I took a video of my 4 year old who has just started using memory magic Silly sentances. I thought it would be good for those wondering if it is worth using these silly story or linking memory games. This is his 4th attempt (he did one just before the video and did much better but :nowink: ) he actually quite likes it and surprised me by getting 14 in a row on his first attempt.
He had already guesed the first one before I pressed play but the first one is the one he is most likely to forget as it isnt linked to the story I guess. I think this is a valuable technique to teach all children (and their parents :yes: ) we will definately be using it more.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZShQYtB39U
My kids also enjoy the mandalas for photographic memory training and Memory Magics Super Flash (on disk and on ipad). they love the game of finding all the things that were flashed, we actually need to up the stakes now and find more than ten objects but I dont think the program allows for this.
We have follow that dot too but Jaykob just doesnt understand the concept of that one yet any one know of any other good eye tracking games beyond waving things in the air?
Hi Manda!
I’d love to see Jaykob, but the video is unavailable :wub: (Later edit: I saw it, congratulations! 
)
Shen Li has a great blog with brain training activities maybe it’s helpful: http://www.figur8.net/category/brain-training-2/
Andrea
Hi ï¼
Anyone has good suggestions on memory training for a 17month old bb ?
Is it necessary to start at this age ?
Thks for any info !
I checked out the blog, interesting but nothing there for eye tracking, I think we will stick to the twiddle wink videos and just wait for the results. The older girls 6,8 can use the follow that dot game. I was looking for it because my 6 year olds reading level is being held back now because her eyes wonder all over the page and decreases her accuracy. unless she remembers to use her finger for placement while she is being tested her levels are much lower than her capability. It doesn’t concern me too much ( the school is not the only source of books :)) but I thought I would make some effort to avoid the problem with my son.
As to memory training in an 18 month old. It would be simple to start with but try three cards (photos!) with object that her recognizes. ( and can say?) make up a story and put them in order. The bottle went for a walk and triped over the jumping dog, the dog was excited to chase the big ball. Then help bubs put the pictures in order. Slowly add pictures to the same story. You will have to do ALOT of the “work” to start with and you may decide to wait a year or two. Simple memory card games are good for little kids to play too. I also gave my kids one thing from the shopping list to remember each time we went from very young.
@Mandabplus3: Have you tried the Eye Exercise cards from the Wink program? You can play “eye races” by using a small toy like a miniature vehicle to trace the “race path” on the card while asking him to follow or race the toy with his eyes.
For a young children, I would check out this fun eye tracking game. http://www.vidipress.com/allkids/touchthebubbles.php
I can’t remember how I stumbled across it. Its also good hand eye coordination too. At least I think.
This is boy oriented eye tracking game I found on youtube. Look out for Superman…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8al09FHxBkY&feature=related
Someone else pointed to this website: http://www.sgparenting.com/ You have to join the forum, but you will find under “Sharing of Resources” that the first post has dozens of downloads and I got several powerpoint slides with fun disney characters that are eye tracking exercises.
I don’t have memory magic, but I found you can use almost any picture for memory linking. I am running out of memory linking material. lol. My son is turning four and he can get up to ten right with no prompting. I tell him the story with the pictures (I have been using an old memory card game), and then I take away the cards, mix them and put them randomly in front of him. He just puts it in the right order and tells me the story as he remembers it. He think its a fun game. He asks to play all the time. I found good memory linking material on the sgparenting site as well. Hope that helps!
@aangeles thankyou, we tried a home made version, but he wasn’t interested. I just started using it on my daughter though. These activities don’t take long and the results are super fast!
@corkers well arnt you a mine of information! Thank you so much karma to you, I am sure you found exactly what I needed! And a super hero to boot! I had found a bouncing ball one but lost it.
Today he had another go at the memory linking and got 30 sequential right answers with no prompts from me this time. He could have gone further but I have only shown him the first 30 lol I think it won’t be long before we have to hunt around for more pictures and start making up our own stories. I think I will try him on the shopping list next week
You know I was thinking of how to incorporate real-life applications of memory linking with my kids, and I never thought to use the shopping list. So thanks Mandabplus3!
And what a great job in improving to 30!
My question on memory linking in general is its great for remembering lists, but what is its long term applications for long term memory? Obviously you don’t need to remember a grocery list from last Monday for the rest of your life? Is memory linking used for long term memory?
How would this be applied to academics besides studying for a test? I am still trying to wrap my mind around memory linking. Thanks for any help!
Well for school it’s very useful kids are often expected to remember lots of info and it can often be put into a memory linking chain. Geography, science facts etc. I can see a definately advantage there!
I am running with the theory that memory improves with use so overall if they can improve their memory by using memory linking then potentially their memories will improve in all areas. I harnesses the same area of the brain. Use it or loose it basically.
It sounds like you are using it for short term memory training. By using a different order of objects each time. The memory train and silly Sentances always start at one and gradually add more but in the same order. So it’s a more long term memory training activity. So when Jaykob remembered 30 he remembered the 14 from yesterday and then the 16 we added today on top of it ( or after it). I cant make too many comments on it’s effectiveness long term as we just started plus I won’t be able to tell, my long term memory is very good, my short term memory is what is lacking :wacko: perhaps it will be obvious in the kids over time.
If nothing else it’s a really cool party trick lol
@cokers - i felt similarly. i didn’t want ‘random’ lists, i wanted to use this as a tool for something my kids could use later on in life, so i’m putting a few different ones together for them - i’ll share here
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one using the images from this video to help them learn the elements: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssaUusY6hWM&context=C38745c1ADOEgsToPDskJVvYav-hyS2qkImlLUISYD
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another for the classical conversations history timeline (here’s the list of 160 events http://www.flashcardexchange.com/flashcards/list/810801 and a catchy video that i think will be fun for us to try to duplicate at some point: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtgZb23I_uE&feature=related)
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amendments of the constitution of the usa (in high school i overheard that this was done as a song to the tune of 12 days of xmas, so i looked it up and found this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0BMTIErN8U … not all 27, but a great start)
that’s all i can think of for now. aside from this, being able to makes it much easier for other shorter lists, like the 10 commandments, which i’d like my kids to know. if you guys come up with other useful image lists, please share!
hopefully i’m not missing the point, but i tend to think that if their brains are good at retaining these lists, plus tons of other facts that we’re inputting (all the books, images/words - parts of the body, states, countries, etc), then other random things such as the grocery list or where they parked the car will just come naturally.
Andrea - Thanks for recommending my blog!
Mandabplus3 - eye tracking exercises are here:
http://www.figur8.net/right-brain-stimulation-eye-training/
sorry - lousy classification but it started under right brain education. I should tag it under brain training, too.
If you want to learn a memory system that can be used to help remember stuff, try peg memory:
http://figur8.net/baby/2010/08/30/peg-memory/
It is helpful if you can commit the system to memory first. That said, I do think doing random memory activities are good too - as you say “use it or lose it”. I like to think of brain training as being exercise for the brain which is good just as exercise for the body is good. Random memory exercises are like varying your exercise routine so that your brain doesn’t acclimatise to the activity just the way that doing the same exercise does with your body. Just as it is recommended that you vary your exercise routine, so too is it good to vary your brain training activities.
Just my five cents… :-p
Thanks ShenLi! That’s very helpful! I think the peg system is exactly what I am looking for! Your blog is very helpful!
Oh yes the peg system works. I was taught it as a 13 year old I could remember 50 things up to 30 was very easy, 31-50 required me to focus. I don’t know about using it for long term memory though, I used it for simple lists to get me through the week. I don’t recall ever trying to peg more than one list at a time, I wonder if I would have thought my pegs were full? Maybe I should deactivate my pegs…
Having used silly sentences I think they are easier but like you say it is in order and a peg can be recalled out of order, often useful.
Shenli I have read through your blog many times. I found it through google not through brillkids, i actually hadnt made the connection to you knly to someone on here I love it as I find all your info is well backed up with examples and proof ( if it exists) I haven’t found navigating it to be difficult yet. I shall pop over and check what you have on eye training. Thanks keep up the good work.
Hi, just looking at old threads relating to memory training. What is “memory magic”? I presume you are referring to a program but the only thing I can come across is a memory training resource for older people in Canada, nothing resembles it on the app store either…
Thanks
Lois
Here is their website link
http://www.acceleratedlearningmethods.com/memory-magic.html
I don’t think their apps are currently available sadly because my kids still play with them. But keep an eye on it you never know.
Actually I think they have an account here on hue he forum. Perhaps they could let us know.
Thanks that’s really helpful. I’m going to check their site if they still have the app.
The apps have unfortunately been removed. I don’t think they are available again yet. I have yet to look for anything similar. The PC games are still available though. Having used them for a. While now I can suggest a few free alternatives.
Print out a stack of picture cards all the same size. You need them small enough to manage a large quantity on display at once but large enough your child can see them. Ours were 3 inches square but I am not suggesting that is the right size for you. Anyway once you have a large stack select any 5-10 cards and lay then out one by one while making up the funniest most rediculous story’s you can think of. Then collect them all up in order and ask your child to recal the story as you produce the pictures. They should have no trouble doing the first 5 at all. Within a few weeks of playing this my kids were making up stories for themselves and each other and doing 100 plus cards at a time. Usually they got bored of the game before they hit the limit of their potential.
The eye training didint help. Well maybe we didn’t do enough of it (probably that is the truth of it) but he still had/has tracking problems even now that he can read chapter books. We got him glasses.
The girls learnt peg memory but don’t use it. They prefer a system where by they imagine their house and add items to their imaginary house room by room, as they walk through it (in their imagination) they can recal items based on them being in that room. I hope that made some sense. So for the shopping list they might imagine spilt milk on the front door mat, tomatoes to roll down the hallway, washing powder all over the carpet in the lounge room, and the phone covered in masking tape for a phone card etc.
it’s all been a lot of fun for them and they have excellent memories. They can rememebr a three stanza poem in less than 10 minutes and can recall it weeks later.