How To Enrich Kids Memory
Stop fretting over your kid’s short term memory for you are just an article away from learning about enhancing your child’s memory. Read on to discover new techniques and methods to help yourself overcome the worries associated with your kid’s overall performance.
Every parent wishes to see that his / her kid be judged outstanding among his / her peers, be it in studies, sports or other curricular activities. At the same time the parent should be aware that for a kid to perform extremely well, his / her brain should be maintaining a high quality. And how can this ‘high quality’ be achieved?
A note to start
Parents should be clear about some facts about their growing kids. Inculcate in them the quality of discipline and, teach them etiquettes that they must follow in their lives. Do not postpone this training to a later period or age as young children learn faster and it forms a stronger platform.
Organized brain, sharp memory
Right from an early age, you can make them understand the need to be organized, both at home and in the school. Only an organized brain can develop good memory power. For this, teach them to keep their room clean and free of clutter. With an inbuilt organized nature they will surely keep their desk at school methodized.
You will feel proud about your kid when other moms share their kids’ nature of forgetting things back at school.
Power games for brain
Memory games do not only provide a favorite pastime but also actuate the part of our brain responsible for memory. Your kid would love to be indulged in interesting games with you which you can design according to your child’s interests. Ask him / her to memorize a few objects, that you hand out to him / her in a particular order, and later hide them from him.
When he / she recalls the objects one by one, unhide the same. This way he / she will be keener to see you unhide all the hidden objects. Unknowingly you help him / her develop his / her memory and brain power. Do not forget to alter the objects and at regular time intervals, increase the number of objects as well.
You can reward him/her with small gifts say a craft box or a set of water colors or anything with which he/she can play happily. This helps his/her brain get enough stimulation and helps him/her in memorizing more items.
Short-term, long-term audio-visual memory
There is much need to stimulate both sides of the brain and also the audio-visual aspects. For this you can try out these simple games.
Show them a group of letters or shapes and objects on a blackboard or in the sand (when you play on the beach) and wipe them off after a minute or two. Let your kids recollect the list. The same technique can be implemented for sound clippings or audio segments. Tell your kid to be silent till the sounds are heard with concentration. Now your child repeats the sounds heard.
There are two types. First is when you ask them to recollect just after you erase the visuals or audio clips and this is termed as ‘short term auditory/visual memory’ and the other when you tell them to recall and reproduce the list after a gap of time say 15 minutes or half an hour. This is ‘long term auditory/visual memory’ and it helps the kid for a sharper brain performance enhancing concentration.
These games will be more fun when carried out in groups. When in competition, brain works more powerfully to beat its competitors’.
Some kids often complain that they could not write down what the teacher taught or wrote. This happens because their brain fails to store what they saw or heard even for a few seconds after the teacher sponges off the board. Such kids can benefit a lot from these brain games.
The more the brain is exercised the better it functions. Also games like scrabbles, bingo, jigsaw puzzles, crosswords or anything stimulating the brain to remember and produce, benefit a lot to improve brain strength thereby strengthening memory.
Physical Activities
Some kids are seen to be very inactive and dull right from an early age. These kids may hinder the growth of their brains to the fullest. A healthy blood flow to the brain happens only if the body is stretched and moved intently. Therefore do not deprive them of sports and plays.
Encourage your child to indulge in physical activities like running, swimming, aerobics or cycling. Physical exercise was considered effective to attain a healthy body, but research has proved that exercising our body directly aids brain power. It also promotes memory by keeping at bay all those cognitive disorders that are likely to take place as the person grows old.
Read, read and read
Parents should inculcate the habit of reading in their kids to the maximum. Provide them with all the facilities of newspapers, journals, comic strips, books, general knowledge publications etc. Reading boosts brain as nothing else.
Help them attain a membership in a nearby library. This will mark a considerable improvement in their interest towards reading thereby sharpening their brain and memory. Reading habit should be strong within18 years of age to overcome lots of brain damaging issues in a person, says Dr. David Bennet from Rush University in Chicago.
New Challenges
Let your kid improve on his / her memory by learning new skills. Talk to your kid and understand what area he/she would like to select for learning new skills. You can give options of music, musical instruments, new languages, dance, painting, craft works or sports.
Studies have proved that kids’ memory augments as a result of a hobby or a skill that he/she pursues in his/her free time.
Avoid comparison, rather appreciate
As we know every human is unique. So is your kid. Never compare him/her with any other child in family, school or your neighborhood. Comparison may instill in his/her brain a feeling of insecurity and inferiority. This affects his/her memory too and may even wreck his/her existing qualities. Be kind to him/her and shower him/her with appreciation even for a small good that he/she does. This will not spoil your kid.
Sleep on memory
Sleep improves overall performance of a person. Let your kid sleep for about 10 hours to keep his mind fresh and alert when he wakes up for school. Sleep deprived kids forget everything they learn.
Memory boosting diet
Be really strict about your kids’ diet, especially the breakfast, which plays a key role in boosting memory. Try to include more of omega 3 fatty acids, folic acid, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole beans and leafy greens. Whole wheat bread, oatmeal, high fiber cereal and brown rice etc contain complex carbohydrates which gives your child’s brain extra energy. One thing to keep in mind is that chocolates give a memory high, so give your child lots of them.
Yoga for kids
Yoga definitely helps grow memory power and you can consult a good practitioner for this who is adept with kids’ yoga. Mild breathing techniques, certain backbone postures etc benefit for improving the memory, learning skills, processing of thoughts and concentration.
Strict no no!
You should keep a serious check on your kids’ television or computer usage. Continuous TV watching or PC usage will ultimately bring your child’s brain into a neutral position where memory will decline gradually.
Video game can be played but your kid should not become an addict. Make your kid indulge in more of those which need to use more of brain power rather than violence related ones.
There are lots of useful channels to improve a child’s knowledge on different areas. Let your child befriend those channels.
Content family atmosphere
Give your child a healthy family atmosphere. Do not disturb his/her mind with those silly fights or quarrels in the household. Memory power of kids belonging to a happy family is far better than those coming from shaken or split families.
Photo Credit- Buzzle.com
