HOW TO REMEMBER MORE

Do you have a good memory?Write down one thing that you are having

difficulty remembering.Keep this note and refer to it during this

presentation. Think about how you can use the ideas we

will discuss to help you remember this item.

TOOL 1: Pay attentionBefore you can remember anything, you need

to pay attention to it in the first place.

You see and hear many things all the time.

You must focus on the things you want to remember.

Sensory memory--lasts a few seconds.

How well do you pay attention? Which penny is the correct one?

References: Nickerson, R.S., and Adams, J.J. (1979). Long-term memory for a common object. Cognitive Psychology, 11, 287-307. Weiten, Wayne (1995). Psychology: Themes and variations. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Short Term Memory FactsOnce you pay attention to something, think

about it.

STM decides which information to throw away and which to send to long term memory.

Usually holds 7 pieces of information at a time.

Lasts three to twenty seconds.

TOOL 2: ReflectReflect on new information within 24 hours.

Connecting new information to old is one way of reflecting that improves how much you will remember.

Long Term Memory Facts

How teachers use these facts

0 minutes Material presented20 minutes Exercise on material60 minutes Review questions at the end of the class9 hours Homework assignment24 hours Homework review48 hours Scaffolding 6 days Quiz31 days Mid-term3 months Final exam

It is possible to keep retention at 80% with the following review intervals:

TOOL 3: RecodeThe brain likes organization.

Organize the things you want to remember for better storage.

ExampleLook at the following words for twenty seconds.Try to memorize as many as you can.

apple car cherryhammer pear plierstrain rose camelorange wrench boatlily squirrel tulipdaisy airplane sawzebra lion

Write down as many words as you can remember.

Organizing the words would help

Fruit apple, orange cherry, pearTools hammer, saw, wrench, pliersTransportation train, car, airplane, boatFlowers lily, daisy, tulip, rose,Animals zebra, squirrel, lion, camel

Try it with the following list of words.

nine red bedschool restaurant bluetwo table threebank chair yellowpark green couchten desktwentystore pink

Grouping or chunking items to aid memorization has been used very effectively with dates and phone numbers.

Which is easier to remember:

9093793281 19532048

or or(909) 379-3281 1953-2048

TOOL 4: Create a storyIf you had to try to remember as many of the items shown below as possible or a long list of vocabulary, you could be much more successful if you created a story that used the items.

TOOL 5: Acronyms, AcrosticsColors of the rainbow: Roy G. Biv

red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet

Planets: My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nectarines

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

TOOL 6: VisualizeTo memorize the 5 causes of the Civil War, visualize a baseball field with each plate and the pitcher’s mound representing a cause.

Home plate = railroad system1st base = more money2nd base = navy3rd base = industryPitcher’s mound = more soldiers

 

TOOL 7: Catchy Phrases, SongsTongue twistersJazz ChantsSchoolhouse Rock tunesPopular songs that illustrate a variety of

grammar rules and idiosyncrasies, like “Bang, Bang” by Cher to review common irregular past tense verbs

Student- or teacher-created raps or songs, especially when set to the tune of well-known children’s songs or pop songs

OTHER TOOLS:ParaphraseSummarizeExplain it to someone elseFill in graphic organizersDraw picturesWrite it over and overMake flash cardsTake practice tests

moon

explorationgravity

distance & dimension

atmosphere

OTHER SUGGESTIONS:Keep a positive attitude.Take plenty of breaks while studying.

Neurons fatigue after 4 to 8 minutes.Your focus time equals your age. (18

years old = 18 minutes of quality focus time before you need a break.)

Exercise and eat healthy food.Get plenty of sleep and reduce stress in your

life whenever you can.