Improving Memory for Learning

Caregivers love it when children remember tasks, follow instructions, and complete activities on time. Since memory is important for growing and learning, how can we improve our children’s memory?

What is Memory?

Memory is our ability to acquire, encode, store, and retrieve information. It allows our children to learn, make connections between ideas, and use knowledge.

How Memory Supports Learning

Harvard University explains that memory works within constant interaction of unconscious, routine thinking (System 1) and conscious, problem-based thinking (System 2).

For example, when riding a bicycle, we retrieve memory when System 1 kicks in to drive actions like paddling and steering and fit them together to move the bicycle. As this becomes more intuitive, System 2 kicks in when we perform more cognitively demanding tasks simultaneously, such as solving an unrelated complex problem.

The Workings of Memory

Both Systems 1 and 2 have their own processes for acquiring, encoding, storing, and retrieving information.

Essentially, we acquire information through our senses. Our minds encode the information in at least four ways: visually (how something looks), acoustically (how something sounds), semantically (what something means), and tactically (how something feels). Once encoded, we store them as short-term and long-term memories. Recall happens when we retrieve those memories, for instance during learning activity.

Learning from Memory

Teachers optimize their teaching to reinforce retention (System 1) and improve critical, creative thinking (System 2).

For example, memorization of multiplication tables and multiple-choice questions train System 1 for fast recall of information from textbooks. On the other hand, activities and assignments that require critical and creative thinking exercise System 2 thinking.

These two ways of teaching are complementary. System 2’s effectiveness depends heavily on the memorized knowledge and intuitive, automatic judgments that System 1 provides. Consequently, good teachers pay attention to enhancing ease of recall.

Maximizing Memory for Powerful Learning

Interestingly, researchers have discovered that short-term and long-term memories are retrieved differently. In 1995, Henry Roediger III and Kathleen McDermott established that short-term memory is retrieved in the same order as the encoded information was stored. On the other hand, long-term memory is retrieved through association – for example, remembering where your pen is located by returning to the room where it was used.

Linking, Associating, Reviewing

Scientists have therefore recommended ways to improve memory. MIT neuroscientist Dr. Tara Swart Bieber recommends chunking sequences (say, dividing “3-3-2-1-6-7” into “33,” “21,” and “67” and assigning meanings to these numbers) to strengthen short-term memory. Furthermore, saying the fact that we want to remember out loud a few times and repeating that at increasing intervals across days helps for long-term memory.

Such recommendations corroborate techniques that the author Tony Buzan promoted in the 1970s. Buzan recommended linking pieces of information (for example, placing them on top of each other) because that helps us recall the information easily. Furthermore, picturing the data points as absurd, humorous, and colorful images helps. Collectively known as the link system, such techniques can be used to remember tasks and events, as well as faces and names.

Buzan also recognized the importance of reviewing information that was already understood. He believed that the information would more easily enter long-term memory after 4 or 5 reviews that were spaced out at increasing intervals. Moreover, the learner would more easily receive new information.

All these findings inform us that we can help our children strengthen their memories by teaching in an engaging and connected way and encouraging short and frequent reviews. At Gracademia, we conduct our teaching this way to raise children’s confidence. Most importantly, we celebrate and recognize their strengths when they grow. Find out more about our courses here.