ZARA GEN VELASCO
BACHELOR OF SECONDARY EDUCATION - II
TYPES OF MNEMONICS TO IMPROVE YOUR MEMORY
Mnemonics are strategies used to improve memory. They are often taught in school to help students learn and recall
information.
Examples of mnemonics include:
1. KEYWORD MNEMONICS
Studying a second (or third or fourth) language? Using the keyword mnemonic
method improves learning and recall, especially in the area of foreign language.
Here's how the keyword method works:
First, you choose a keyword that somehow cues you to think of the foreign word.
Then, you imagine that keyword connected with the meaning of the word you're trying to learn.
The visualization and association should trigger the recall of the correct word.1
For example, if you're trying to learn the Spanish word for cat, which is gato, first think of a gate and then imagine the
cat sitting on top of the gate. Even though the "a" sound in gato is short and the "a" sound in gate is long, the beginnings
are similar enough to help you remember the association between gate and cat and to recall the meaning of gato.
2. CHUNKING AS A MNEMONIC STRATEGY
Chunking or grouping information is a mnemonic strategy that works by
organizing information into more easily learned groups, phrases, words, or
numbers. Phone numbers, Social Security, and credit cards are organized using
chunking.
Interestingly, chunking is one of several mnemonic strategies that have been
studied in people with mild Alzheimer's disease. Results from these studies
concluded that chunking can be helpful in improving verbal working memory in the early stages of dementia
Interestingly, chunking is one of several mnemonic strategies that have been studied in people with mild Alzheimer's
disease. Results from these studies concluded that chunking can be helpful in improving verbal working memory in the
early stages of dementia
3. MUSICAL MNEMONICS
One way to successfully encode the information into your brain is to use
music. A well-known example is the "A-B-C" song, but there's no end to
what you can learn when it's set to music. You can learn the names of the
countries of Africa, science cycles, memory verses, math equations, and
more.
If you search online, you'll find that there are some songs already created
specifically to help teach certain information, and for others, you'll have to
make up your own. And no, you don't have to be able to carry a tune or write the music out correctly for this mnemonic
method to work. Music can be a helpful memory tool for people with mild cognitive impairment.
4. LETTER AND WORD MNEMONIC STRATEGIES
Acronyms use a simple formula of a letter to represent each word or
phrase that needs to be remembered.
For example, think of the NBA, which stands for the National Basketball
Association.
Or, if you're trying to memorize four different types of dementia, you
might use this acronym: FLAV, which would represent frontotemporal,
Lewy body, Alzheimer's, and vascular. Notice that I ordered the list in such a way to more easily form a "word," which
you would not do if the list you need to memorize is ordered. An acrostic uses the same concept as the acronym except
that instead of forming a new "word," it generates a sentence that helps you remember the information.
5. RHYMES AS MNEMONIC STRATEGIES
The ability to memorize and remember nursery rhymes is often due in
part to repetition and in part to rhyming. Rhyming words can be used as a
mnemonic to help us learn and recall information.
Sometimes, you can rearrange words or substitute a different word with
the same meaning to make them rhyme. Take the familiar spelling rule: "i"
before "e," except after "c," or in sounding like "ay" as in "neighbor" or
"weigh." This phrase sticks in our memories because we've heard it
multiple times but also because of the rhyming within it.
6. MAKING CONNECTIONS AS A MNEMONIC METHOD
One mnemonic strategy that helps encode new information is to connect it
with something else that you already are familiar with or know. This gives it
meaning and makes it easier to remember. Making connections is a type
of elaborative rehearsal and can be applied to almost any subject or type
of information.
For example, imagine that you are just introduced to someone named Jeffery. Rather than mentally zipping past his
name, pay attention and think about how you can remember it.
Perhaps you notice that Jeffery is very energetic, so you can imagine him jumping around his work and connecting
Jeffrey with jumping. The next time you see him. you'll think, "There's 'Jumping Jeffery,' and you can say hello by name."
(Don't forget to leave the word "jumping" off his name when you greet him.)
7. NOTE ORGANIZATION MNEMONICS
Some people learn best when they organize their thoughts into notes.
This is a great mnemonic technique to use in your job, whether you are
getting ready for a presentation or need to memorize new data. For
example, you can form the main ideas into questions and write them on
one side of a notecard while adding the answers on the opposite side.
You train your brain to see questions and remember the answers when
you do this repeatedly.
8. ALLITERATION MNEMONICS
When you want to remember a person’s name, alliteration is a
convenient tool. If you meet a colleague named Sabina, you can think of
other words that start with the letter “S” that describe her. You may find
Sabina is sophisticated, sincere and stylish. When you need to recall her
name, you will remember the three words you associate with her and be
able to narrow down her name to one that begins with the letter “S.”
9. VISUAL MNEMONICS
Linking images together involves creating a visual story to connect the
information you need to memorize. Every item leads you to remember
the following article. For example, you may need to remember to bring
your laptop, reading glasses, notepad and pen to your upcoming
meeting. You can create a short story to link these items together so
you don’t forget any of them.
10. METHOD OF LOCI MNEMONIC STRATEGY
The method of loci (pronounced low-sigh) is arguably the earliest
identified mnemonic in history. It is first attributed to Simonides of
Ceos, a Greek poet, in 477 BC. It's also one of the most researched
mnemonics, demonstrating strong success across a wide spectrum of
academic subjects and life situations.
How does it work?
The learner visualizes a room or a familiar path through a building.
The learner mentally associates facts or information with specific locations or objects along the way.
In order to recall what they learned, they re-visualize moving through that room or along that path, and each stop along
the way triggers another piece of information.
This method is also called the journey method, creating a "memory palace" or the mental walk strategy.
Research ranging from medical students learning about diabetes to college students remembering grocery lists shows
significant improvements when the method of loci is used.
References: https://www.verywellhealth.com/memory-tip-1-keyword-mnemonics-98466#:~:text=Mnemonics%20are
%20strategies%20used%20to,music%20to%20memorize%20the%20alphabet
https://www.seattleu.edu/media/learning-assistance-programs/files/9-Types-of-Mnemonics-for-Better-
Memorya4b4.pdf
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-use-mnemonic-techniques
