Enhancing learning, both inside and outside of the classroom, starts with memory. But it’s important to remember that no one is born with an excellent memory; it requires practice to develop. Constant practice helps the brain work better, just like it does with any other organ.
Memory issues are common among students. Students who struggle to store knowledge in short-term memory frequently have trouble recalling recent conversations, lectures, and discussions in class, as well as instructions or directions they have just been given. Students who struggle with working memory frequently lose track of what they are doing in the middle of a task. Let’s understand why it is important to enhance retention power.
Importance of improving students with low retention power:
Students with better memory perform better in school and various curricular and extracurricular activities. The short-term and long-term memory of a child can be enhanced through a variety of methods. Training brains regularly can spark creativity and help students push their retention limits for improved academic results. Below-mentioned activities will be useful for students with low retention power:
1. Numbers-based memory exercise
Give the child some random numbers. After that, the student tries to repeat what you said in a minute. The student must retain the sequence of numbers you previously spoke, by hearing some of them again. To achieve effective memory improvement, repeat this workout five days in a row.
2. Matching cards
Get the students some cards and place them face down on a table or the floor. Make two groups of these cards, flip them over, and compare the numbers, shapes, colours, and pictures to see if they match. Then, without telling your students what is beneath the card, place one card on top of another. The child’s memory will effectively improve if you do this for five minutes.
3. The exact order of things
a) Students should be paired off, and Partner 1 should share three activities from the day. Partner 2 must repeat each one in turn to Partner 1 and vice versa.
b) Display a series of images, words, or figures on the screen for a brief period. Students are required to recall the order of the things after they have been removed by speaking them out to a partner, writing them down, or drawing them. Reduce the amount of time they have to look at the photographs and increase the number of objects to make it more challenging.
Read: Math Games For Struggling Students
4. Letter unscramble
Students stand in pairs, one facing the board and the other facing the opposite side of the board. Four groups of four letters can be combined to form various words put on the board (for example, acer, bstu, anem.) One set of letters is read by one partner to the other partner facing the board. Without being able to see them, their partner has 30 seconds to deduce what words can be constructed from the letters. (For instance, acer = acre, care, and race.) This is repeated by every pair. Reduce the time or add more letters to make this more challenging.
5. Identify the difference
Post two seemingly identical (but slightly different) photographs on the board or screen. Give them a short window of time to identify as many variations as they can.
6. Using sequencing and retelling stories
This is beneficial for understanding and enhancing working memory. Story-retelling games may not be actual storytellers, but they do rely on remembering sequences of events or visuals that are related to how our brains interpret stories. You can use a few ways to approach this story game, like starting the story with a single word, the next player(student) adding another word to build the story, and so on. Or, you can also skip sections of the story and ask students to highlight the missing words or sentences.
7. When was the last time?
Give students recall-based questions to answer. When was the last time you made a paper aeroplane, drank lemonade, tied your shoes, or adjusted the volume on something? etc. Students can record their responses in journals or discuss them with a companion. The same question can be answered by all students. Note that this could also be a fun way to get to know someone.
8. Chain of words
Pick a topic, for example, food. The first person says a word, the second person adds his/her word, the third person adds his/her word to the previous two, and so on, until nobody can remember the word chain any longer.
9. Identify the change
Untie one shoe, remove one earring, change your hairstyle, fold your sleeves or alter one aspect of your look. After giving enough time, the student opens their eyes and looks around to see what’s the difference in the looks.
10. Mind maps
Teachers can ask students to make mind maps to aid in making connections between various words and subjects. They will be able to actively participate and have a greater comprehension of the subject matter. This will provide space for developing different concepts and determining how they relate to one another. Students can use chart papers to draw mind maps. Steps to make mind maps are as follows:
a) Create or draw a center topic
b) Add branches to the topic
c) Include keywords
Memory improvement is crucial for students to grow mentally and physically. It plays a vital role in academic success and is a key factor in a person’s academic and professional advancement. The ability to recall and retain information is essential for students to succeed in school and beyond.
The aforementioned effective memory improvement strategies can produce transformational results for students. These strategies not only aid in better retention of information but also help in developing critical thinking skills, problem solving abilities, and creativity. It is vital for educators to incorporate these memory improvement techniques in their curriculum to help students achieve their full potential.