Diagnosing memory and attention is an important aspect of the early detection of gifted children. With its correct conduct, the educator and teacher get the opportunity to select an individual educational and developing path for each pupil, and monitor progress along it.
Theoretical aspects
In psychology, memory is considered as a component of special and general abilities. This is a form of mental reflection of reality, which is characterized by consolidation, preservation, reproduction of one’s own experience.
Memory is the basis of our consciousness. That is why memory diagnostics is so important. Information from the senses would have been completely useless if memory had not fixed the connection between some facts and events. It is durable, gives a person the opportunity to maintain individuality.
For each person, memory is unique. Having lost it, a person loses his "I". It connects the past and present of an individual subject; it is considered the main cognitive function that underlies teaching and development.
Memory is a cognitive process that performs the functions of remembering, losing, and also preserving and reproducing some material. Memory characterizes training and education, the acquisition of knowledge, the accumulation of personal experience, the formation of certain skills.
Species classification
The species classification of memory is based on three key indicators called criteria.
- The object of memorization, which is associated with what you want to remember. It can be objects, thoughts, feelings, movements. They distinguish figurative, verbal-logical, motor, emotional memory.
- The degree of volitional regulation of memory (division of voluntary and involuntary memory).
- Duration of information storage. Keep in mind short-term, long-term and operational memory.
- By the method of memorization, memory is logical and mechanical.
Types of memory
In order to choose the methods of memory diagnostics, we note that there are four main types of memory.
1. Visual and figurative memory is a memory for associations, for natural pictures, as well as for sound, taste sensations, smells. It can be tactile, auditory, visual, taste, and also olfactory. The development of auditory and visual memory are considered professional qualities.
2. Verbal and logical memory is a specific kind. With it, information is acquired by ear, its content is composed of thoughts that are impossible without a normal language. Based on other types of memory, it is the verbal-logical version that performs the main load. The development of other memory options, as well as the quality of assimilation of the material in the learning process, depends on the level of its formation.
3. Emotional memory is the memorization, preservation and reproduction of emotionally colored phenomena, a memory of feelings. It is acquired within the framework of experienced feelings, both positive and negative. For example, this is due to some events that occurred in the past. In the present, such memories, which are stored in the emotional memory, can become a guide for a person to take active actions and interpret certain events.
4. Motor memory is the process of memorizing, reproducing various movements and systems. It is the basis for the creation of various practical and labor skills. Without the memory of movements, a person would have to learn to perform certain actions every time.
Additional division
Taking into account the goals of the activity, memory is divided into involuntary and arbitrary. In those situations when we set a specific goal, we are talking about arbitrary memory. The processes of memorization and reproduction of information act in the form of special mnemonic actions. Collectively, memory is an arbitrary and involuntary component.
For the long-term, a certain amount of information is retained over a long period of time. If necessary, its owner will easily reproduce the required facts, moreover, without any distortions or changes.
Short-term memory is characterized by a very limited period of preservation of knowledge, the need for immediate reproduction of certain information. Unlike long-term memory, only a very small amount of information can be stored in it at a time - no more than 7 ± 2 units of some material.
In addition, RAM is allocated as a separate element. It involves remembering some important information that a person needs only for a non-essential time, which he will need to perform an operation, a separate type of activity. A test for memory and attention can be carried out even in kindergarten.
Test for detecting the type of perception of information
How are memory diagnostics performed? The proposed test helps to identify the main methods, techniques, forms that are suitable for the child. Only select statements that are appropriate for the subject.
I am always honest with myself, and therefore I will sincerely answer all the questions proposed below.
For me, communication with other people is essential (A).
Personal contact, I prefer correspondence in different social networks (B).
I am silent more, prefer to watch other people (A).
Reading to myself, I move my lips (A).
I am always emotional, verbose, sociable (K).
I actively gesticulate during the conversation (B).
I can look out the window for a long time, look at various pictures, choose books with illustrations (K).
I can’t sit long while reading (B).
In the process, I can draw, draw, draw, stroke in parallel (B).
I have a good memory for people, but often I forget or confuse the names (K).
I like to test new things, I am fond of designing (K).
I take frequent breaks while doing numerous homework (B).
In training, it is important for me to be in the team (A).
I love to do homework all alone (B).
It’s easier for me to remember what I’ve read than what I’ve heard (K).
I better remember the events that took place to be than those narrated by someone (B).
I often go over my hair or clothes, tug in my hands any objects (K).
Results Processing
This memory diagnosis is based on the letters the subjects select.
Representatives of this type are quite easy to learn. They listen to the teacher with pleasure, easily reproduce the information received from him. When memorizing physical and mathematical formulas, the child tries to pronounce them out loud. The recorded information must be heard by them. Important points in a particular text are preferably read aloud several times. For this type of memory, doing any homework along with other guys is useful.
The visual gets new knowledge through images. For him, the picture is presented in the form of a generalized material, which has certain important points. A child of this type tries to convert any new material into an image. Most people have this type of memory. If this option of remembering information prevails, it is better to note important points in the analyzed text, simplifying the process of their assimilation by imagination - images. In the learning process, you need to maximize the use of pictures, graphs, various tables, original schemes. The slightest distraction from the visual type negatively affects memorization. Psychologists advise planting such babies at their first desks so that they can receive new information on their own.
Kinesthetic should always be in active motion, keeping new material in the head. At home, you can practice this method. It will be useful to build a horizontal bar or a Swedish wall. Performing various physical exercises, you can easily learn a poem or remember historical dates.
When recording important material, tactile sensations have a certain meaning. For example, you can squeeze a rubber ball, which is pleasant to the touch. Words and numbers are preferably made "alive" so that they remain in memory. Psychologists recommend the use of volume letters and numbers so that they remain in the memory of this type of children. It is also good to use convex maps, layouts, globes. When working on training information, moving around the room helps. It helps to focus.
Test for the reproduction of verbal-logical information
How is auditory memory checked? The diagnostics proposed below allows you to determine the perception of logical and verbal information. A short story is read to the children, which contains several semantic units connected in a logical sequence. It is necessary to listen to it, then to rewrite the content, reducing, changing sentences.
“The ship entered the port (1), despite the great sea turmoil (2). The night anchored (3). In the morning we approached an unfamiliar pier (4). 18 sailors went ashore (5.6). 10 people went to museum (7.8) .8 sailors went for a walk around the city (9.10) .In the evening everyone returned (11), went into the city park (12), had dinner (13). At 23 o’clock the sailors arrived on the ship (14, 15). Soon he went to another port (16). "
Results Processing
- 4 points - the child was able to reproduce from memory about 80% of the material and more;
- 3 points - a preschooler remembered information in the range from 55 to 80%;
- 2 points - a child reproduces half of the information from memory;
- 1 point - the child remembered 0-30% of the proposed material without errors;
- 0 points - the child did not want to contact, or did not accept, did not understand the proposed task.
Diagnosis of visual memory is necessary for the selection of effective methods for the upbringing and development of children of preschool and school age.
Game "Handkerchief"
How can kids develop a desire to remember certain information? Diagnosis of memory in preschoolers may well be carried out using the game. Several toys are placed on the table (15-20 seconds). Next, the teacher covers them with a handkerchief, and the child must list all the toys that were shown to him earlier.
In this case, both diagnostics and memory development are carried out simultaneously. Then you can change the toys by inviting the children to explain which of them have been removed.
The task “Pairs of pictures”
We offer another test for memory and attention for preschool children, as well as for children in grades 1-4. They are offered various pictures. They should pick up 7-8 pairs that are interconnected. Then the children memorize the maximum number of pictures in one row, the teacher removes them. Kids should remember the location of the cleaned images, using the left pictures of the second row.
To summarize
Diagnosis of memory impairment is necessary for a detailed study of each child, the selection of an individual developing path for the teacher. Thanks to a variety of role-playing games, the teacher receives relevant information about each pupil, selects for him certain options for the development and improvement of memory.