How does Memory Booster work?

Memory Booster has been designed to improve children's memory by teaching tried-and-tested memory strategies and by giving enjoyable practice so that these strategies are assimilated and can be applied in everyday learning activities. Memory Booster has six levels of increasing complexity, and incorporates many features that help to motivate children and ensure that they get the most from the activities. The program automatically adjusts the difficulty according to the progress of the child, which helps to maintain just the right degree of challenge and maximises learning. The items in the program vary each time it is used, so children can play the adventure many times and not become bored. The program remembers where each child has reached in the game and next time they enter the program it automatically carries on from where they left off.

Memory Booster is presented in the form of an adventure game set in the castle of Pooter the Master Computer, who has lost his memory and needs help the child to recover it. Built-in cartoon rewards and encouragements that use attractive and humorous graphics to help to keep children highly motivated and to stay on-task at all times. The child helps Pooter by playing memory games for which they get points. Another character called Fiona helps the child in these memory tasks by suggesting a variety of memory techniques or strategies. Fiona makes her suggestions at various points in the game depending on how well the child is progressing. The child can visit Fiona at any time to learn about the memory strategies again. When the child has got sufficient memory tasks correct to move to the next level, they can help Pooter get some extra memory, better graphics and, finally, cure him of a virus attack! Pooter rewards the child by showing some amusing cartoons. Whenever the child feels like a break from the program they can leave and return on another occasion at the same point where they left off. The child (or teachers and parents) can see how well they have done by viewing the reports graph, which shows the number of points that have been accumulated and what memory level has been achieved. A personalised certificate of achievement can then be printed out.

Age Range

The program can be used with all children aged 4 to 11 or older. Although it has been used successfully with 3 year-olds its success at this age is likely to depend quite a lot on the child's maturity and familiarity with using a computer, so it may be more suitable for some 3 year-olds than others. Over age 11 Memory Booster is particularly useful to help children with severe memory problems (as is the case with many dyslexic children) or other children with learning problems. The difficulty level of Memory Booster can be tailored to suit the child's individual needs so if necessary the program can be made easier for very young children or children with special educational needs, and harder for older children or very bright children.

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