What's the Memory Palace Technique?
Children have a prodigious capacity to remember, in many cases. However, with age, this capacity fades away. Just the same, for both adults and children, the Memory Palace technique can be very useful and appealing.
Therefore, let’s see what this memorization technique is. As you’ll see, it helps children better remember what they study, what they read, what they learn, and even what they see.
The Memory Palace Technique
Similar to the loci method, it’s a memorization technique that takes advantage of the natural human mechanisms of being able to visualize and associate. That’s to say, it consists of relating the information you need to memorize with objects that you’re already perfectly aware of beforehand.
In other words, it’s a method that implies creating in your mind a kind of palace that consists of various rooms. Each of these rooms will have different elements that you’ll associate with the information you want to memorize.
To achieve real and valid results, you should choose to use real buildings as your inspiration. That way, it’s easier to memorize concepts and contents. Think of your house, or perhaps a castle you’ve visited and remember well.
How to use this method to help children study
The Memory Palace method can be very useful for children. Therefore, they’ll be able to increase their study skills with simple exercises. Let’s look at some of the best ones.
Example of a geography exercise
Let’s see how we can get little ones to learn the five continents into which the Earth is geographically divided.
The child has to memorize five names. To do this, they’ll use their own house as a memory palace, assuming it has several rooms. In each room, there’ll be a symbolic element representing each of the continents.
Then, the child will close their eyes and associate each of the continents, through its elements, to an area of the house. For example, representing Europe, we can take the Eiffel Tower or the Roman Colosseum, and put them in the hallway. In reference to America, we could opt for the famous Statue of Liberty, which could sit on the living room sofa.
As for Africa, perhaps the Savannah or Kilimanjaro, which we would bring into the bathroom. Then, the Great Wall of China would be Asia, which is in the child’s room. And finally, Oceania could be represented by the iconic Sydney Opera House or a beautiful beach paradise in the kitchen sink.
With these fun associations, the child can prepare a drawing with all the elements to make it easier to memorize. Then, when studying, they’ll go to each area and imagine that the symbolic elements representing each continent are there.
Tips for applying the method
Now that we’ve seen how the Memory Palace technique works, let’s see how to apply it correctly to maximize its effectiveness:
- Always associate the palace with a place you know: It’s easier to memorize and remember the rooms of your house, for example, rather than those of a building you’ve visited. Of course, you can choose whatever location you want, but the more familiar it is, the better.
- Include different elements in each room: This way, you’ll avoid getting confused. It’s better to associate spaces and elements in each room. If you have televisions in several rooms, don’t associate the concepts with them. Instead, associate them with a sofa, a bed, a mirror, etc.
- It’s a good idea to create a diaphanous Memory Palace, that’s easy to walk through: Avoid using very hidden buildings, with too many stairs or landings. It should be easy to walk through to avoid confusion.
- Include a certain number of elements in each room: For example, in a bedroom, in addition to a bed, there may be a desk, a coat rack, a chair, etc. This way, you’ll be able to memorize more concepts by anchoring them to each of these furnishings or accessories.
Memorize better with the Memory Palace technique!
Do you think you can use the Memory Palace technique with your little ones? Its usefulness and effectiveness are more than proven, so give it a try and let us know what you think!
