Memory Training

Many of the children I teach have difficulty retaining information. This is due to a variety of factors. During their early years children are constantly gaining in knowledge and understanding, and surprise us with how quickly they develop. However, for some children remembering facts and concepts is a difficulty throughout their school life. Most children need memory training as part of their usual school routine. Some need this more than others do. I am including the following ideas here, at an early stage of the book, but they can and should be used throughout the primary school. Activity 1

Put a variety of objects on a tray and show them to the children for one minute. Remove the tray and ask the children to draw or write down as many of the objects as possible. When the children read out their lists, ask what strategies they used to recall the objects.

Do the same activity using geometric shapes.

Reduce the time the objects are displayed.

Activity 2

Show the children a large sheet with pictures of objects on it (or use an OHP transparency — see Photocopiable Sheet A). Again, show the sheet for one minute, remove and ask children to recall what they saw. Discuss strategies for recall. It is fun to make up your own sheet of objects, including some pictures that have featured in class work recently.

Do the same activity with numbers, using a variety of sizes and colours (see Photocopiable Sheet B, but again, make up your own).

Repeat this with a sheet of geometrical shapes (see Photocopiable Sheet C).

Think of other concepts or ideas that you want the children to revise. For instance, you could make a sheet of sums, using specific mathematical symbols.