Summary: A Closer Look At Memory Strategies

A Closer Look at Memory Strategies On occasion students are faced with the realization that although they have studied intensely for an up coming exam on the day of that exam, their memory about what they have studied seems to have failed them. For the life of them, they cannot understand what happened. The purpose of this essay is to explore different memory strategies that will aid them in enhancing the learning experience.

What are memory strategies? Memory strategies refer to set of techniques that are designed to help one remember. Students and non-students alike at times forget important things. What has happens is information has not been transferred into long- term memory. It is vital for a student to know how to do this in order for

First, what must be understood is that according to Matlin, (2013) “when you use you perform mental activities that can help you improve your encoding and retrieval. Most memory strategies help students remember things that have been learned in the past” (p.171). Mnemonics “this is an instructional strategy designed to help students improve their memory of important information. This technique connects new learning to prior knowledge through the use of visual and/or acoustic cues” (Mastropieri, 1998). This strategy can have a positive effect on the learning process because it uses original knowledge /information gained, and pairs it with something that is associated with a more meaningful experience, which allows the brain to have more of an ability to retain the information. Mnemonic strategies rely on the use of acronyms, rhyming words, and key words. Their use is based on the observation that the human mind more easily remembers personal, relatable information, rather than impersonal forms of

With this in mind, it must also be understood that for any memory strategy to work it has to be integrated with the student’s “metacognitive processes and strategies, which include but is not limited to planning, monitoring one's own thoughts, problem solving, making decisions and evaluating one's thought processes. It also involves the use of strategies for remembering information” (Fraser-Thill, 2016).

Furthermore, for any student that wants to be successful academically they need to pay special attention to their metacognitive skills. These skills will help students not only in the classroom, but outside of the classroom also. Such as when they are ready to take on more responsibilities these thinking skills can help students determine whether or not a decision they are about to make is good or bad. When a student combine metacognitive processes, and other memories strategies this will undoubtedly produce positive