Memory Tips for Students

 

Sort Information-put info into categories by dates, people, formulas.  Make charts as you study.

 

Frequent Review-study new info the day you hear/read it.

 

Use humor or exaggeration-relate info to something novel and interesting.  Make up something funny or exaggerated that ties into what needs to be memorized.

 

Explore the senses-Try learning info visually, verbally, and kinesthetically.  Find which works best for you.

 

Color code-Use colored pens, highlighters, post it notes and flags, index cards to make an impression on your memory.

 

Make visual aids-Draw pictures or cartoons, graphs, tables, charts, time lines to aid memory.

 

Rehearse aloud-study with someone or use a tape recorder to say what needs to be memorized aloud.

 

Make it physical-add a physical activity like pacing, jumping, throwing a ball or writing/re-writing or typing.

 

 

MNEMONICS

 

Humor is valuable b/c our brains are good at remembering unusual or silly things.  Imagery, picture associations, a short sentence or sequence of letters can be used to aid recall. 

 

Acronyms:  Use a sequence of letters that may or may not form a word with each letter representing one of the keywords to be remembered.

Ex.  HOMES is an acronym for the five great lakes:  Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior

 

Acrostics:  Create a short sentence with the initial letter or each word forming one of the names or words to recall.

 

EX:  My Very Easy Method Just Speeds Up Naming Planets for the planets in order:  Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto

 

EX:  A rat in the house might eat the ice cream for the spelling of “arithmetic.”

 

EX:  Dear Miss Sally Brown for the main steps in long division:  divide, multiply, subtract, bring down.

 

 

The Keyword Method

A keyword is a word that sounds like the new word and is easily pictured.

For example, to learn new vocabulary terms:  “barrister” is another word for lawyer.  A good word for barrister is bear.  Create a picture of the keyword-bear and the definition doing something together.  Picture a bear acting as a lawyer in a courtroom.

 

EX:  Ranidae is the scientific term for common frogs.  A good keyword could be rain, and you could picture frogs sitting in the rain

 

 

 

GO SLOWLY

FOR TOO MANY STRATEGIES MAY CONFUSE!!!!!