Listen and remember

Remembering what you have heard and being able to tell someone else about it or write it down is a difficult skill to learn, but it is important. How much can you remember, for example, of what you learnt? How much have you forgotten? Are you surprised when you suddenly recall something that you didn't even know you had learnt? Think about what prompted you to remember.

It's really important for children to be able to remember information that they have heard, especially in lessons. This unit should help your child develop ways of remembering that will prepare them to make the most of what they learn in lessons, and to be more able to store information for when they want to use it again - such as in exams!

This unit offers an on-screen version of a familiar party game: 'I went to market and I bought...' It is normally played with children sitting in a circle. The first player starts by saying, 'I went to market and I bought a...', and mentions an object of their choice. The next person then repeats the sentence, adding a second item to the list. The third person does the same. The players take it in turns, adding one new item each time.

Here the children listen to what Maggie bought at the market and try to remember it. A new item is introduced on each screen, and the list grows. They can listen to the information as often as they like before going to the next screen to see if they can remember the list. A back button allows them to return to the last screen if they want, so they can have as many tries as they like.

You might want to try testing your own memory skills by working through this unit yourself, either on your own or with your child. After all, memory is not necessarily something that improves with age!