Every time a synapsis is repeated it is strengthened. 

The following two games have been played in different classes by a group of 10-year-old students to recognize and recall routine items.

ALAKA ZAM (idea and rules retrieved from https://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator-english/esl-flashcard-games/ in this case students have to look at a picture related to routine actions and say the correct word e.g have lunch)

MEMORY GAME (students have to match word partnerships e.g GO TO SCHOOL) 

Why games? 

"Los juegos consolidan y afianzan las interrelaciones sociales, disminuyen los impactos por diferencias ideológicas o conductas dispares. Asimismo, es un medio útil a enseñar a tolerar lo adverso, fomentar el equilibrio emocional y el fortalecimiento del espíritu," (Labath, Asociación Educar, 2014)  

Labath, L. (2014). ¿De qué habamos cuando jugamos?. Asociación Educar. 

How to recognize and use vocabulary items?

First of all, remember that working memory has a capacity of four chunks in young adults and fewer in children and old adults and that we always have to take our learners emotions, tiredness, way of perception into consideration because each student is unique. 

To teach family members to 9 year-old students I've used flashcards, tape, chalk and the board. Firstly, I presented the family members to my students. I introduced the words: grandfather, grandmother, mother and father saying: "This is (Lucy)'s (grandfather)."

Then, I asked my students to close their eyes and I took out one of the members. After asking them to open their eyes I said: "Is (Lucy)'s (grandfather) missing?" Students answered "yes" o "no" to my question. 

Finally, I repeated the action above but this time I  asked: "Who's missing?" Students answered: "(Mary)'s (grandfather). 
When first exposed to vocabulary, students establish new neural connections. Upon hearing the same words on a second occasion, students recognize those words. They now recall the words which will be reproduced later.