Memory Recall in Children: Development and Interventions
This paper reviews the literature on how young children differ from older children in their ability to recall information, with particular attention to the role of language development in memory formation. It examines the concept of the mental lexicon, the significance of protoconversations in infancy, and the effects of early language interventions. The review also evaluates specific interventions—including imagery-based vocabulary strategies and repetitive paired-word training—across different age cohorts, from infants through older adults. The paper concludes with a discussion of language development challenges faced by language-minority children in the United States and the need for tailored interventions across diverse populations.
- Introduction: Purpose and scope of the literature review
- How Young Children Differ from Older Children in Memory Recall: Mental lexicon development and early memory differences
- Interventions to Improve Memory Recall: Protoconversations, imagery strategies, and early interventions
- Memory Recall Interventions for Young Adults and Older Adults: Paired-word training and age-related memory decline
- Language Development in Language-Minority Children: Interventions for Spanish-speaking and minority learners
- Conclusion: Summary of key findings across age groups
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What makes this paper effective
- Maintains a clear organizational structure by moving logically from theoretical background to specific interventions and then to a special population, giving the review a coherent arc.
- Grounds each claim in cited research, balancing general principles (e.g., the mental lexicon) with concrete study findings (e.g., Naveh-Benjamin and Cowan's paired-word training results).
- Acknowledges limitations honestly, noting where further research is needed rather than overstating conclusions.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates integrative literature synthesis: rather than summarizing each source in isolation, it weaves multiple studies together to build a comparative argument about how memory recall differs across developmental stages. The use of direct quotations is strategically paired with analytical commentary that explains each quotation's relevance to the central question.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a brief framing introduction, then moves into two core analytical sections addressing the developmental differences in memory recall and the interventions designed for various age groups. A focused subsection addresses young adult and elderly populations specifically. A fourth section broadens the discussion to language-minority children before a concise conclusion synthesizes the main findings. This funnel-to-application structure is well suited to literature review assignments in education and developmental psychology.
Introduction
The ability to learn and recall information when it is needed is essential for virtually every human activity. It is therefore important to develop a better understanding of how young children differ from older children in this capacity, particularly when formulating interventions to facilitate the process (Silva & Britto, 2013). This paper provides a review of the relevant literature concerning these issues as well as what interventions have been proven effective in improving memory recall in different age cohorts. The paper concludes with a summary of key findings concerning how young children differ from older children in their ability to recall information.
How Young Children Differ from Older Children in Memory Recall
On the one hand, the world in which very young children live is one of magic and wonder, and countless novel events occur that are especially memorable and that contribute to the memory-making process. On the other hand, very young children differ in their ability to recall specific information compared to older children because their mental lexicon remains comparatively undeveloped. In this regard, Silva and Britto (2014) note that "the human holds a mental lexicon, and this is accessed when there is the desire to represent, by words, an object, an action, an attribute, an event. The learning of words and how to use them accordingly is a fundamental aspect of language development" (p. 1654).
References
Crestani, A. H., Moraes, A. B., & de Souza, A. P. (2015, January–February). Association analysis between child development risks and children early speech production between 13 and 16 months. Revista CEFAC, 17(1), 169–176.
Howell, E. F. (2011). Understanding and treating dissociative identity disorder: A relational approach. New York: Routledge.
Huey, E., & Swinehart, C. (2015, July 1). Applying imagery to vocabulary instruction. Perspectives on Language and Literacy, 41(3), 45–49.
Moeller, M. P. (2000, September). Early intervention and language development in children who are deaf and hard of hearing. Pediatrics, 106(3), 37–41.
Naveh-Benjamin, M., & Cowan, N. (2009, October 1). Age-related differences in immediate serial recall: Dissociating chunk formation and capacity. Memory and Cognition, 35(4), 724–737.
Perez, C. (2015, June 29). U.S. has more Spanish speakers than Spain. New York Post. Retrieved from https://nypost.com/2015/06/29/us-has-more-spanish-speakers-than-spain/.
Silva, T. R., & Britto, D. B. (2014, November–December). Revista CEFAC, 15(6), 1654–1663.
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