Effective Techniques to Improve Children's Attention, Memory, and Adaptability
Lili-Ann Kriegler
Award-winning author and early years designer for advanced play-based, place-based, and project-based learning. Certified thinking skills trainer and early language warrior. Owner of Kriegler-Education.
As educators, you’re likely keen to implement strategies that aid children in processing information efficiently. This process, known as executive function, is crucial for learning and comprises three key elements:
Children develop these skills gradually. At birth, they cannot manage the overwhelming influx of sensations. William James, often called the father of psychology, described babies as being in a ‘blooming, buzzing confusion’. Yet, their remarkable brains immediately process these sensations, identify patterns, and assign meaning.
The human brain is an extraordinary organ that sorts random experiences into meaningful patterns and transfers them into long-term memory.
Over time, it becomes adept at:
You can help children enhance these processes.
Focus and Self-Regulation
Attention is essential to achievement. Developing the ability to focus amidst distractions is a learned skill. I once tutored a student who found it challenging to regulate her attention due to my playful Tonkinese cats. I deliberately left them in the room, and during one session, she demonstrated improved self-regulation by stating, ‘No turning to look at the cats.’
We aren’t born with well-developed executive functioning, but we have the inherent potential to develop and refine it. As educators, we must align our expectations with a child’s age. Significantly, young children cannot shift their focus as we would like. However, you can engage with their interests. If a child is engrossed in playing with a truck, discuss its colour, the number of wheels, and the mechanics of the tray. By connecting with their focus, you can enhance their language and understanding. Research shows that when you align your attention with theirs, the complexity and motivation of the learning experience are significantly improved (Stipek & Seal, 2001). While you can’t always do this, it yields substantial benefits when you do.
Children begin to gain better control over their attention from ages three to five. They need both the expectation to focus and the opportunity to practice. Make tasks engaging and purposeful, even if they aren’t inherently enjoyable. The late Professor Reuven Feuerstein, a renowned cognitive psychologist, highlighted the importance of providing tasks with meaningful purpose. Offering a reason behind a task can motivate children, helping them see beyond the immediate to the long-term benefit, such as learning maths to manage pocket money. This approach fosters a habit that will serve them well throughout their lives.
Working Memory
Working memory is the ability to retain and use information for a task. For instance, instead of simply asking a child to ‘Get me a hammer’, providing detailed instructions like ‘Go downstairs to the garage and fetch the hammer from the middle shelf of the tool cupboard’ helps them manage more information. Research shows that adults can hold about five to seven pieces of information in their short-term memory, while children can manage even fewer.
Working memory comprises two key components: auditory and visuospatial. The aural component involves what we hear and mentally repeat to ourselves, while the visuospatial component involves visualising and mapping spatial relationships. For instance, auditory and visuospatial cues are used in the instruction to fetch the hammer.
To support children in developing their working memory:
Working memory also involves a central executive function that helps prioritise and sequence actions. Children may not do this automatically, so explaining and modelling prioritisation and sequencing is helpful. For instance, building a model aeroplane involves flexible sequencing, whereas baking a cake requires a strict order of steps. Understanding these sequences helps children manage and complete tasks more effectively.
Cognitive Flexibility
As children grow, they develop a theory of mind, which enables them to understand that others have thoughts and perspectives different from their own. This ever-increasing empathy and perspective-taking enhance their cognitive flexibility, allowing them to adapt their thinking and behaviour according to different contexts.
To support cognitive flexibility:
Awareness of these factors helps children navigate and adapt to their environment more successfully.
I hope these insights assist you in supporting children’s development of self-regulation, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, fostering their growth into adept thinkers and problem solvers.
References
James, W. (1890). The Principles of PsychologyMcLeod, S. (2012). Working memory.Stipek, D., & Seal, K. (2001). Motivated Minds: Raising Children to Love Learning
Lili-Ann Kriegler (B. A Hons, H. Dip. Ed, M.Ed.) is a Melbourne-based education consultant and author of Edu-Chameleon. Lili-Ann’s specialisations are in early childhood education (birth to nine years), leadership and optimising human thinking and cognition. She is a child, parent and family advocate who believes education is a transformative force for humanity.? She runs her consultancy, Kriegler-Education.
Find out more at?https://www.kriegler-education.com.?
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