Mnemonic devices aid recall. However, little research has
explored their use with preschool-aged children. The present
studies examined whether a new peg-type mnemonic technique
(rainbow mnemonic) could be used to improve memory in
preschool children. Item cards, which displayed a picture and
its label, were studied alongside colored cards, and this
condition was compared to a control condition in which
children were left to their own devices to study the item cards.
In Experiment 2, the rainbow mnemonic was also compared to
a condition in which the children did not have access to the
color cues during study or recall. The experiments revealed
that the rainbow mnemonic could improve recall for preschool
children as compared to control. This study demonstrates the
effectiveness of a novel peg-type technique with preschool-
aged children.