youthspeakoutint.orgWordplay Flashback
Remembering every word a person says can be difficult if you are distracted by a screen device or your surroundings. This activity will test your listening skills and teach you when to put down your mobile devices. If your friends and family members believe they have a good memory, now is their time to prove it in a flashback of words.
Begin by choosing the appropriate grade level for the child or children in your family:
What You Will Need
- Pen or pencil
- Paper
- Mobile phone or tablet
Activity
- Parents or guardians, create a list of five or six words. Choose a theme for your words (like “words about sleep”). Here are some examples of words you can use on your list if your theme is “sleep”:
- dream
- night
- tired
- blanket
- pillow
- Tell your child (or children) that you are going to read a list of words to test their memory. If they’re distracted by a screen device, don’t tell them to stop using it. This activity offers a chance for children to discover how screen devices influence their attention and memory. Of course, if you’re unable to get their attention at all, ask them to pause.
- Instruct them to listen carefully as they cannot write down any of the words. Tell them you will ask them later to see how many words they can remember.
- When you finish reading the list, ask them to write down as many words as they can remember from the list.
- Each word they remember is worth one point. How many points can they earn? You can play as many rounds as you like.
- Record a video of your child describing how they were able to remember the most words. You can post the video using the link below or share on social media with the hashtag #unpluggedgame.
Talk About It
Here are some things your family can talk about as you play this game:
- How many words did you remember? Was it easier when you were paying attention?
- Which words are hardest to remember?
- Did you remember words that were not in the list? Why do you think you remembered these words instead?
What You Will Need
- Pen or pencil
- Paper
- 1 or more family members
- Mobile phone or tablet
Activity
- Create a list of 8 to 10 words. Choose a theme for your words (like “words about sleep”). Here are some examples of words you can use on your list if your theme is “sleep”:
- dream
- night
- snooze
- snore
- tired
- blanket
- alarm
- pillow
- Tell participants that you are going to read a list of words to test their memory. If they’re distracted by a screen device, don’t tell them to stop using it. This activity offers a chance for children to discover how screen devices influence their attention and memory. Of course, if you’re unable to get their attention at all, ask them to pause.
- Ask them to listen carefully as they cannot write down any of the words. Tell them you will ask them later to see how many words they can remember.
- When you finish reading the list, notice who is still distracted (e.g., by a screen device).
- Once you have finished talking, have each participant write down as many words as they can remember from the list.
- If only one person is participating, each remembered word is worth one point, and you can play as many rounds as you like. With more participants, the person who can remember the most words from the list is the winner.
- If you remembered more than half the words, record a video describing how you were able to remember them. You can post the video using the link below or share on social media with the hashtag #unpluggedgame.
Talk About It
Here are some things your family can talk about as you play this game:
- What strategies do you use to remember the most words? What helps you pay attention?
- If you wanted someone to remember what you were saying, what would you do? How would you get their attention?
- Can you listen to someone when you’re using a screen device? Does it depend on what you’re doing on the device? Is it hard to stop using the device when someone speaks? What do you think might make it easier?
What You Will Need
- Pen or pencil
- Paper
- 1 or more family members
- Mobile phone or tablet
Activity
- Create a list of 8 to 10 words. Choose a theme for your words (like “words about sleep”). Here are some examples of words you can use on your list if your theme is “sleep”:
- dream
- midnight
- snooze
- nod
- exhausted
- blanket
- alarm
- pillow
- Tell participants that you are going to read a list of words to test their memory. If they’re distracted by a screen device, don’t tell them to stop using it. This activity offers a chance for children to discover how screen devices influence their attention and memory. Of course, if you’re unable to get their attention at all, ask them to pause.
- Ask them to listen carefully as they cannot write down any of the words. Tell them you will ask them later to see how many words they can remember.
- When you finish reading the list, notice who is still distracted (e.g., by a screen device).
- Once you have finished talking, have each participant write down as many words as they can remember from the list.
- If only one person is participating, each remembered word is worth one point, and you can play as many rounds as you like. With more participants, the person who can remember the most words from the list is the winner. You can play additional rounds and take turns creating and reading the list of words.
- If you remembered more than half the words, record a video describing how you were able to remember them. You can post the video using the link below or share on social media with the hashtag #unpluggedgame.
Talk About It
Here are some things your family can talk about as you play this game:
- How do distractions, like screen devices, influence your ability to remember what someone is saying? What kinds of distractions most impair memory? For example, are there certain video games or apps that make it especially hard to remember what someone said?
- What improves your ability to remember? For example, does it help to look at the person reading the list?
- According to Miller’s law, people can remember about seven items in a row (plus or minus two). How many words did you remember? If the items are related (e.g., pillow and blanket), you can remember more items by chunking them together. How did you remember more words?
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