The Reading / Listening - Babies' Memories - Level 5

Most people cannot remember being a baby. However, some people say they can remember things from the first year of their lives. Researchers in the United States studied why people have no recollection of things that happened in the first years of their lives. The research team also investigated whether babies formed memories at all. A researcher suggested we may not be able to remember being a baby. He said: "Babies' brains have the capacity for forming memories, but how long-lasting these memories are is still an open question."

The research is in the journal "Science". It suggests that babies can store memories. Researchers used a special scanner to look at activity in an area of babies' brains called the hippocampus. This is where memories are created. The research found that babies can form limited memories from the age of two months. It is possible that infants can find patterns in faces, language, and daily routines. However, memory which allows babies to recall specific events may take longer to form. This kind of memory may not occur until the hippocampus is more fully mature.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Babies' Memories - Level 4 or  Babies' Memories - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/29/why-cant-we-remember-our-early-years-do-babies-make-memories-at-all
  • https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00855-0
  • https://www.science.org/content/article/pioneering-study-scans-babies-brains-they-form-memories


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. remember
  2. some people say
  3. the first
  4. people have no
  5. things that happened
  6. investigated whether babies
  7. we may not be
  8. an open
  1. able to remember
  2. recollection
  3. being a baby
  4. question
  5. they can
  6. in the first years
  7. formed memories
  8. year of their lives

Paragraph 2

  1. The research is in the
  2. babies can
  3. Researchers used
  4. in an area
  5. This is where memories
  6. babies can form limited
  7. daily
  8. until the hippocampus is
  1. are created
  2. more fully mature
  3. of babies' brains
  4. store memories
  5. routines
  6. journal "Science"
  7. memories
  8. a special scanner

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Most people cannot remember (1) ________________________________________________. However, some people say they can remember (2) ________________________________________________ first year of their lives. Researchers in the United States studied why people have (3) ________________________________________________ things that happened in the first years of their lives. The research team also investigated whether babies formed (4) ________________________________________________. A researcher suggested we may not be able to remember being a baby. He said: "Babies' brains have (5) ________________________________________________ forming memories, but how long-lasting these memories are is still (6) ________________________________________________."

The research is (7) ________________________________________________ "Science". It suggests that babies can store memories. Researchers used a (8) ________________________________________________ look at activity in an area of babies' brains called the hippocampus. This is where (9) ________________________________________________. The research found that babies can form limited memories from (10) ________________________________________________ two months. It is possible that infants can find patterns in faces, language, (11) ________________________________________________. However, memory which allows babies to recall specific events may take longer to form. This kind of memory may not occur until the hippocampus is (12) ________________________________________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Mostpeoplecannotrememberbeingababy.However,somepeoplesayt
heycanrememberthingsfromthefirstyearoftheirlives.Researchersint
heUnitedStatesstudiedwhypeoplehavenorecollectionofthingsthatha
ppenedinthefirstyearsoftheirlives.Theresearchteamalsoinvestigate
dwhetherbabiesformedmemoriesatall.Aresearchersuggestedwema
ynotbeabletorememberbeingababy.Hesaid:"Babies'brainshavethec
apacityforformingmemories,buthowlong-lastingthesememoriesar
eisstillanopenquestion."Theresearchisinthejournal"Science".Itsugg
eststhatbabiescanstorememories.Researchersusedaspecialscanner
tolookatactivityinanareaofbabies'brainscalledthehippocampus.This
iswherememoriesarecreated.Theresearchfoundthatbabiescanforml
imitedmemoriesfromtheageoftwomonths.Itispossiblethatinfantsca
nfindpatternsinfaces,language,anddailyroutines.However,memory
whichallowsbabiestorecallspecificeventsmaytakelongertoform.This
kindofmemorymaynotoccuruntilthehippocampusismorefullymature
.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________________

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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