The human memory is one of the world’s greatest treasure. Name anything a man will do without the use of it. Just because the human memory is important and indispensable, we have garnered some 10 ways to improve memory, and by extension, means to enhancing student memory.
Put more understandably, if past events could not be remembered, it would be impossible for language, relationships, or personal identity to develop. The loss of memory can also affect future prospects. It would make man remain stuck or stagnant for life.
Memory loss is usually described as forgetfulness or amnesia
Conceptually, the human memory can be defined as the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. More particularly, students who are in school need more of the memory to be strong and highly receptive to knowledge, facts, or data that is shared.
Also, since school children are constantly bombarded with new knowledge in multiple topic areas in which they may or may not be interested. Students also are expected to both learn and demonstrate the mastery of this knowledge on a weekly basis. Thus, an effective and efficient memory is critical for school success. Many students have memory problems.
Students who have deficits in registering information in short-term memory often have difficulty remembering instructions or directions they have just been given, what was just said during conversations and class lectures and discussions, and what they just read. Students who have difficulty with working memory often forget what they are doing while doing it.
Dissecting the various positions and strength signals of the human memory when it comes to studentship, we have quite a lot to say. For instance, students who have deficits in the storage and retrieval of information from long-term memory may study for tests, but not be able to recall the information they studied when taking the tests.
They frequently have difficulty recalling specific factual information such as dates or rules of grammar. They have a poor memory of material they earlier in the school year or last year. They may also be unable to answer specific questions asked of them in class even when their parents and/or teachers think they really know the information.
With the several insufficiencies or inadequacies that explore the expected excellent performance of the human memory, there comes the need for us to lead you through the things, habits, and other correctional measures that will help you redeem your memory and even the memory of every student around you.
10 Ways to Improve Memory
Here are some of the means and ways to help you work on or improve on the strength of your memory, thus enhancing student memory:
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Cultivate Retrieval Practice
Research has shown that long-term memory is enhanced when students engage in retrieval practice. Taking a test is a retrieval practice, i.e., the act of recalling information that has been studied from long-term memory. Thus, it can be very helpful for students to take practice tests.
When teachers are reviewing information prior to tests and exams, they could ask the students questions or have the students make up questions for everyone to answer rather than just retelling students the to-be-learned information.
Also, if students are required or encouraged to make up their own tests and take them, it will give their parents and/or teachers information about whether they know the most important information or are instead focused on details that are less important.
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Create Associations for your Learning
There has been research that has found that when information is organized into related groups, it best reflects how our brains process it. So when studying, you should organize the materials into groups. Think about putting similar ideas together or group related concepts together when studying.
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The Use of Pictorial Representations and Other Viable Strategies
Another memory strategy that makes use of a cue is one called word substitution. The substitute word system can be used for information that is hard to visualize, for example, for the word occipital or parietal. These words can be converted into words that sound familiar that can be visualized.
The student can then make a visual image of walking into an art museum and seeing a big painting of a brain with big bulging eyes (occipital is the region of the brain that controls vision). With this system, the vocabulary word the student is trying to remember actually becomes the cue for the visual image that then cues the definition of the word.
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Controlled Consumption of Sugars
Sweet snacks and drinks like soda often have extra sugars that you can find on the nutrition facts label. Eating too much food with added sugar can cause problems such as trouble with thinking, remembering information, short-term memory loss, and more.
Studies show that those who consume a large amount of added sugar generally experience weaker memory and cognitive function. People who control how much sugar they consume have improved memory and thinking abilities.
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Devise Cues
According to the memory research, information is easier retrieved when it is stored using a cue and that cue should be present at the time the information is being retrieved. Making the most of mnemonic devices can be a good technique. As an example, you could associate a term that you need to learn with something everyday and common to make it more memorable to you. It could involve rhyming, music, a song or a joke to help bring it back to memory.
For example, the acronym HOMES can be used to represent the names of the Great Lakes — Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior. The acronym is a cue that is used when the information is being learned, and recalling the cue when taking a test will help the student recall the information.
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Adequate Sleep
You might feel like you’re throwing away valuable learning time by having an early night before an exam, but it can actually improve your memory because sleep is so important for learning and memory. If you were to take a nap after a lecture, then it can help you to remember it better.
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Analyze and Evaluate Information or Material
Reviewing information regularly can improve memory by strengthening neural connections in the brain. When we learn new information, the brain forms new connections in the brain. However, these connections can weaken over time if the information is not reviewed.
Regularly reviewing information strengthens these neural connections, improving our ability to recall it later. Think of it as a personal study session to strengthen your brain function! Reviewing the material multiple times instead of cramming it all at once will help you remember it for a test as this will allow your brain to retain the information for a longer time.
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Don’t Cram
When you study something over a range of different study sessions it will give you the time that is needed to properly research, process, and understand the information. There is research that shows students who do this, rather than just do one late night cramming session before an exam, perform much better.
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Spaced Repetition
The spaced repetition method involves reinforcing information in your mind just as it begins to fade to freshen the data in your mind. By reinforcing information at regular intervals, you’re more likely to access the information when you need to remember it. Some people practice this method using flashcards, working through them at certain intervals and separating them into piles based on the difficulty of the information.
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Exercise Well
Exercising makes the blood in your brain flow better, helps form new brain cells, and lowers inflammation. All of this helps improve your memory. Including activities like jogging, swimming, and biking in your fitness routine helps maintain a sharp memory. Adding exercise into your daily routine aids your brain function to increase memory.
