Developing your child's memory is essential to high order thinking. There are three types of memory: short term, long term and working memory. Short term memory is the ability to follow immediate instructions/directions. Long term is the ability to recall information learned in the past. Working memory is necessary to manipulate information. Here are some ways you can develop your child's memory using games:
GOING ON A PICNIC (or going to the park, the store etc)
This game goes like this:
Parent: I am going on a picnic and I am bringing apples
Child: I am going on a picnic and I am bringing apples and pears
Parent: I am going on a picnic and I am bringing apples, pears and a dog
Child: I am going on a picnic and I am bringing apples, pears, a dog and a sweater
And so on...
TOTAL RECALL
Give your child a short phrase from a book or if older a long phrase or a series of numbers or letters and have them recall the information after a couple of minutes or hours depending on their age. One thing I do is give my daughter a license plate number at the beginning of a car ride and ask her what it was when we arrive at our destination.
SIMON SAYS APP
You can either download the app and have your child play it or you can create a pattern with clapping or tapping on a table with a pencil on a variety of objects. For instance, lay out a paper, a book, a cup, a mug and a toy (or any variety of things). Take a pencil and tap out a pattern using these objects: paper, book, cup, cup. Give your child the pencil and have her/him copy the pattern. Make them harder: paper, paper, book,cup,cup, mug etc.
Books
Some books that have activities around what's missing or finding things that are wrong :
What's missing baby Daisy?:A book about missing part
Big Bird Beep Book: What's Missing
Highlights Magazine
What's wrong with this picture around town by Lipman
What's wrong by Ellen Booth Church
What's wrong with this picture by Anna Pomaska's
