Memory Matters 1

There are some children who seem to mostly forget the errand that they are sent to run within a few minutes of being sent.

Others may run the errand alright, but they end up sending feedback to the wrong person before they become aware of the error. 

While these actions may look like harmless blunders, they can be frustrating, particularly when such a child begins to struggle or experience a drop in academic grades too.

Children who have suffered brain injury, or who have hearing impairment, language deficits, genetic disorders, such as Down Syndrome or attention deficit hypersensitivity disorder, may have such difficulties and require patience and extra accommodations to cope.

It is important to appreciate that there are different types of memory systems.

There is the episodic memory which stores events that have recently occurred. For instance, a birthday party that one attended last weekend. 

There is a kind of memory for skills, like driving, as well as habits.

This is the procedural memory. 

There is also semantic memory, which stores knowledge acquired over a lifetime.

This includes spellings, meanings and pronunciations of words. 

In our individual uniqueness, we may have significant variation in the capacity and processing speed of these different memory systems.

That is why one can be excellent academically, but struggle recalling faces and names.

This may be relatively easier for another person to do, whilst struggling with schoolwork.

Engaging

Engaging a person’s working memory is the ability to temporarily store and manipulate information for cognitive tasks in daily life.

This kind of memory can hold a few items at a time and only for a few seconds.

A sharp working memory is required for successful learning, following directions and instructions and for completing tasks that have many steps.

Information held in the working memory is only for short-term use.

Throughout childhood, the working memory of a child is capable of developing in capacity and processing speed.

A healthy working memory helps a person to toss and turn information, as in problem solving and language development. 

When the working memory is poor, academic performance in reading and math may be impacted negatively.

For instance, recalling the steps for solving long division problems may be challenging. 

It is the same working memory skill required to take notes in class when it is being dictated.

Some children who seem to be inattentive may in actual fact be struggling to understand required tasks because of a poor working memory.

They usually struggle in organising themselves to complete tasks too.

The working memory is necessary for daily interactions because it is needed to follow and engage in persuasive arguments such as during negotiations.

During recitals held at events for children, some children can get what we may call a thought block. It is interesting to note that this hitch may be from an overloaded working memory or lost information.

Once information is lost from the working memory, it will be almost impossible to retrieve it without some form of assistance. 

Steps

To help children who forget tasks that involve steps, these steps can be further broken down into smaller tasks.

The child can also be helped to visualise the final product and put it into drawing. 

When helped to understand how to achieve the product, they are empowered to put the steps together.

Learning should be more multisensory, including writing or saying the material aloud or acting it out in a fun way.

For instance, verbs and tenses can be taught whilst on a playground.

Games that use visual memory often have rules which help to exercise one’s working memory.

The working memory or short-term memory can be impaired by stress, lack of sleep and poor nutrition.

The writer is a Child Development Expert/ Fellow at Zero-to-three Academy, USA.

E-mail: nanaesi_19@yahoo.co.uk