How to Help Kids Remember What They Learn: 7 Study Tips

By the Success Tutoring team · October 5, 2026

Has your child ever learnt their spelling words perfectly on Thursday night and forgotten half of them by Friday's test? That's not a sign they aren't trying. It's how memory works. Our brains forget quickly unless we revisit information in the right way. The encouraging news is that learning scientists have found a handful of simple techniques that make a big difference, and they work for children as well as adults.

Why children forget

When we learn something new, the memory starts out fragile. If we never use it again, it fades. Every time we successfully recall it, especially after a gap, the memory becomes stronger and easier to find next time. Rereading notes or looking over a list feels productive, but it mostly creates a sense of familiarity, not lasting memory. The techniques below work because they make the brain do the work of remembering.

7 techniques that really work

1. Retrieval practice: test, don't reread

Recalling information from memory is one of the most powerful ways to learn. Instead of rereading spelling words, cover them and write them. Instead of looking over times tables, answer them. Quizzes, flash cards and quick-fire games all count. Low-stakes testing is a learning tool, not just a way to check learning. Quick games like our times tables test and the daily kids quiz are retrieval practice in disguise.

2. Spaced practice: little and often

Spreading practice over several days beats cramming it into one session, even when the total time is the same. A good rhythm for something new is to practise it today, tomorrow, a few days later, then the following week. Each gap lets a little forgetting happen, and remembering anyway strengthens the memory.

3. Mix it up

Practising one type of question at a time feels easier, but mixing different types together, such as the 3, 4 and 8 times tables, or addition and subtraction word problems, helps children learn to choose the right method. It feels harder, and that's a good sign. A mixed worksheet such as our mixed times tables sheet is ideal once each table is familiar.

4. Explain it in your own words

When children explain an idea out loud, to you, a sibling or a teddy, they discover gaps in their understanding and link new information to what they already know. Ask “why?” and “how do you know?” Let your child be the teacher.

5. Use pictures and words together

Combining words with a simple drawing, diagram or timeline gives the brain two ways to find the memory later. A labelled sketch of the water cycle, or a drawing for each spelling word, can be surprisingly effective.

6. Use concrete examples

Abstract ideas stick better when tied to real examples. “Evaporation is when a liquid turns into a gas, like puddles drying in the sun.” Ask your child to come up with their own examples too.

7. Sleep on it

Sleep plays an important part in strengthening memories. A late night of cramming before a test can backfire, because tiredness makes both learning and recall harder. A short review in the evening followed by a good night's sleep is a better plan.

Putting it together: a weekly spelling example

1. Monday: look at the words, talk about patterns and tricky parts, then cover and write each one.
2. Tuesday: quick test from memory. Practise only the ones they missed.
3. Wednesday: rest day, or a spelling game.
4. Thursday: mixed quiz with this week's and last week's words.
5. Friday: test day. A quick look in the morning, not a cram.

Our guide on practising spelling words for a test goes into more detail, and the spelling game makes the daily quiz fun.

Memory tricks for tricky facts

• Mnemonics: silly sentences for orders and spellings, such as “big elephants can always understand small elephants” for because.
• Chunking: breaking long information into small groups, like phone numbers.
• Songs and rhythms: great for times tables, days of the week and the planets.
• Stories: linking facts into a little story makes them easier to recall in order.

What doesn't work as well

• Rereading and highlighting feel productive but lead to much weaker memory than quizzing yourself.
• Copying out notes without thinking about them.
• Long cramming sessions the night before, especially if they cut into sleep.
• Practising only what is already known. It feels good, but the learning happens on the edge of what children can do.

A note on mistakes

Getting answers wrong during practice is part of learning, not a failure. When children struggle a little to remember something and then get feedback, the correct answer tends to stick better. Keep practice low pressure and encouraging, and praise effort: “You remembered that one from last week, brilliant.” For more on building a positive attitude, see our guide to growth mindset for kids.

Frequently asked questions