loss, you should think about seeing a neurologist because this could be a sign of brain dysfunction.
Assess visual-object memory next. For a younger student, show him five to six pictures of objects he can recognize, like a book, an airplane, a car, a chair, and so forth. While you take out or flip one picture, ask him to recall them and close his eyes. In one or two tries, the child should typically be able to recall which object "disappeared." It will be slightly more challenging if you ask them to recall not only the objects but also the order in which their images are located. However, children with normal memory ages 6 to 9 should have no trouble completing this task.
Be aware that low attention spans can also contribute to memory disorders in cases of difficulties or errors.
The child is given three words to test their speech and auditory memory. He is given three more words and given the chance to repeat them twice more after repeating the set of words twice. Subsequently, he is requested to identify the first word and then the second. Retelling a brief story is another way to assess auditory-speech memory. A lack of memory or figurative thinking, poor hearing, diminished attention, and poor speech development can all cause difficulties with such a task.
A child’s inability to recall information can be caused by a number of factors, including sleep deprivation, poor diet, stress, or even developmental difficulties. By being aware of these variables, parents can look into doable strategies to help their child’s memory gradually get better over time, such as creating wholesome routines, providing memory-boosting activities, and getting professional help when necessary.
What exercises to do?
Play activities help preschoolers retain information, so games are the best way to help kids between the ages of four and six develop their memory.
Engaging in engaging activities that incorporate visual aids such as objects, photographs, and pictograms is also advised for school-age children, as it enhances retention of the material.
- Active games with repetition of movements are good for stimulating motor memory. For example, you can tell the child to sit down, stand up, raise his arms up, and then jump on one leg. Having shown the movements in order, you should offer to repeat them from memory.
- To influence visual and figurative memory, they often use the addition of missing elements. You can show the child a picture, and then give him the same drawing, but without some details and offer to restore the drawing as he remembered it. Another popular game is to put 5-10 items on the table in front of the child, offer to close your eyes, remove 1-3 items and ask to answer which items have disappeared.
- To develop auditory memory and the ability to come up with associations, you can offer the child to decipher words. For such an exercise, you need to name any object, asking to characterize it, for example, name its color, properties, appearance, purpose.
- To develop long-term memory, ask your child about events during the day. Let the child tell what he did in the morning, at lunch, after lunch, in the evening. Ask leading questions, for example, "What was for breakfast in the garden?», «What new topic was in the math lesson?».
It can be difficult to assist a child who has memory problems, but it’s crucial to continue being understanding and patient. Each child develops at their own rate, and with the correct help, memory can get better.
Little changes to daily routines, such as adding memory games and segmenting tasks into manageable chunks, can have a significant impact. Promoting an engaged and active lifestyle is also essential for improving memory.
It might be beneficial to consult a specialist if memory issues continue. Early intervention can guarantee your child receives the assistance they require and provide invaluable support.
