Five science-backed tips for improving your child’s working memory
Your child’s ability to retain and recall information is paramount for exam success. Before we dive into the techniques that will improve both their long-term and working memory, let’s look at what those terms mean.
How does memory work?
Generally, memory is considered to be made up of two components: working memory and long-term memory.
Working memory is the small amount of information that can be held in mind to carry out cognitive tasks. For example, a phone number someone just told you, or a schedule of lessons to attend.
In contrast, your long-term memory is information saved throughout your lifetime. For example, the memory of the day you learned to ride a bike. Long-term memories can also be knowledge that helps you comprehend the world, such as knowing the Earth takes 365 days to orbit the Sun. Long-term memory even includes physical abilities such as riding a bike or skipping.
The memory library
To explain memory, psychologists sometimes use the library analogy. Imagine, in the middle of a library, there is a reading table. On that table is a selection of books that represent the information that is useful to us, like our emails, the news that morning, or the cost of a food shop. These are working memories. Like all library books, these books are borrowed and go back on the shelf when they stop being useful.
When the books go back on the shelf, they do not all go to the same place in the library. Significant memories end up in a well-lit and easily retrievable part of the library, while useless memories end up in a dark and dingy corner of the library.
For instance, a useful memory such as the route to a close friend’s house will be easily retrieved. Meanwhile, a memory of the meal you had last week may not. Sometimes it will be difficult to get to that part of the library, or impossible without extra help, such as a photo that reminds you of what happened that day.
Strategies to help children retain and recollect information
With this understanding of memory, let’s look at some strategies for improving memory in children.
1. Chunking
Chunking big paragraphs into short sentences or a couple of words can help children retain and recall information in heavy, text-based subjects such as History and English.
Start your children off chunking by dividing a large block of text into small, concise sections, consisting of a few lines or words. For example, The Storming of the Bastille could be broken up into words and phrases such as ‘1. guard defected’, ‘2. gunpowder blown up’, ‘3. prisoners liberated’ and ‘4. governor executes’. These new sentences can become representative of a larger picture and are much easier to regurgitate in an exam setting.
2. Visual Representation
When thinking about how to improve working memory in children, it’s easy to believe that transforming information from a textbook into a mind map will make revision more effective. While a diagram or a mind map may be a more helpful or enjoyable form of revision, this study suggests it is not the most effective way to use it.
In reality, a mind map or similar is most effective when used to practise memory retrieval. A mind map may be a great way for children to organise information when they first learn it, however, it’s much more useful if they use a mind map to present the information they have already learned. Mindmapping what children learned about the Storming of the Bastille a week ago will strengthen their ability to draw on this information in an exam context.
Images are also a great way to aid memory. Drawing pictures can supercharge memory retrieval. For instance, if a child draws a play-by-play, or comes up with sequential symbols for the sequence of events in the Storming of the Bastille, they are strengthening the path from their long-term memory to their working memory. Colour can also be highly useful. One study suggested that using warm tones like red, yellow and orange is particularly effective in attracting attention.
3. Elaborative Interrogation
Elaborative interrogation involves asking “why” and “how” questions about what children have learned. It’s easy for children to remember that leaves fall from the trees during winter, but do they understand the reason for it?
As a parent, you can play a big role in helping to improve working memory in your children. Challenge your children to explain concepts in their own words, as this will strengthen the pathway from the long-term memory to the working memory.
Use a car journey to school to encourage children to explain something they’re revising and ask them to explain more details or gaps in the logic. The fuller and more 3D information becomes, the more likely it is to occupy an accessible space in the brain.
4. Quizzes and Tests
Encourage your child to regularly test their knowledge by attempting to recall facts, concepts, or answers in exam-like conditions. You could use flashcards, sample papers or online quizzes.
It helps to practise memory retrieval in a situation that has time constraints, so children develop the ability to use their memory in a pressured environment. Studies suggest that stress can negatively affect our ability to recall long-term memory. It’s important for children to manage their stress so they can remember the necessary information. Check out this blog for more information on managing exam anxiety.
5. Spaced Repetition
Spaced repetition is a strategy that involves reviewing previously learned material at increasing intervals over time. Guide your child to review information shortly after learning it and then again at spaced intervals.
For example, they can review material the day after learning it, then again a few days later, and again a week later. Spaced repetition is just an organised way of ensuring that children constantly practise transporting information from their long-term memory to their working memory. Using different mediums in a plan of spaced repetition can supercharge this method. On one occasion, your child could explain the topic in their own words from memory, before drawing it out the following week.
By implementing these strategies, parents can experiment with how to improve working memory in children. These strategies engage various cognitive processes, such as visualization, elaboration, retrieval, and organization, to optimize memory encoding and retrieval.
It is important to remember that each child is unique, and finding the most effective memory-enhancing strategies may require some trial and error. By cultivating a supportive environment, and celebrating progress, you’ll give your children the best opportunity to develop their memory.
At My Performance Learning, we’ve had years of experience teaching children how best to understand their memory and the strategies that will allow them to perform. For more information on how to improve working memory in children and develop their exam confidence, check out our homepage, or get in touch!
