At Dynseo, we spend our days thinking about how technology can serve children's development. At the heart of our concerns lies an essential cognitive function, often unknown to the general public: working memory. Imagine for a moment a juggler. The balls he keeps in the air represent the information we need to process at any given time. Working memory is the skill of this juggler. For a child aged 6 to 11, who is in the midst of building their knowledge, this mental juggler is constantly engaged, whether to follow the teacher's instructions, solve a math problem, or simply participate in a conversation.
It is from this observation that we developed our tools, including our educational game app COCO PENSE and COCO BOUGE. We want to invite you to explore with us the importance of this working memory and how a game-based approach can effectively and kindly strengthen it. Our approach does not stop at the digital tool; it extends to supporting the adults surrounding the child, particularly teachers, through our dedicated training.
Before diving into our solutions, we believe it is essential to understand what we are talking about. Working memory is not simply the ability to remember information. It is a much more complex and active system, a true mental workspace.
Working memory, the cognitive conductor
If your brain were an orchestra, working memory would be the conductor. It does not play a particular instrument, but it coordinates all the musicians. It allows you to retain information (like the beginning of a sentence you are reading) while processing the next (the end of the sentence) to understand the overall meaning. It is limited in capacity and duration. We can only manipulate a small number of pieces of information simultaneously, and for a very short time. For a child, this workspace is still under construction, like a desk that gradually expands and organizes with age and practice.
The daily challenges of limited working memory
When working memory is fragile or overloaded, the consequences manifest very concretely in the child's daily life. You may have already observed it:
- The child who forgets the second or third instruction in a series ("Go put on your shoes, take your coat, and don't forget your bag").
- The student who loses track in the middle of a complex mental calculation that requires retaining intermediate results.
- The young reader who struggles to understand a text because by the time they decipher the last words, they have already forgotten the beginning of the sentence.
- The child who has difficulty organizing their thoughts to recount their day or to write a short story.
These difficulties are not a sign of unwillingness or a lack of intelligence. They often reflect a working memory that struggles to juggle all the required information.
The direct link to fundamental school learning
In primary school, between the ages of 6 and 11, learning becomes increasingly complex and heavily relies on working memory. In reading, one must memorize the correspondences between letters and sounds, retain previously read words, and anticipate the next ones to construct meaning. In mathematics, problem-solving requires keeping in mind the data from the statement, the steps of reasoning, and the results of intermediate calculations. Even in subjects like science or history, one must be able to link new information to already acquired knowledge, which is a key function of working memory. A solid working memory is therefore one of the pillars of academic success.
Our approach: COCO PENSE, a playground for the brain
In light of this observation, we could have created a series of repetitive and austere exercises. But we are convinced of one thing: for a child, the most effective learning is the one that does not feel like work. That is why we focused on play.
Play as a driver of engagement and progress
Play has an extraordinary virtue: it engages the child voluntarily. When a child plays, they are focused, motivated, and not afraid to make mistakes. Mistakes are part of the process; they become an opportunity to try again, to adjust their strategy. This mindset is ideal for learning. Play stimulates complex cognitive functions in a safe and positive environment. By succeeding at a level, the child feels pride, which releases dopamine in their brain, the neurotransmitter of pleasure and motivation. They then want to continue, to take on bigger challenges. This virtuous cycle is what we seek to create with COCO PENSE.
Introducing our companions: COCO PENSE and COCO BOUGE
Our application comes in two complementary parts.
- COCO PENSE: This is the heart of our cognitive training program. Through a multitude of varied and fun mini-games, the child is invited to exercise different cognitive functions, with a particular focus on working memory, attention, and executive functions (planning, flexibility, etc.).
- COCO BOUGE: Because we know that the body and mind are closely linked, this part offers simple and fun physical activities. Scientific studies have widely demonstrated that physical activity improves concentration, memorization, and learning abilities. Taking an active break with COCO BOUGE allows the brain to get oxygenated and makes it more available for the activities of COCO PENSE.
The universe is carried by our character, Coco, a curious and friendly little alien who guides the child, encourages them, and celebrates their successes.
How our games specifically target working memory
Each game in COCO PENSE has been designed by our team, in collaboration with neuropsychology professionals, to target one or more components of working memory. We do not just offer a simple "Memory" game. Our activities are designed with progressive and adaptive difficulty. If the child succeeds easily, the level increases (more items to remember, more distractions, less time). If they are struggling, the game adjusts to offer them a challenge within their reach, thus avoiding discouragement. This personalization is key to keeping the child in their "zone of proximal development," where learning is most effective.
Concrete examples of games to strengthen working memory
To make our approach more tangible, here are some examples of game mechanics that you can find in COCO PENSE, and how they engage different facets of working memory.
Phonological loop games: retaining sounds and words
The phonological loop is that little voice in our head that allows us to retain verbal information for a short moment, like a phone number we repeat to ourselves before writing it down. In COCO PENSE, we stimulate it with games like:
- Coco's Shopping: Coco needs to do some shopping. A list of items is stated orally. The child must then reconstruct it by selecting the correct items from the store shelves. The number of items gradually increases.
- The Animal Conductor: A sequence of animal sounds is played. The child must reproduce it in the correct order by clicking on the images of the corresponding animals. The sequence lengthens and becomes more complex.
These games help the child develop their ability to maintain and manipulate auditory and verbal information.
Visuo-spatial sketchpad games: memorizing images and locations
The visuo-spatial sketchpad is the visual aspect of working memory. It helps us remember the shape of objects, their colors, and their position in space. It is what works when we try to remember the way home. We train it with activities such as:
- The Rocket Organization: Objects briefly appear in the compartments of Coco's rocket. They then disappear, and the child must remember their exact location.
- The Twinkling Constellations: A pattern of stars lights up in the sky. The child must memorize it and reproduce it on a blank screen. The complexity of the patterns increases at each level.
These activities strengthen the ability to create and manipulate mental images.
Central executive games: planning, sorting, and juggling
The central executive is the true "conductor." It is the most complex component of working memory. It supervises the other two systems (the phonological loop and the visuo-spatial sketchpad), manages attention, and enables dual-task performance. In COCO PENSE, we engage it with more demanding games:
- The Intergalactic Kitchen: The child must follow a recipe. They must read an instruction (for example, "Add 3 blue drops"), keep it in memory while performing the action, and then move on to the next instruction.
- The Planet Sorter: Objects of different colors and shapes pass by. The child must sort them according to a rule that changes regularly (for example, "sort the red objects into the left box, but only if they are round"). This type of game requires maintaining the rule in memory while applying it and inhibiting previous rules.
These games teach the child to manage multiple pieces of information simultaneously, to be mentally flexible, and to plan their actions.
Beyond the game: the importance of support and training
A tool, no matter how effective, only reaches its full potential when integrated into a comprehensive and human approach. The application is a resource, but the real agents of change are the parents and teachers who support the child.
The role of the teacher and parent: caring guides
With COCO PENSE, our goal is not to leave the child alone in front of a screen. We encourage adults to get involved: play with the child, ask them about their strategies, verbalize with them the difficulties encountered, and celebrate their progress. The application provides tracking charts that allow visualizing the child's evolution, not to grade or judge them, but to better understand their strengths and the areas where they need more support. This is a starting point for dialogue and adapting the help provided.
Our training to identify and support DYS disorders
We know that working memory difficulties are particularly present in children with learning disorders, such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, or dyscalculia (the "DYS disorders"). Often, a teacher finds themselves helpless in front of a student who does not "fit the mold," not knowing how to identify the nature of their difficulty or how to help them concretely.
It is to address this crucial need that we developed our training: "Identifying and Supporting DYS Disorders in Primary School". This training is aimed at teachers and education professionals. Our goal is not to turn them into speech therapists or neuropsychologists, but to provide them with keys to understanding and practical tools for their classroom.
From detection to action: strategies for the classroom
Our training revolves around several concrete axes, aimed at equipping teachers so they can:
- Understand: Grasp the underlying mechanisms of the different DYS disorders and their impact on learning and working memory.
- Identify: Learn to recognize warning signals, the signs that should draw attention in a student's behavior and work.
- Adapt: Discover simple pedagogical strategies and adjustments to implement in class to lighten the working memory load of struggling students (simplified instructions, visual supports, use of compensatory tools, etc.).
- Communicate: Know how to exchange constructively with parents and health professionals who follow the child.
- Use the tools: Integrate resources like COCO PENSE meaningfully into the student's journey, as a targeted reinforcement workshop.
An integrated vision for the well-being and success of the child
Our approach is based on a strong conviction: we cannot isolate cognitive stimulation from the rest of the child's development. For a child to learn well, they must feel good in their mind, body, and environment.
The balance between body and mind with COCO BOUGE
We emphasize the complementarity between COCO PENSE and COCO BOUGE. Asking a child to get up, do some movements, stretch, or complete a small motor course between two sessions of cognitive games is not trivial. It is an essential strategy to improve attention regulation and the consolidation of learning. It recognizes that the child learns with their whole being.
Our commitment: equipping every child for their future
Ultimately, our mission at Dynseo is to contribute to building the foundations on which every child will build their future learning. Strengthening working memory through play gives the child a cognitive "Swiss army knife" that will serve them throughout their schooling and life. At the same time, training teachers to better understand and support students with specific needs is working towards a more inclusive and fair school.
We believe in an approach where technology is an ally, where play is a powerful learning vector, and where the human element remains at the center of the process. It is by combining fun and effective tools like COCO PENSE with informed and caring support that we can, together, help each child develop their full potential.
The article "Working Memory in 6-11 Year Olds: The Playful Approach of COCO PENSE" explores how games can be used to improve working memory in children. A related article that may interest you is Online Memory Games, which discusses various online activities designed to stimulate memory and cognitive abilities. These resources are particularly useful for parents and educators looking for innovative ways to support children's cognitive development.
