1. Connect the Dots. This simple game requires students to connect pairs of dots by drawing lines between them. The faster students can complete the task, the more difficult it becomes.

2. Simon Says. This classic game requires students to follow specific instructions without interruption. By playing Simon Says, students practice working memory by repeating instructions back to themselves.

3. Memory Match. This game requires students to match a picture with a corresponding word. By playing Memory Match, students practice their memory skills while also having some fun.

4. Hangman. This classic game requires students to guess the letters in a word using only the phonetics of the word. By playing Hangman, students practice their working memory by attempting to spell words without knowing their spelling.

5. Toss a Coin. This game requires students to remember a series of numbers.

6. The Tower of Hanoi. This puzzle game requires students to move discs from one tower to another using only the numbers 1-9. By playing The Tower of Hanoi, students practice their working memory by remembering a sequence of numbers.

7. Memorize the Colors. This game requires students to remember a series of colors.

8. Card Sharks. This game requires students to memorize a series of cards.

9. Jigsaw. This game requires students to piece together a picture using only the pieces provided. By playing Jigsaw, students practice their working memory by assembling a picture from pieces.

The post <strong>9 Games and Activities to Improve Students’ Working Memory</strong> appeared first on The Edvocate.

To understand how the brain thinks, understand first the different parts of the brain. The brainstem is located in the brain and is responsible for controlling the body’s organs and functions. The frontal lobe is located in the frontal region of the brain and is responsible for controlling thinking, emotions, and behavior. The cerebellum helps control movement and balance. The hippocampus is responsible for remembering information.

The brain has five lobes which are responsible for processing information: the frontal, temporal, parietal, occipital, and temporal lobes. The different parts of the brain work together to create thoughts and emotions. Thoughts are created by the frontal lobe and are based on logic and reason. Emotions are created by the frontal lobe and are based on feeling. Behavior is created by the temporal lobe and is based on instinct and reaction. The cerebellum control movement and balance and the hippocampus help remember information.

There are different types of memories that the brain can hold. These memories can be short-term or long-term. Short-term memories are stored in the hippocampus, used for planning and organizing tasks. Long-term memories are stored in the temporal lobe and are used for solving problems and remembering memories.

The post Understanding How the Brain Thinks appeared first on The Edvocate.

The Science of Drawing and Memory

According to a study published in a prominent neuroscience research journal, drawing and memory are closely linked.

The study found that people who can draw well also have better memories. People who are better at drawing are able to transfer the details of a drawing to memory more easily.

The study asked participants to draw a simple object, such as a cube, and then to remember what it looked like. The participants were then asked to draw the object again, but this time they were asked to remember the colors that were used in the first drawing.

The results showed that the participants who were better at drawing were able to remember more colors than those who were not as good at drawing. The study also found that the better the participants were at drawing, the better their memories were for the object’s visual details.

Why is Drawing Related to Memory?

One theory explains that drawing helps us to remember details more easily. When we are able to draw a complex object accurately, we are more likely to remember the details of the object.

Another theory is that drawing helps us visualize better the objects that we are trying to remember. When we can see an object in our mind’s eye, it is easier for us to remember the details of the object.

Overall, it is still unclear why drawing and memory are related, but it is likely that there are multiple reasons. Drawing may help us to better remember the details of objects, and memory may help us to better visualize the objects that we are trying to remember.

The post The Science of Drawing and Memory appeared first on The Edvocate.

1. Provide instructions, explanations, and instructional content in a transparent manner and at an appropriate pace.
2. Get the learner to practice taking notes for specific information the learner needs to remember.
3. Teach the learner to identify keywords and phrases related to the information to increase long-term memory skills.
4. Make sure the learner is paying attention to the source of information (e.g., eye contact is being made, hands are free of learning materials, the learner is looking at task, etc.).
5. Minimize distracting stimuli when information is being presented, the learner is studying, etc.
6. Separate at several points during the presentation of information to check the learner’s comprehension.
7. Provide the learner one task to perform at a time. Present the next task only when the learner has successfully finished the prior task.
8. Get the learner to memorize the first sentence or line of poems, songs, etc. As the learner experiences success, require more to be memorized.
9. Teach the learner information-gathering skills (e.g., listen carefully, write down essential points, ask for clarification, wait until all information is received before beginning, etc.).
10. Get the learner to repeat/rephrase directions, explanations, and instructions.
11. Minimize the emphasis on competition. Competitive learning activities may cause the learner to hurry and begin without listening.
12. Give the learner environmental signals and prompts designed to enable success in the classroom (e.g., posted rules, schedule of daily activities, steps for performing tasks, etc.).
13. Give the learner written lists of things to do, learning materials needed, etc.
14. Provide consistency in sequential learning activities to enable the likelihood of learner success (e.g., the learner has math every day at one o’clock, recess at two o’clock, etc.).
15. Separate sequences into units and have the learner learn one unit at a time.
16. Create a routine (schedule) for the learner to follow in performing learning activities, tasks, etc. (e.g., listen to the person speaking to you, wait until instructions are finished, make sure you have all appropriate learning materials, etc.).
17. Teach the learner to use associative signals or mnemonic devices to remember sequences.
18. Involve the learner in learning to remember sequences by having the learner physically perform sequential learning activities (e.g., operating equipment, following recipes, solving math problems, etc.).
19. Get the learner to be responsible for helping a peer remember sequences.
20. Utilize concrete examples and experiences in sharing information with the learner.
21. Consider using an education app to help the student enhance their memory. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

The post 21 Strategies to Help Enhance Students’ Memory appeared first on The Edvocate.

1. Get the learner to read and follow one-, two-, and three-step instructions.

2. Get the learner to listen and take notes for “Who, What, Where, On occasions where, How, and Why” when ideas are presented.

3. Utilize several modalities (e.g., auditory, visual, tactile, etc.) when presenting instructions, explanations, and instructional content .

4. Give the learner auditory signals to help them remember the information previously presented (e.g., say keywords, give a brief oral description to clue the learner, etc.).

5. Cut images from a cartoon strip. Present the images to the learner in the correct sequence. Shuffle the images and ask the learner to place them in the correct sequence.

6. Get the learner to play concentration games (e.g., matching numbers, words, symbols, etc., by turning them over and remembering their place).

7. Show instructions following the outline of (1) What, (2) How, (3) Learning materials, and (4) On occasions where.

8. Minimize visual distractions by isolating the information that is presented to the learner (e.g., cover other information on the page, expose only a portion of an image at a time, etc.).

9. Find the learner’s most efficient learning mode. Utilize it continuously to enable the learner’s comprehension (e.g., if the learner has difficulty comprehending written information or instructions, present the information orally).

10. Record stories, instructions, etc., so the learner may listen to the information while reading along.

11. Spotlight essential information the learner reads (e.g., instructions, reading tasks, math word problems, etc.).

12. Minimize the amount of information on a page if it is causing visual distractions for the learner (e.g., less print to read, fewer problems, isolate information this is presented to the learner, etc.).

13. Give the learner more than one exposure to the visual information prior to requiring them to remember it.

14. Consider using an education app to help the student enhance their visual memory. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

The post 14 Strategies to Help Students Improve Their Visual Memory appeared first on The Edvocate.

1. Get the learner’s hearing reviewed if it has not been recently reviewed.

2. Draw the learner’s attention to crucial aspects of auditory communications as they happen (e.g., repeat essential points, call the learner by name, tell the learner that information is particularly essential, etc.).

3. Assess the appropriateness of the task to ascertain (a) if the task is too complicated (e.g., too much information to remember) or (b) if the duration of time required for the learner to remember the information is too long (i.e., time lapse between the presentation of content and request for recall is too long).

4. Give the learner more than one source of directions, explanations, instructions, etc., before requiring them to remember information.

5. Give the learner auditory signals when they are required to recall information to help them remember the information previously presented (e.g., say, “Remember yesterday when I said . . ., ” etc.).

6. Give information visually to support information the learner receives auditorily.

7. Teach the student to learn lists of information in small parts (e.g., phone numbers are learned as 123, then 874, then 1710, etc.).

8. Slowly have the learner follow one-, two-, and three-step oral instructions.

9. Give the learner oral instructions, rules, lists, etc. Praise the learner for being able to recall information that is presented in oral form.

10. Give stories, instructions, etc., in a printed format so the learner may read along as they listen.

11. Inform the learner what to listen for before delivering auditory information.

12. Have the learner deliver oral messages to other teachers in the school building.

13. Show auditory information slowly enough for the learner to comprehend the information being presented.

14. Consider using an education app to help the student enhance their auditory memory. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

The post 14 Ways to Help Your Struggling Learner Strengthen Their Auditory Memory appeared first on The Edvocate.

1. Make sure the learner receives information from an assortment of resources (e.g., texts, discussions, films, slide presentations, etc.) to enable their memory/recall.

2. Urge the learner to play word games such as HANGMAN®, SCRABBLE®, Password-, etc.

3. Create tests and exams for the learner using the “Who, What, Where, On occasions where, How, and Why” format.

4. Teach the learner to recognize phrases related to the information to enable their memory skills.

5. Get the learner to practice repetition of information to enable memory skills (e.g., repeating names, telephone numbers, dates of activities, etc.).

6. When the learner is required to recall information, remind them of the situation in which the curriculum was initially presented (e.g., “Remember yesterday when we talked about . . .?” “Remember when we were outside, and I told you about the . . .?” etc.).

7. Provide the learner a sequence of words describing objects, persons, places, etc., and have them find the opposite of each word.

8. Provide the learner a sequence of words (e.g., objects, persons, places, etc.) and have the learner list all the words they can think of with similar meanings (i.e., synonyms).

9. Provide the learner a sequence of words or images and have them name the category to which they belong (e.g., objects, persons, places, etc.).

10. After reading a short story, have the learner recall the main characters, the sequence of activities, and the outcome of the story.

11. Give chances for the learner to “overlearn” the curriculum presented to enable their ability to recall the information.

12. Get the learner to memorize the first sentence or line of a poem, song, etc. As the learner experience success, require them to memorize more lines.

13. Teach the learner how to organize information into smaller units (e.g., break a number sequence into small units, e.g., break 132563 into 13, 25, 63).

14. Urge the learner to use semantic mapping techniques to enable visual memory.

15. Give the learner oral signals to encourage recall of content previously presented (e.g., keywords, a brief oral description, etc.).

16. Assess the appropriateness of the information to be recalled to ascertain (a) if the task is too complicated and (b) if the duration of time scheduled to finish the task is sufficient.

17. Ask the learner a question when they are most likely to be able to respond successfully.

18. Get the learner to record essential information that they should remember.

19. Consider using an education app to help the student enhance their memory. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

The post 19 Memory Hacks to Help Kids Memory and Recall Skills appeared first on The Edvocate.

Still not convinced that our working memory is crucial to learning? Here are five ways kids utilize working memory to learn.

1. Accessing information

There are two kinds of working memory: auditory memory and visual-spatial memory. Think of the skills used in making a movie. Auditory memory records what you’re hearing, and visual-spatial memory captures what you’re viewing. That is where working memory’s similarity with making a video diverge.

As you make a video, visual and auditory information is stored and recalled when you need to access the content. You don’t need to pay attention to what when you’re filming. In contrast, working memory isn’t just stored for use on some future date and time. It has to be accessed and retrieved immediately—even as new info arrives and needs to be incorporated.

Imagine an educator reads a word problem in math class. Kids need to keep all the numbers in their head, figure out what operation to utilize, and create a written math problem simultaneously.

Kids with poor working memory skills have difficulty grabbing and holding on to that incoming information. This means they have less content to work with when they’re performing a task or assignment.

In math class, they may understand distinct kinds of calculations. They run into trouble with word problems. It isn’t easy to listen for clue words that indicate which operation to utilize while at the same time remembering the numbers that need to be plugged into the equation.

2. Remembering Instructions

Kids rely on incoming information and information stored in working memory to do an activity. If they have poor working memory skills, this isn’t easy to do. This can make it challenging to follow multi-step directions. Kids with poor working memory skills have trouble keeping in mind what comes next while doing what comes now. For instance, your kid may not be able to mentally “go back” and recall what sentence the educator wanted to be written down while also trying to remember how to spell out the words in that sentence.

3. Paying Attention

The section of the brain that governs working memory is also responsible for focus and concentration. Working memory helps kids remember what they need to focus on. For example, doing a long division problem. Your kid needs working memory to come up with the answer and concentrate on all of the steps involved in getting there.

Kids with poor working memory skills have trouble remaining on task to get to the result. You could think of it as the learning equivalent of walking into a room and forgetting what you came in to get.

4. Learning to Read

Working memory governs many of the skills kids used to learn to read. Auditory working memory helps kids remember the sounds letters make, helping them learn to sound out new words. Visual working memory helps kids recognize those words and identify them throughout the rest of a sentence.

When working efficiently, these skills keep kids from having to sound out every word they see. This helps them become fluent readers. Learning to read isn’t an easy process for kids with poor working memory skills.

5. Learning Math

Solving math problems depends on several skills that build on one another, like building blocks. The block at the bottom—the essential one in the stack—is identifying and reproducing patterns. The next block’s foundation is seeing patterns in numbers to solve and remember basic math facts.

Kids build up to storing information regarding a word problem in their head; then they utilize that information to create a number sentence to solve the problem. This leads to the ability to remember mathematical formulas.

What keeps learning going is remembering, sequence, and visualizing information, all of which can be difficult for a kid with poor working memory skills.

Concluding thoughts

Having a poor working memory can create obstacles to learning. However, you can get around these obstacles. You can use working memory boosters like playing cards, chess, or other board games. With help from you and other educators at school, your kid can build up working memory skills, so learning is less of a struggle.

The post 5 Ways Kids Use Working Memory During the Learning Process appeared first on The Edvocate.

Working memory is not only for short-term use. The brain also uses it to organize fresh information for long-term storage. When people have difficulty with working memory, the brain might store information in a disorganized manner, or it might not store the information at all for the long term.

Working memory isn’t the same as short-term memory. For instance, students can hold some numbers in their short-term memory, but to be able to repeat these numbers backward, they’ve to manipulate that information – one of the key functions of working memory.

Working memory plays a more significant role in the academic performance of students. This is because lots of academic tasks include several steps with intermediate solutions. And students are required to remember these intermediate solutions to carry out the tasks. In mathematics, for example, a working memory task can involve remembering a formula and using it to solve a problem simultaneously.

There’re two kinds of working memory – visual-spatial working memory and auditory working memory.

Visual-spatial working memory – It utilizes a type of visual representation. Students utilize this skill to remember images, patterns, events, or sequences and to do math problems.

Auditory working memory – It taps into the phonological system. Whenever students are anticipated to follow a set of oral instructions, they use these working memory skills.

Everybody struggles with the limitations of working memory sometimes. However, for children with learning disorders, working memory often triggers a more substantial problem. They have a smaller working memory capacity. This is because when they adjust for the difficulties that appear with learning disorders, it consumes a significant volume of their cognitive workspace.

They’ve to consciously break down and carry out processes that other children do automatically. For example, a child with auditory processing issues needs to invest much more effort to listen, remember, and apply what is being communicated in class. Similarly, a child with a non-verbal learning disorder needs to work much harder to interpret and respond to social cues properly. Like learning disorders, children with ADHD also need to actively work to stay organized and focused – things that usually remain automated for other children.

The post Working Memory: What You Need to Know appeared first on The Edvocate.

1. Reward other students in the classroom for following appropriate steps in tasks.

2. Assess the appropriateness of the task to ascertain (a) if the task is too easy, (b) if the task is too complicated, and (c) if the duration of time scheduled to finish the task is sufficient.

3. Utilize written/oral repetition to aid in the retention of information.

4. Inform the learner what to listen for when being given instructions or receiving information.

5. Separate a sequence into units and have the learner learn one unit at a time.

6. Teach the learner to use environmental means to remember sequences (e.g., calendar, dictionary, etc.).

7. Teach the learner to use associative signals or mnemonic devices to remember sequences.

8. Get the learner to repeat to themselves information just heard to help them remember the essential facts.

9. Urge the learner to use a smartphone for phone numbers, reminders, and messages.

10. Urge the learner to use visual reminders (e.g., attach a note to a backpack, place a self-adhesive note on the inside of their locker, etc.).

11. Get the learner to work with a peer who can successfully follow the appropriate steps in tasks.

12. Consider using an education app to help the student enhance their memory. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

The post 12 Ways to Help Kids Remember Sequences appeared first on The Edvocate.