Types of Memory in Children: Everything You Need to Know

What types are there? Types of memory in children are classified according to various criteria. Depending on how long information is retained, a distinction is made between short-term, working, and long-term memory. In terms of mental activity, memory can be visual, motor, emotional, and verbal-logical. And based on the involvement of the will, it is divided into involuntary and voluntary memory.

How can it be developed? To develop memory in children, a consistent daily routine, a healthy diet, physical activity, a stress-free environment, and, of course, hands-on games and exercises are essential. Training cognitive abilities involves not only memorizing facts but also improving a child’s thinking, attention, and imagination.

Types of Memory in Children

Memory is a complex aspect of cognitive activity consisting of several interconnected stages that depend both on one another and on circumstances:

• Perception. Information is encoded and stored in memory through perception via the senses of sight, hearing, touch, and smell.
• Storage. Data is accumulated in different “compartments” of memory depending on how frequently it is recalled.
• Identification. The brain activates neural connections to identify an object with its image stored in memory.
• Reconstruction. Recalled information may be distorted by the influence of new experiences.

Information that has been repeated many times is stored in long-term memory cells and is recalled automatically, such as a personal cell phone number, the names of loved ones, and the names of animals and plants.

At any age, the types of memory in children remain the same; only their quality changes, which depends on age, level of development, and genetic characteristics. Various types of memory can be classified according to several criteria.

Duration of Data Retention

• Sensory memory, which represents an instantaneous “snapshot” formed by the sensory organs.
• Short-term memory. Information is used to solve current tasks and is retained for up to 30 seconds without repetition.
• Long-term. Formed through repeated recall of an image of an object or episode, actions, or emotions, and can be retained from several hours until the end of one’s life.

By type of memory

• Visual memory. The fixation and storage of visual images.
• Auditory memory. Retention of auditory “imprints.”
• Tactile memory. Retention of sensations from touching objects, materials, and temperatures.
• Olfactory memory. Memory of smells.
• Gustatory memory. The retention of information about sour, sweet, or salty tastes, received through special receptors on the tongue.
• Emotional memory. Stores experienced emotions.
• Motor (movement) memory. Stores skills for performing actions in various circumstances.

By method of storage

• Imagery memory. The retention of visual, gustatory, olfactory, and tactile impressions formed through the senses.
• Abstract memory. Retains abstract concepts—words, formulas, and theories.

By degree of volitional effort

• Voluntary memory. A conscious process of memorization that requires repetition and recall, such as when memorizing terms.
• Involuntary memory. An unconscious, automatic process of memorization that retains information regardless of a person’s wishes.

By degree of cognitive effort

• Mechanical memory. Formed on the basis of associations created through repetition without the involvement of logical thinking.
• Logical memory. Formed as a result of systematizing information and identifying key points.
• Associative memory. It establishes a connection between current experiences and memories of past events.

Features of Children’s Memory

Involuntary memory is the predominant type of memory in preschool and early elementary school-aged children. Without any specific goal or effort, a child remembers events and circumstances in which they participate, as well as colorful objects and toys.

The greater the interest and emotional response these evoke in the child, the more vividly and firmly the information will be retained in memory. At this age, the most effective methods involve any theatrical or playful forms of presenting information, as well as the development of skills for observing the surrounding world.

Visual attention at this age is always linked to emotional experience, which plays a decisive role in memory retention. The child remembers the overall impression of an event, generally without distinguishing its individual stages, participants, or themes.

They do not yet identify the key points of a given event and often pay more attention to minor details that made the strongest impression on them. A child’s memories are still unstructured, and their retelling of what they have seen and experienced is disjointed and fragmented.

How a child perceives events and facts in the surrounding world is directly dependent on their age:

• Up to age 2. Motor memory is the primary type of memory in children during this period, when they actively try to reproduce everything they see around them. This is a time of rapid development of the nervous system and the rapid accumulation of information about the world around them.
• From 2 to 4 years old. This is the stage of mechanical memory development. Children are better at memorizing objects and images and can repeat phrases and poems without even understanding their meaning.
• From ages 5 to 6. Implicit memory is the primary type of memory in preschool-aged children. Recurring events and contrasting experiences are remembered best.
• From 6 to 12 years old. School age is a period for the formation of long-term memory, which requires repetition and recall of material. This is a time for the development of analysis and comparison, as well as skills in memorization and working with abstract concepts. However, emotions accompanying the perception of material still ensure the best retention.

Ways to Develop Memory in Children

There are many developmental exercises:

• Visual memory training.
• Exercises for motor and tactile memory.
• Exercises for auditory memory.
• Exercises for developing emotional memory.
• Verbal-logical memory training.
• Training for visual memory.
• Activities to develop associative memory.
• Exercises to improve logical memory.

When planning activities, it is important to consider the child’s age and their ability to focus on a task. As children get older, their memory capacity increases, and by late preschool age, with the right motivation, a child can already master significant amounts of information.

The best way to train voluntary memory is through verbal recall of information: retelling a story they’ve read, a movie they’ve watched, or poems. Describing pictures and comparing drawings with similar plots are also very effective. Tasks that involve depicting discussed scenes using pencils and paints make a significant contribution.

It is important to develop long-term memory by reviewing previously covered material. Active games help shift attention, provide new experiences and emotions, and oxygenate the body.

Classic Exercises for Training Children’s Memory

Play is the best way to develop all types of memory in preschoolers.

“What’s Changed?”

This game can be just as exciting as hide-and-seek, and the principle is similar—only in this case, not just the players but also objects can be hidden. Or they can switch places. The person whose turn it is to guess turns away or leaves the room, and at that moment, objects are hidden or rearranged. The goal is to spot the changes and name them.

Search for Matches

After memorizing the locations of matching pictures (or other items), the players flip them over or cover them so that the objects are hidden, and the children must recall the location of the object they’re looking for.

Reading and Memorizing Poems

Reading poems should become a small theatrical performance to ensure maximum immersion in the story’s meaning and convey its main message.

Dancing

A fun, educational “do as I do” game helps children practice several types of memory and skills at the same time. It develops musical ear, a sense of rhythm, and communication skills, while also lifting their spirits.

Discussing the Day

Retelling the events of the day will develop observation skills and long-term memory.

This process engages the child much more than memorizing someone else’s text because it’s connected to their personal emotional experiences. And it’s sometimes helpful for parents to listen, too—they might learn a lot of new things.

Games

Turn everyday—and perhaps not the most pleasant—events into a game and involve your child in it. Let a doctor’s visit or helping out around the house turn into a treasure hunt, where the reward is a delicious dessert or a new toy.

Go through all the stages of the activity together, discuss them, and recall specific moments, drawing your child’s attention to the details: who was there and what they were wearing, what their voices sounded like, and how the people involved were feeling.

Suggest that your child draw a picture of today’s events and discuss the resulting drawings, noting the colors your child chose. Ask them to describe in more detail the event they depicted and ask why they chose those particular colors.

During games, avoid distractions and don’t rush your child. They should feel your involvement in the process and sense its importance—this will help your child be more attentive and creative in interpreting their memories.

Frequently Asked Questions About Types of Memory in Children

We can see just how complex the process of retaining information is at any age, and how important adult involvement is in the development of a child’s cognitive abilities during that relatively short period of life known as “childhood.”

Are the types of memory in children the same as in adults?

We must realize that a child’s memory is not yet fully formed and is still developing, and that its capacity and methods of memorization differ significantly from those of any adult. Nor can we place the same demands on a preschooler’s memory as we do on that of an older school-age child.

• Memory capacity. The younger the child, the smaller their memory capacity—both short-term and working memory.
• Speed of memorization. A child processes, recalls, and reproduces information more slowly, as they do not yet have sufficient mechanisms for this process or enough information to form associations.
• Memorization techniques. Children have not yet mastered—at least not consciously—the basic techniques of memorization, whereas an adult can write down information, save a reference to external sources, and thereby commit an event to memory.
• Uneven distribution of memory types: while younger children have better-developed involuntary and visual memory, by the time they reach upper elementary school age, the development of voluntary and verbal-logical memory takes precedence.

What Is Phenomenal Memory in Children?

Phenomenal memory in children is the ability to memorize large amounts of information that significantly exceed what is typically expected of children. Notably, this can be any kind of information, including information that is not connected by any logical relationships.

Most often, phenomenal memory is linked to visual perception, and as the child grows older, it undergoes changes, gradually fading away.

A 10-year-old boy set a world record for reciting the decimal places of pi. He was Alberto Davila Aragon, a native of Bristol. In one minute, he recited 280 decimal places of pi.

This achievement was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records. The event was made particularly significant by a series of circumstances that created considerable stress for the young boy: his eyes were covered with a blindfold, and hurricane-force winds were raging all around him.

The boy attributed his abilities to his natural musicality, sense of rhythm, and breathing exercises, which enabled him to recite the digits at such a high speed.

How can you tell which type of memory is dominant in your child?

There are ways to determine at home which type of memory is predominant in your child.

1. To assess the development of visual memory, show your child pictures and symbols.
2. To assess the quality of auditory memory, say words and phrases aloud.
3. You can gauge the level of their tactile memory by letting your child compare the sensations of touching different textures with their eyes closed and open.

One type of memory will be more developed than the others when the child’s responses are more accurate, confident, and quick.

How many types of memory can a single child have?

A child can possess all types of memory at varying levels of development. The claim that a child possesses a specific number of memory types is fundamentally incorrect. The degree of development of each type of memory depends both on the child’s personal experience and knowledge of the world around them, as well as on the quality of the emotions they experience.

At different moments in life, instantaneous, short-term, and long-term memory are all engaged. Motor memory helps reproduce movements later on, while associative memory helps recall the emotions and events associated with those movements.

Understanding the processes of memory development, as well as methods for training different types of memory and memorization skills, will not only make the learning process easier for children but also make it interesting, engaging, and more effective.