`When my teacher uses memory maps it helps me to see how it all fits together. We learned the story of Macbeth using a memory map. We thought it was really exciting. I thought, "If I were Macbeth, would I be so bad?" I hope not! Maybe the king would have just died anyway, and Macbeth needn't have killed him. The witches are exciting because they just stir things up and disappear. It made me go all tingly to think about it. Some people say Macbeth is boring, but I think that is just because they don't understand the story. Memory maps help because you can see the whole thing on the board and draw pictures to help you remember it.'  Ellen, age 10 

'I like making 3-D maps with my group. Kevin has lots of ideas and he sends me to get the stuff.' Jimmy, age 5

We are all natural mappers. Children find mapping particularly easy, and so the earlier the skill is encouraged, the greater the potential for learning. The brain responds to stimuli by creating complex electro-chemical activity. In each new situation, the pattern of complex connections will be different. For example, when Harry plays in the water tray with a big blue funnel, he will recall that the water splashes, that his sleeves may get wet, and that if he lets go of the funnel, Marco may take it. The next time that he plays in the water tray, he may well make a connection about the seaside, because someone naughty put some sand in the water! He may also decide to try to tie the big blue funnel to his apron strings, because at the weekend he watched Mummy attach the dog’s lead to her belt as she rushed to answer the phone.

In Harry’s mind a complex map is forming as he plays. Connections are being made between concepts from a wide variety of experiences. He is not aware of the origin of most of his thoughts, but he is connecting continually. We all map, all the time. No two maps are the same, not even the maps of the same person in the same situation, as the connections that we make are complex and incredibly detailed. Using mapping techniques with children in the classroom utilises the fact that we naturally make connections.

In the early years, 3-D mapping is an easy way to help children to make connections, clarify concepts, and add language to learning. 3-D mapping uses items from the children's everyday experience, which are laid out on the floor and linked with pieces of string or strips of card. Pictures and labels can be added, and the map can later be transferred to paper if a permanent copy is required. Alternatively, children can return at a later stage to rebuild the map, so enhancing their learning.

Five steps to making a 3-D map 

1 Gather the children on floor in a semi-circle. Talk about the topic for the map and write it on a big label and lay it in the centre. Draw a simple picture next to the word to show its meaning. 

2 Now start to build the map, by asking children what they can remember about the topic. Write the key words on small pieces of card, along with a symbol or picture. You may want to have a supply of pictures already prepared to use. However, be careful not to over-direct the activity – your aim is to engage the children in building the map.  

3 Ask children to fetch items that illustrate their ideas whenever practical. For example, a toy cat or dog can be placed on the map, or a wooden brick next to a plastic brick. 

4 Next, use strips of card or paper, or lengths of wool or string, or if you are outside, use playground chalk, to connect the ideas and link concepts. Encourage the children to get up and help to build the map, and to talk about what they are doing. 

5 When the 3D map is complete, you can either dismantle it, or leave it out for children to work on through the day. You can draw it out on a large piece of card to be displayed and revisited. Alternatively, you might want to take a photograph of the map for the children to refer to. At a later stage you may wish to make the map again, in order to extend the children’s thinking. The maps can form a useful part of your assessment of children’s understanding.

Older children can work as a class, a group, or as individuals to record maps on paper or on a whiteboard. Putting a map onto paper draws the learner’s attention to the connections that otherwise may remain subconscious. It also gives the teacher the opportunity to engage with the thinker, to add more connections, to draw attention to new ideas, and to assess the understanding of the child. Teachers of older children often ask individuals to memory map their understanding of a topic, then add to the map at the end of each session. This gives children a clear idea of their own progress, and an excellent revision tool! Many ALPS teachers display memory maps on the classroom walls, using them for reference during lessons and to make connections between one lesson and the next.

Above is the simple memory map drawn by a class of four-year-olds who were learning about doctors.  The teacher worked with the class to memory map their knowledge before the topic started, and again at the end. This activity enabled her to assess how much the children had learned, and how successful her teaching had been. A few months later, she memory mapped again, to assess how much had been retained. This gave her the information she needed to plan her next topic. By grouping children to map, she could assess individual progress and depth of understanding.