Training the hippocampus and amygdala of preschool children by means of priming tasks: should parents rather focus on learning of facts than reading fairytales?

One of the main functions of the human brain is memory, and this forms the basis of learning and is the cornerstone of IQ. One of the important aims for both parents and educators of preschool children is to improve or develop the child’s self‐application of intelligence in the classroom, which indirectly involves memory capability development. The most obvious activity employed is reading. The current article investigates avenues of improving memory in preschool children and examines how memory skills and perhaps IQ levels can be improved. In this investigation the role of the hippocampus as well as the amygdale is investigated. Furthermore, two hypotheses are set: ‘reading’ of, for example, fairytales only once to a child without repeating and discussing they does not necessarily improve the memory of a child; while facts repeated or ‘replayed’ enhance ‘memory’, and ‘memory practicing’ and environmental enrichment should form an integral part of a child’s education. In order to investigate the two hypotheses discussed in this paper, a pilot study is based on a case study of a preschool boy whose IQ was tested at age five years and seven months, followed by regular memory ‘training’ and again tested at age six years. Results indicated large improvements on subtest scores resulting in a gain in functional age. We conclude, although controversially, that parents and educators should place more emphasis on memory ‘training’ activities followed by reinforcement of facts, than perhaps lengthy and sometimes taxing reading activities. Many parents and educators believe that reading should be done on a daily basis, but due to time limitations many of them struggle to create a positive reading climate conducive for learning. Priming tasks intended to stimulate those cortical structures involved in memory can be done in a much shorter time and can be successfully combined with the evening routines of the family.