This summer I was looking for ways to help the Queen to improve her ‘working memory‘. She struggles to hold facts and numbers in her head for long enough to manipulate them with ease. Or where she just put something down.
So I went on a little google hunt and found a brilliant game, which is designed to teach facts and improve working memory. It’s called Brainbox and consists of a series of cards on a variety of subjects. The set we got this summer was on nature. Other topics include maths, history, football and the World. You take it in turns to study a card for ten seconds. You can play on line to see what sort of cards are included (you’ll have to concentrate!). Once your ten seconds are up, you roll a die and answer the question with the corresponding number from the back of the card.
The children loved this game – it’s quick to play, interesting and doesn’t seem like hard work, as you might expect from an educational game. It comes in a robust box which means that it will last. So many games seem to come in boxes not designed to store their contents for longer than a couple of plays, which drives me loopy. I have the maths and a history one tucked away for Christmas stockings. Mind you, as these evenings get darker and more uninviting, I might be getting them out before then.
Prices on Amazon seem to range between £5-£10. I originally bought them from the Happy Puzzle Company, who do an excellent range of games, but they charge £12.99.
The Vicar's Wife 
I have one of the sitting in my hall waiting to post to my God-daughter for her birthday. Saw it on Amazon and thought it looked good, although never actually seen one so nice to hear it was a good-purchase!!
Have you found anything else to help with working memory? Charlotte just been diagnosed with Dyslexia and struggles with this in particular I think. Will definitely give these games a go. Have you found they have made a difference?
Hi Sarah and Mary. A special welcome to Mary to the online Vicarage. The games are great and lots of fun. The Queen’s working memory seems to be improving, although she does really need to concentrate to operate it.
Over the summer we got her to work through a Schofield & Sims Mental Arithmetic book – a page a day. It was sometimes excruciating getting her to do it, but it’s really helped her. It’s the same with times tables stuff. It’s just a slog, but it’s going in. Those sort of maths problems need short term number retention skills and recall of times tables, so I think they’ve helped a lot.
Thanks for that, Amanda. Will look into that. School were keen for me to do some kind of maths revision during half term so that might be just the thing. x