Author: Mel WAGENAAR
Educational Psychologist, Teacher and Mother, South Africa
Cognitive development includes mastering speech, using the imagination, learning new skills, learning what things are and how they work, and of course, REMEMBERING things. This is a skill essential for future academic success. Memory skills are closely tied to a child’s overall cognitive development. As toddlers learn and experience new things, their ability to recall that information is crucial for building a strong foundation of knowledge.
Toddlers rely heavily on their memory to learn and retain new vocabulary words, understand sentence structure, and make connections between language and meaning. Strong memory aids language development. As your toddler develops the capacity to remember past experiences and lessons learned, they can then apply that knowledge to solve problems they encounter in day-to-day life. This problem-solving ability is a critical life skill. Toddlers’ memories of positive experiences and emotional support can help them self-regulate and manage their feelings more effectively. Recalling comforting memories provides emotional resilience and as a parent you can help them to recall these.
By nurturing and strengthening toddlers’ memory skills through activities, routines, and responsive caregiving, parents and caregivers can set them up for long-term academic, social, and personal success. Memory is the foundation upon which so many other vital life skills are built.
You do not have to rush out and buy all sorts of educational games that promise to boost your child’s memory skills. Helping to develop your child’s memory can start with a simple recap and chat about their day. This habit can be started from the day your baby is born, pre-speech. Always chatter away to your baby and “fill in the blanks” until they can. Remind them about what they have seen and done during the day. For example, if they saw a yellow crane building a high-rise skyscraper or went on the green slide at the park, ask them if they can remember what colour the crane was or what else they did in the park. Hong Kong is full of activity – use this, especially in the months when going outdoors is pleasurable. Fill in the blanks less and less as your child’s verbal skills develop and if this “debrief” of the day becomes routine, it is a great way to develop memory from a young age.
At this point, I want to shed a little light on why children can be forgetful. Stress, hunger, family trauma and lack of sleep can all be contributing factors to why children can be forgetful. But sometimes when children have trouble remembering information, they may be struggling with a skill called working memory. It needs to be stated that developmental and/or intellectual disabilities like ADHD, autism, Down syndrome, Rett syndrome and certain language disorders commonly cause memory problems. If you have any concerns, a child psychologist specialising in this or a developmental specialist paediatrician needs to be consulted. Though some of these conditions may affect long-term and visual memory, they most often disrupt working memory.
Nutritionists will be able to provide more comprehensive guidance around foods that boost memory skills. Always be sure to monitor new foods against potential issues but the following foods are typically a good starting point:
- Eggs (organic are best)
- Fish
- Leafy green vegetables (choy sum and bok choy are excellent)
- Lean beef (or meat alternative)
- Yoghurt (full fat Greek is very good)
- Nuts & seeds
- Beans and pulses
- Fruit
Here are some memory-boosting strategies for toddlers:
Visualization skills:
- Have your toddler close their eyes and visualize their favourite animal, then describe what they see.
- Encourage your toddler to create a mental picture of a story you read together and describe the scene.
Make learning exciting:
- Turn vocabulary practice into a game by having your toddler act out the meanings of new words.
- Use puppets, costumes, or music to bring learning activities to life and capture your toddler’s imagination.
Establish routines:
- Implement a consistent bedtime routine, such as bath, pyjamas, story, and lullaby, to help your toddler’s brain associate these cues with sleep.
- Create a morning routine that includes the same sequence of tasks, like getting dressed, brushing teeth, and eating breakfast, to provide predictability.
Real-life connections:
- Take your toddler to the grocery store and have them touch and name different fruits in English and their home language.
- Collect leaves, rocks, or flowers on a nature walk and encourage your toddler to describe their sensory experiences.
Take care of the basics:
- Ensure your toddler gets the recommended 11-14 hours of sleep per day to support memory consolidation.
- Provide a balanced, nutrient-rich diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and protein to fuel brain development.
Fun memory games:
- Play a game of Go Fish, where your toddler has to remember which cards have been played.
- Create a simple memory matching game using everyday objects or pictures.
Breaking down tasks:
- Teach your toddler to clean up their toys by breaking the task into smaller steps, such as placing blocks in a bin, then putting books on a shelf.
- Guide your toddler through a simple cooking recipe by breaking it down into manageable, step-by-step instructions.
Ask questions:
- After reading a book together, ask your toddler questions about the characters, setting, and sequence of events.
- Following a craft activity, ask your toddler to describe the materials they used and the steps they took to complete the project.
There is so much that one can do as a parent to enhance memory skills. A local source, Lion Rock Press, has excellent resources that are tailored around Hong Kong culture. Find them on https://www.thelionrockpress.com/collections/toys-puzzles-and-games
However, I often suggest to parents that the old traditional games and ways of engagement have worked for many generations before and still do. The classic game of Simon Says, which requires toddlers to remember and repeat a sequence of movements or actions, strengthens their working memory. Hide-and-Seek with Objects is another classic: Hide a few familiar objects around the room, then have your toddler search for and recall where each one is hidden. This develops their spatial memory. Encourage your toddler to join you in singing songs and reciting rhymes as the rhythm, melody, and repetition reinforce their memory of the lyrics.
The key is to make these activities engaging, playful, and tailored to your toddler’s interests and abilities. Consistent practice will help strengthen their memory skills. Mostly, the key is to have fun with your child as you help them to build up their memory skills. This will ensure that you all build wonderful family ‘memories’ too!
