A Dozen Sure Fire Ways to Boost Your Memory
Do you have difficulty remembering information for tests? Many people do. Here are a dozen sure-fire ways to boost your memory:
Use visual clues to highlight notes and use the pictures in books to help you remember important information.- Create visual images to represent key concepts that you are studying by using simple clip art or line drawings or symbols. Draw the visual symbols in your notes, or find pictures in clipart that represent the facts then cut and paste them in your notes or on your study cards.
- Color code notes. When taking notes, border important vocabulary, places and events with a color marker. Border the words in the SHAPE of the word.
- Create silly songs out of connected information such as historical events, literary sequence of events, science system parts and their function or sports rules.
- Read with a blank piece of paper on the desk and mind map the story line, characters, and detail as you read.
- Create mnemonics to remember lists. For example, Roy G. Biv represents the colors of the rainbow and Every Good Boy Does Fine represents the music scale. Recite the mnemonics aloud. If possible, give the recitation a 'rap' beat.
- When reading, write down how you "feel" about what is happening in the story on a piece of paper. When you connect what you are reading to how you feel, you will remember it better. The brain remembers emotion.
- Write down what you already know about a topic before you study it. List three things you want to know about the topic. Come up with connections to your own life. For example, "Have you ever experienced the feelings that Juliet describes?" "Do you think the problems Madame Curie faced exist today?"
Print key facts to be tested on index cards using colored markers. Use a different color for key words in the questions and answers. Write answer on one side of the card and the question for the fact on the other side of the index card. - The brain is social. Pair with a partner and spend 5 minutes reviewing using your study cards. Use a kitchen timer to signal the end of review.
- Create visual diagrams or flow charts of the step-by-step process for using machines, cooking, computer instruction, physical education games, body system process, etc. Review by using a blank diagram (without the answer words) and filling the words in the right boxes.
- Create time sequence charts with titles for major eras of history. Then create a mnemonic to represent the titles in sequence.
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About the Author
Susan Fitzell is a nationally recognized speaker and author of several educational resource books. She has over two decades of experience with differentiated instruction, teaching youth with special needs, students with behavioral and anger management issues, and students who experience bullying. Susan’s company, AIMHI Educational Programs, focuses on building caring school communities. http://aimhieducational.com/