What Impacts A Child's Ability To Retain Information? Tips To Help Your Child With Memory

Challenges with memory can interfere with a child's ability to succeed in school and other parts of everyday life. If your child has ADHD, you might be all too familiar with these problems. When kids struggle with memory issues, what can parents do to help? In this article, we'll talk about the potential causes of memory issues in kids and specific tips you can use to help your child retain and recall information. Then, we'll discuss when parents should be concerned about a child's memory and what to do.

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Is It Normal For Children to Forget Things?

If your child has trouble remembering information, there are various possible causes. For example, studies show that ADHD is connected to challenges with working memory. Working memory, one of the three functions of short-term memory, refers to the ability to maintain knowledge until it’s put to use. It is not uncommon for people with ADHD to notice the effects of this in school, at home, and in other important situations. 

That said, there are cases where difficulty with memory might indicate another serious problem outside of or in addition to ADHD. Furthermore, memory problems can affect both short and long-term memory. 

Long-term memory vs. short-term memory

What's the difference between long-term memory and short-term memory? The answer is quite simple. 

As the name suggests, short-term memory refers to the capacity to store small amounts of information for a brief period. So, if someone says a sentence out loud and asks you to repeat it directly after the fact, that would rely on your short-term memory. 

On the other hand, long-term memory refers to recalling more distant events or pieces of knowledge. An example of long-term memory is remembering a fact you learned hours ago, last week, or years ago.

If a child struggles to remember information that most other people would, you might worry or wonder why. There's more than one potential explanation as to why your child's ability to retain new knowledge could be affected.

Why Your Child May Have a Hard Time Remembering

Forgetfulness and trouble paying attention are well-known symptoms of ADHD. If your child has ADHD, or if you suspect that they might, this could be the reason behind a memory problem. However, many different things can affect memory. Other possible causes of memory problems include but aren't limited to:

• Medication side effects (frequently seen with anticonvulsants and other drugs).
• Traumatic brain injuries and/or concussions.
• Learning disorders.
• Other disorders.

Note that learning disorders, also called learning disabilities, are more common in kids with ADHD, and it is possible to have both. Memory problems should be taken seriously. Even if for peace of mind alone, make sure that you talk with your child's doctor if you notice abnormalities in their ability to retain information. 

How Can I Help My Child Retain Information?

If your child has ADHD or a similar condition, there are ways to help them retain information. Different approaches will work best for each child, so remain patient with your child until you find what works. Read the following ideas, and don't hesitate to try more than one.

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Practice with them

To increase success in their learning journey, practice subjects or activities that are tough for your child together. Especially for parents of students who struggle with schoolwork or homework, this may be valuable. Here are some tips:

• To help with a memory issue, you might present information and ask your child to repeat it back to you in their own words.
• For kids who struggle with reading comprehension, it’s often helpful to read books together. You can discuss the story after the fact to see what they recall.
• If large tasks are overwhelming, break them down into smaller pieces or multi-step directions.

Create a relaxing space

Some children might be overwhelmed by traditional learning environments. This could impede a child's learning process and further affect difficulty with memory. Regardless, creating a relaxing space can be helpful for children - especially for a child with ADHD, sensory issues, or other concerns.

To create a relaxing space, you might:

• Remove distractions, such as the television and handheld electronics.
• Provide something you know will calm your child, like tea or a stress-relief toy.
• Make sure that the room is clutter-free.

It may also help to let kids move around before learning to relieve excess energy. Although this doesn’t have much to do with the environment, it can make learning more peaceful for kids with ADHD. As an added bonus, there’s research to show that physical activity can support cognitive function and memory. 

Brush up on organizational skills

Improvements in organizational skills may help kids with memory issues regardless of the cause. Not only is organization often crucial for students in school, but learning to be more organized as a child can set kids up for success in adult life. Despite this, organization is something that a lot of children with ADHD need extra support with. Keep a structured daily routine and introduce tools such as calendars, planners, chore charts (which can include homework assignments for students), sticky notes, and lists to help kids stay organized. A structured routine means that kids will know what to expect and that the activities built into their routine - like feeding the dog or brushing their teeth - will become habitual. External tools aren’t a way to “cheat,” and many people use them in adulthood to assist memory. 

Be creative

Creative tools and approaches can be great for helping kids with memory. Songs are a standard display of how beneficial this can be. Think of singing the alphabet to learn letters, for example. Rhymes and other mnemonic devices, such as acronyms, are similarly helpful. Even better, you don't have to come up with them on your own. You can look up songs, rhymes, and acronyms to help kids memorize math facts or math formulas, geography, spelling rules, and other pieces of knowledge. Often, these are also presented in educational videos. 

Play games that aid working memory

There's a variety of different games that can aid memory. Types of games you might play with a child to support working memory include:

• Word games.
• Games with flash or index cards.
• Educational computer games.

Try repetition

Repetition is known to aid memory. You build new neural connections, when you do things over and over again. Let's say that your child has trouble with the process associated with a specific kind of math problem. For example, multiplication tables. In that case, you might complete similar math problems with them repeatedly. To ensure they memorize the process (not just the answer), change up the equations you present.

Understand their learning style

Ideally, schools would teach children in multiple formats to honor all learning styles. However, that's not always what happens in class. Accordingly, getting to know your child's learning style can make a world of difference.

The different learning styles include:

• Visual: Visual learners learn best via visual representation. For example, a picture or video.
• Reading/writing: Reading/writing learners learn best through reading material (e.g., written instructions) or by writing things down (e.g., taking notes).
• Bodily/kinaesthetic: Bodily or kinaesthetic learners learn best through hands-on activities.
• Auditory: Auditory learners learn best through hearing information.

If you know how your child learns, you can help them process information more easily. For example, with an auditory learner, you might provide verbal instructions, but for someone who learns best through visual representation, you might watch an instructional video or draw a picture to teach or reinforce concepts.

Many kids with ADHD have auditory processing issues, so keep this in mind if your child struggles with verbal instructions. This is yet another reason why learning challenges might occur in children.

Use pictures and graphics

Pictures and graphics can help a child memorize information. Sometimes, this is true even if a child is not necessarily a visual learner. Examples of pictures and graphics that can aid working memory include:

• Charts.
• Posters.
• Placemats.
• Flashcards.
• Sticky notes.

Teachers often use pictures and graphics with students in school to make lessons more engaging, but many inexpensive visual aids are available to the general public and can be found in person or online.

When To Be Concerned

In the case that you suspect a learning disability, ADHD, or another medical condition that has not yet been confirmed, make sure that you talk with your child's doctor. If your child has trouble spelling words, for example, it could be a sign of dyslexia. Similarly, if a child has trouble recalling names, events, or places that they should remember, it is a reason to be concerned and reach out to a professional. If there's a potential for a concussion or traumatic brain injury, the doctor will usually recommend a CT scan to check for any issues. A memory assessment might also be beneficial. 

Takeaway 

Many children with ADHD experience forgetfulness, which isn't the only reason a child might struggle with memory. Talk with your child's doctor if you notice working memory issues or anything else that could cause concern. There are memory and learning strategies that can help kids with ADHD, learning disorders or disabilities, and other concerns. Strategies you might use to help your child include but aren't limited to creative mnemonic devices, practicing alongside your child, or playing games that support memory.