A good memory is essential to success in school. Short-term memory–a gateway to long-term memory–is the ability to hold or make use of information presently in one's mind. Also called working memory or active memory, short-term memory is the key to listening, reading and understanding directions. Short-term memory can be significantly improved through exercises and activities, according to a study reported in the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology.
Visual Recall Games
There are many visual recall games. For the coin game, you need at least two people and a set of various coins. One person arranges the coins in a particular sequence or shape. The child participant has a set amount of time to memorize the coins before they're covered. Then she attempts to arrange her coins in the same sequence. You may choose to time this activity or allow as much time as needed. The challenge of the game depends on how many coins used.
For a similar game, spread out miscellaneous items on a tray. Allow the other players time to examine the contents, then ask them to recall as many items as possible. You can ask them to recall just the contents or the contents in a particular order. You can also show the other players a series of items one-by-one, hiding each item in turn. Next, challenge the participant to recall the items in order.
To turn these games into a competitive group activity, make the recall a contest. For a cooperative group activity, ask players to work together to recall the items. The cooperative version of this game works well for recalling many items not laid out in a particular sequence.
Auditory Recall Games
Auditory recall games are played much like visual recall games. The only difference is that the items to be remembered are heard instead of seen. Try calling out a sequence of numbers or letters, and ask players to recall as many as they can. You can also read aloud a short story, then ask participants to recall as many details as they can.
Dance Move
Dance Move is a great memory game for energetic kids and kinesthetic learners. It can be played in pairs or in small groups. To play, decide who will go first. The first player performs a dance move. The second player repeats the move, then adds one of his own. The game continues until someone makes a mistake. Sometimes it helps to have someone sitting out, recording moves and alerting players to a mistake. The person sitting out is also engaging in observation and recall skills, but with the advantage of pen and paper.
Sherlock
This game can be played with groups or pairs of children. Each person or group studies the other person or group for a set amount of time. Next, each group secretly changes seven things about themselves. Teams or pairs then take turns guessing what changes have been made.
Santa's Bag
To play Santa's Bag, one player begins by saying something like, "I packed Santa's bag, and I put a book in it." The next player continues the list by saying something like, "I packed Santa's Bag and put a book and a crayon in it." The game continues until someone makes a mistake. This game can be played almost anywhere, including in the car on road trips or when stuck in traffic. To vary the theme, try packing the bag for the beach, a picnic or a trip to Grandma's.
Commands Game
The Commands Game is a listening, attention and memory game that helps children practice real-world tasks and skills. Challenge the child to perform a series of tasks by giving him verbal instructions. The number of items in the sequence determines the difficulty of this game. You could, for example, ask the child to retrieve the soccer ball from the yard, place it under the stairs, water the flowers for three minutes, coil the hose, spin in a circle twice–and so on.
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