As teachers, we often assume that doodling in class is “bad,” indicating that students aren’t listening to the material being taught. However, for visual learners, doodling can be that extra nudge that helps them in memorizing the material. Doodling as a memory strategy is not only effective, it helps some students focus, calm themselves, and turn verbal-linguistic information into non-linguistic information. In order to make that transfer from text to visual, students must understand the content. Given that one can’t doodle about what’s learned unless one understands it, doodling as a memory strategy can also be an effective formative assessment.

Even if they make up their answer on the spot, it STILL is effective in supporting recall of the information that was taught.

By taking what can be seen as a negative and turning it around into a positive, by encouraging doodling as a memory strategy, you gain the trust of your students, especially those that learn differently. By working with the student’s strengths, you enhance learning and memory on multiple levels. Create a win-win situation!

This video tutorial for Sketchnotes explains the concept well.

Related resources:

• What are Sketchnotes?
• What to Do to Help Students Improve Focus
• A Dozen Commonsense Strategies to Maintain Focus, Attention, And Enhance Learning in the Classroom!

The post Use Doodling as a Memory Strategy with Sketchnotes appeared first on Susan Fitzell.

2. Use these handmade flashcards to make a word wall, where new vocabulary words can be displayed for all to see and read daily.

3. Turn students into vocabulary word detectives! Change a few pictures on the word wall every day and offer prizes, like extra points or grab bag tickets, to the students who find the changes. Every day, they’ll rush in to find what’s changed and they’ll be actively engaged with reviewing the words on a daily basis.

4. Anytime you find a new vocab word, write it on a slip of paper and put it in a bag. Every day, pull five words from the bag and write them on the board. Then offer an incentive, like extra points, to the first students who accurately use them in a sentence.

5. Use sign language. Hand out copies of the sign alphabet and ask students to learn to finger-spell a few vocabulary words for homework. In class, have students pair up and teach each other the words they learned. Not only will they learn to spell those words, they will gain a life skill in the process!

6. Use color. Studies show that we remember color first and content second, so highlight or use colorful markers and pens to write vocabulary words and their definitions. Use different colors to make key words of the definition stand out and to help students remember the meaning of words.

7. Use chunking. Ever wonder why telephone numbers are fairly easy to memorize? It’s because they are broken up into three separate chunks of numbers that can be memorized individually. Vocabulary words, too, can be split into smaller chunks, making it easier for students to remember their spelling.

8. Have students use vocabulary words to write a story. By putting the words into a context they not only understand, but also created themselves, they are more likely to remember the definition at test time.

9. Put the words to music! Ever notice how you can easily remember the words to The Itsy Bitsy Spider and other songs you may not have sung since childhood? That’s because the rhythm and rhyme of music helps you to remember the lyrics. This idea can be used to help students memorize vocab words by turning the words’ definitions into song lyrics or by writing lyrics using sentences that put the words into an easy to understand context.

10. Have students study often for short amounts of time. Just like muscles need frequent exercise to grow stronger, the brain needs frequent study sessions to recall information to its full potential. Studying for even ten minutes every day for a week before a test is much more successful in aiding recall and recognition than studying for hours the night before.

11. Sleep on it! Studies have found that studying right before bedtime aids memorization. When sleeping, a person’s brain processes the last thing they thought about or did before going to sleep. So, students will remember vocabulary words better if studying is the last thing they do before going to bed.

12. Record yourself. Tell students to use a tape recorder or computer program to record themselves reading aloud each vocabulary word and its definition. Then have students listen to their recording, pausing before the definition is read to try and recall it. Students can then play the definition to see if their guess was correct.

For more information about study strategies for your student, see Susan Fitzell’s book, Ummm, Studying? What’s That?. Available in both print and electronic versions!

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(MNEMONIC)

A mnemonic is a tool that aids in memory. To demonstrate this, we took the word ‘mnemonic’ and turned it into a mnemonic! Mnemonics are a wonderfully easy way to remember information, whether it’s the names of the great lakes or an important date in history. Below are 12 surefire links to ready-made mnemonics to help you create and use mnemonics.

Links to Mnemonics!

1. Click here for one of Susan’s previous articles on mnemonics and memory strategies!

2. http://www2.ku.edu/ – Mnemonics from Barbara J. Ehren, University of Kansas – Center for Research on Learning, with illustrations by David Gnojek

3. http://tinyurl.com/yvv7k3 – Using Mnemonic Instruction to Facilitate Access to the General Education Curriculum

4. http://www.buildyourmemory.com/mnemonics.php – The mnemonics resource that unleashes the incredible hidden potential of YOUR memory!

5. http://www.ict4us.com/mnemonics/ – Another great source for ready-made mnemonic devices!

6. http://www.mindtools.com/memory.html – This section of Mind Tools teaches you useful techniques that help you improve your memory.

7. http://www.eudesign.com/mnems/_mnframe.htm – Another good resource for ready-made mnemonics.

8. http://www.magicmnemonic.com/math/mnemonic_example_10144.html – Scroll down past all the ‘tags’ to the list of links. Those links have many powerful resources for helping you to use mnemonics with your students.

9. http://www.learningassistance.com/2006/january/mnemonics.html – Types of Mnemonics for Better Memory by Dennis Congos, University of Central Florida. This site is beautifully illustrated. Well worth your time!

10. http://musom.marshall.edu/anatomy/grosshom/mnemonic/ – This is a mnemonic generator. Type in a list of words to memorize and it creates a mnemonic. If the mnemonic doesn’t work for you, adjust and make it better.

11. http://www.onlinemathlearning.com/math-mnemonics.html – Math mnemonics from Online Math Learning.

12. http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/archives/mnemonics.shtml Education World’s Math Mnemonic Archive.

For more information about study strategies for your student, see Susan Fitzell’s book, Ummm, Studying? What’s That?. Available in both print and electronic versions!

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CLICK HERE to visit the articles page.

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Paraphrase Immediately to Maximize the  Power of Paraphrasing

Another strategy to enhance short-term memory so information isn’t “gone” in two seconds is to have a student paraphrase what we just taught. For example, after you’ve taught something important, ask a volunteer to paraphrase that information for the class. Most likely, your students will not relate the information in the same words you used, which will be novel to the brain.

How To Enhance Short Term Memory …In Only Seconds

This strategy only takes seconds to do, yet it lets your students hear the information again, in a different way, with a different voice. The brain likes novelty and will remember the information better.

Paraphrase One Hour Later to Reinforce Short Term Memory

Ask your students to paraphrase information that was shared earlier in the day.  When they take something you taught an hour ago and bring it back into play, it returns to short-term memory and is then pushed into working memory.  Using this paraphrasing strategy in your classrooms will help students to remember what you are teaching.

Watch Memory Trick: The Secret Power of Paraphrasing

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Umm… Study? What’s That? Order Today!

I recently presented a workshop in Schnecksville, PA. The participants’ challenge was to create a song to help students memorize test taking strategies and Ace the test!. They all did such a wonderful job with their rhymes, songs and mnemonics that I wanted to share them with all of you. The memorization & test taking strategies they’ve included are from the book, Umm… Studying? What’s that? By Shivahn Fitzell

The following rhyme explains how to approach multiple choice questions on a standardized test:

First do the easy.

Then do the tough.

Quickly guess the difficult stuff.

Focus on multiple choice, they say later come back to do the essay.

Cross out answers that don’t make sense.

You’ll be done in no time, w/out being tense.

Watch your time and you’ll be fine.

Easy first, then the worst.

Guess the rest try your best.

Multi-choice then your voice.

Please don’t shirk, check you work.

Easy

Difficult

Guess

Multiple choice

Essay

Cross out wrong

Starring: Donna Barone, Tammy Weaver, Carissa Capwell, Kathleen Teay, Brent Herzog.

To the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star….

Calculate the time you need.

If you do you will succeed.

Easy questions first, they say

Difficult next is the best way

Multiple choice before essay

Guess the rest and end your day.

Time                               (draw a clock)

Easy                              EZ

Difficult                        E=Mc2

Guess                            ????

Multiple choice            ABCD

Cross out                       XXXX

To the tune of Frere Jacques….

Calculate time, calculate time

Easy first, easy first

Do the harder questions next

At the very end just guess

Then you’re done, have some fun!

Time for testing, time for testing

Easy first, easy first

Then we do the hard ones

Quickly guess the others

Then cross out, then cross out

How to manage time.  To the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat…

Try the easy questions first

Don’t waste too much time

Spend more time on harder ones

And you will do fine

Save the essay for the last

You can make it fun

List ideas before you start

Write a sentence for each one.

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Homework is controversial. There’s research that says it’s not beneficial. There’s research that indicates that it increases achievement. Which is it? Because I know that I need to do some “homework” no matter whether it’s school work or practicing my Kung Fu, I believe there is value on what I call “do-able” homework. The goal of homework is to take something learned earlier in the day and bring it back into working memory before bedtime. Research shows that practice increases recall the next day. It’s not about quantity, or the amount of time spent on the homework. Rather, it’s about forcing your brain to remember what was learned several hours ago and thereby building those neural connections.

As parents, we can use homework strategies to adapt assignments to our child’s learning preferences so that they retain what they learned in school earlier in the day. How? Here is a list of seven strategies that you can use at home to help your child increase their academic performance and make the homework experience more enjoyable, rewarding, and productive.

How to remember the sequence of events

1. To help your child remember the sequence of events in a story or history lesson, have them create a cognitive map with words and pictures. Using visual images to represent facts or a series of events helps to enhance recall and learning. By using colored pencils, crayons, or even colored fonts on a computer, your child can create a step-by-step map of the story – complete with descriptions of events and drawings or clip art to help them remember what happened, in sequence.
2. Another way to help your child remember a sequence of events in a story or history lesson is to have them create a sequence chart. Think of this as a time line or story line that shows events drawn out and written in chronological order. Although this can be done on any type of paper, long adding machine tape works well. Don’t forget to use color and visuals to increase memory.

How to Study Vocabulary Words

3. Increase vocabulary retention by creating visual flash cards. This strategy uses visual images to enhance recall and learning. Have your child write their vocabulary word on an index card and then place a border around it. The border will help them memorize what the word looks like. Then have them draw, print from the internet, or cut out from magazines pictures that help define the word. Attach the visual to the front of the card. On the back of the index card, have your child write the definition and a silly sentence using the word to help them remember the definition.

Foldable Note-Taking

4. Create a “fold-able.” A fold-able is a small book made out of folded pieces of paper that can become a study guide for various things. For example, your child can make a fold-able for a series of vocabulary words, historical figures, or even the cell cycle. Each page of the mini book would display, through words and drawings or pictures, one vocabulary word, a historic figure and related fact, a stage in the cycle of a cell, etc. http://foldables.wikispaces.com/

Have your Child Teach You!

5. It has been shown that we learn and retain the most when we teach someone else – so be your child’s student! Divide up their vocabulary list into manageable chunks (start with two to three words per night), then have them learn to finger spell or sign the words on their list and teach them to you.

Mnemonic Strategies

6. Increase their ability to remember by teaching your child to use various memory devices such as mnemonics, associations, rhyming, chunking, acronyms, and acrostics. These devices help us to remember the order of things as well as facts and concepts. What works for one child may not work for another, so test each device and see what works best. Some examples:

A mnemonic: I Am A Person – The four oceans (Indian, Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific),

An acrostic: Mallory Valerie Emily Meetzahs Just Served Us Nachos – The order of the planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune).

A rhyme: 30 days has September; April, June, and November.

Famous Figure Wanted Poster

7. A fun way to help your child remember facts and concepts about famous figures is to have them create “wanted posters.” Have your child either use the computer or hand draw a wanted sign, complete with a picture of the famous figure. Then have them write the name of the person, their date of birth, and a list the “crimes” (facts) the person is “wanted” (famous) for – these will be facts about the person’s life and accomplishments. For example, Susan B. Anthony would be wanted for helping women gain equal rights.
http://mrslampkinsandmrsshawsclass.blogspot.com/2012/09/wanted-dead-or-alive.html

Remember, no one strategy will work for every child. Talk to your child and give them some options. Help them choose strategies that they are comfortable with and that they think will help them to retain the most information.

Have you, or your student, used any of these homework strategies? If so, how did they work for you? Have you adapted any of these homework strategies to make them your own? Tell us about that.

For more information about study strategies for your student, see Susan Fitzell’s book, Please Help Me With My Homework. Available in both print and electronic versions!

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Recently, I’ve referenced “The Nun Study” in my seminars when discussing the importance of challenging our brains to grow neural connections. Many have not heard of this study. So, in order to facilitate further discussion and learning on the topic, I’m posting some links here.

The Nun Study at the University of Minnesota where the research is headquartered.

Time magazine wrote an excellent article on The Nun Study in 2001. A quote from that article “…a college education and an active intellectual life, on the other hand, may actually protect you from the effects of the disease. Perhaps the most surprising result of the Nun Study, though, is the discovery that the way we express ourselves in language, even at an early age, can foretell how long we’ll live and how vulnerable we’ll be to Alzheimer’s decades down the line.”

I read about the study and remember how sharp my dad was at 78 years old. He did a crossword puzzle every day, spoke two languages fluently and was an avid reader. He was sharp until the day he crossed over.

Seems to me that it’s a gift to our students to teach them to love reading, writing and on-going learning.

Memory and Brain Power

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Imagine if you were armed with effective strategies for inclusion, memorization, and engaging students before your first day in the classroom. These education majors from Carroll University had the opportunity to attend one of my seminars as part of their preparation for going into the classroom. Melissa and Whitney learned a wide range of strategies for teaching in a short period of time – even admitting they may use some of the memorization tips at the college level!

By exposing tomorrow’s teachers to strategies for success before they enter the classroom, we’re improving the quality of teaching in our schools and the chance for our students to thrive.

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In fact, according to Eric Jensen in Brain-Based Learning (1996), we remember colors first and content next. Colors affect us on both a physiological and a psychological level. Therefore,using color can be a great way to help students study more efficiently.

• Add color to homework paperwork
• Print notes and alternate two colors for each individual point
• Hang colorful posters around the house to reinforce the concepts being learned

According to research, color communicates more effectively than black and white. How much more effectively?  Here’s what the research says:

• Color visuals increase willingness to read by up to 80 percent
• Using color can increase motivation and participation by up to 80 percent
• Color enhances learning and improves retention by more than 75 percent
• Color accounts for 60 percent of the acceptance or rejection of an object and is a critical factor in the success of any visual experience

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“Cut” Picture of a Sequence Strip Made From Adding Machine Tape

Draw it so you know it!  As A Sequential Memory Strategy

One of my favorite phrases is “Draw it so you know it!”, and one of my favorite applications of the non-linguistic representation strategy is to use it as a sequential memory strategy. I believe this is one of the most powerful ways we can help our students remember their lessons. If we can engage more of the brain in learning we can help the lesson “stick” much more effectively.

Drawing  After Reading Forces the Brain to Take Text and Make Sense of What They Read

Drawing activates parts of the brain that wouldn’t necessarily be engaged if, for example, students were just taking notes based on a lecture. Drawing ensures students immerse themselves in the material. You can’t draw a meaningful picture of what you read if you don’t first UNDERSTAND what you read! Kids don’t have to be great artists to draw – what’s important is that they try, even if it’s just with stick figures!

Drawing using adding machine tape takes the concept of “Draw it so you know it” one step further by having students create a series of drawings in a logical sequence. This sequence could be the stages in a process, a chronological account of events in a story, or the steps for solving a problem. The important part is that students are drawing items in order – so they’re not only thinking about how best to represent the steps, but putting them in the proper order.

Keeping these drawings in their organizers helps students match up the pictures with the words and provides a powerful study tool.

How to Help Kids Who Have Trouble with Sequential Learning!

Special Needs is ALL types of Learners including gifted, at-risk, English Language Learners, 504, Special Education Needs, and Honors Students. These strategies work for ALL!

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