Memory is the foundation of enhancing learning, both in the classroom and beyond. It can easily be stated that students with good memory can perform well in school, excel in examinations, and achieve better grades. However, one thing to note here is that no one is born with sharp memory skills; they have to hone these skills with time. The more they utilize these skills, the better their memory gets. Like any other skill, constant practice enhances brain functioning. For boosting their memory, parents should make sure that their ward is regularly working on their memorization muscles.
Types of Memory
Effective memory can be divided into two parts, namely short-term memory and long-term memory. Students can process and recall new information with the help of short-term memory. It assists them to tackle the task at hand. This information is then transferred to long-term memory, which helps students to gain a deeper understanding of the topic. Many students struggle with memory, because of which they face difficulty in organizing and extracting meaningful information out of a topic. This may result in children falling behind and facing problems related to academics.
Improving Memory for Better Outcomes
Enhancing memory can help students to perform well in academics and various other co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. Various strategies can be used to improve students’ short-term and long-term memory. Constantly exercising the brain can ignite innovation and assist the students in exploring their boundaries for better academic outcomes. The below mentioned strategies can play an important role in boosting a child’s memory power.
Asking Questions
In order to remember the study material, students should first understand the subject. Parents and teachers should encourage students to develop curiosity and ask questions, which would help them to develop a better comprehension of the subject. It will also help them to think critically and develop problem-solving skills.
Combining Learning with Rhymes and Songs
Parents can help their children to make a rhyme, poem, or song from the information they are learning. Music and patterns enables quicker grasping and retention of information. Hence, with proper implementation, songs and rhymes can help students to enhance their memory and recall.
Transforming Learning into an Exciting Experience
It is of utmost importance that students do not take education as a burden. Rather, they should picture it as an opportunity to explore many new things. A child’s learning enthusiasm can be encouraged by taking a trip to the library, visiting museums, or watching educative videos, which can bear better results. Developing the students’ interest in the subject they are studying can help them to learn things easily in the future.
Encouraging Active Learning
Parents should regularly discuss with their children about different topics related to their curriculum. This will encourage students to actively participate in their studies and will help them to retain information for a longer period of time. As a result, students will be able to recall important topics during examinations, which, in turn, will help them to develop critical thinking skills while improving memory power.
Visual Aid can be Helpful
Pictures, videos, graphics, and so on ignite interest about studies among students. This can help them to learn new information effectively. Creating interesting study exercises with small flash cards that include images, texts, and numbers can help in enhancing students’ memory, and encourage them to participate actively in studies.
Using Real Life Examples
Explaining a topic by taking examples from real life can help students to understand better. Parents and teachers should ask children to explain a topic by creating their own real-life examples based on their personal experiences. This will help them to easily process and retain the information, and will help students to personally connect with the subject matter.
Creating Mind Maps
Students can create mind maps which will help them to connect between words and topics. It will enable them to actively engage and develop a deeper understanding of the study material. This will make room for developing various ideas and to figure out how they relate to each other.
Embracing the Multisensory Experience
A multisensory approach can help students to enhance their memory manifolds. They can engage their senses to enhance the study experience. Reading aloud, having conversations, listening to podcasts, watching videos and images, and using other props can help them gather new information and retain old information.
Listing the Keywords
Students can make a list of various words, which can help them to build associations with various concepts related to their studies. Creating distinct associations will be helpful, as they will help students to remember the concepts easily.
Inculcating Presentation Skills
Parents and teachers can ask the students to explain the topic that they have studied. After the session, they can review the performance and explain where the student was lacking. This will test their cognition and retention skills. Moreover, teachers can ask the students to make classroom presentations on a selected topic, and then assess their performance based on the presentation. This will not only help in enhancing memory, but will also boost students’ confidence to speak in public.
Fragmenting Information
Information in small amounts is easier to understand and retain rather than tackling a huge amount at once. For better outcomes, students can start with small and easier topics, and then move ahead with the difficult ones. Parents can help their children to organize study materials as per headings, lists, colors, and so on, so that it becomes easier for them to recall later.
Enhancement of memory is essential for mental and physical development of students. It has numerous academic implications and plays an important role in an individual’s academic and career development. The above mentioned strategies can work wonders if implemented properly, and can reap transformational outcomes.
