Why Children Forget New Words (and How to Help Them Remember)

Problem: You teach new words one day, and the next day... they’re gone.

Here’s why:

- The brain filters out what it doesn’t use meaningfully.

- Passive exposure (flashcards, drill) isn’t enough.

- Children need to experience language to retain it.

What works:

1. Repetition — Children need to hear and say a word at least 7–12 times to begin storing it in long-term memory.

2. CLT (Communicative Language Teaching) — Get kids using words to ask, respond, play, and interact. In the CLT approach yo immeadiately start getting children to "use" the language to complete tasks. So if you're teaching fruit, the children will have a shopping list and "shopping" for fruit from day one.

3. Kinesthetic Learning & TPR — Link language with action. Jump, point, clap, run — movement fires more brain connections.

4. Multi-sensory input — Add props, visuals, gestures, and emotion to make words memorable.

The more brain pathways activated during learning, the more likely children are to remember. That’s why we train teachers to teach with play, purpose, and presence.

Want your teachers to retain students and results? Message us or go to AGNova.net for a free phonics and vocabulary training guide.

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