A mnemonic device is a memory strategy that can improve your capacity for information recall and retention. By using a mnemonic device, you can develop a mental shortcut for pulling up information quickly.
You may already be familiar with some mnemonic strategies for memorising information. For instance, if you’ve ever sung the Alphabet Song to help you remember the alphabetical order, then you have made use of mnemonics in learning before. Beyond the alphabetical order, you can benefit from using mnemonics when studying for exams!
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Retaining and recalling information can be challenging for many students, especially for those with learning difficulties. Learning difficulties can range anywhere from an intellectual disability to an emotional disturbance. Research has shown that teaching students mnemonic strategies — also known as memory-enhancing strategies — is one of the best approaches to assist them in overcoming such difficulties. Mnemonic techniques assist students in building connections between previously learnt material and new information by using cues.
In fact, it has been proved to be effective in over 40 research studies conducted over the past thirty years. Teaching students how to use mnemonic strategies has been proved to be successful with primary and secondary school students. This extends to even those with learning difficulties. Below are the three classifications of mnemonic devices that can be incorporated in learning:
Keyword Method: Students can use the keyword and a related sentence, image or interactive picture to help them recall new information. This approach is highly effective for students with disabilities and is flexible enough to be used in a variety of content areas.
An example of this is when a student needs to learn the words for 2 different parts of the brain: the cerebrum and cerebellum. Since the cerebrum is larger than the cerebellum, the student can draw the cerebrum as a drum (a large instrument) and the keyword for cerebellum could be bell (a small instrument).
Pegword Method: This method utilises common rhyming words for numbers (e.g. one = bun; two = shoe) and link these words to the information being learnt. This method is especially useful for helping students remember numerical or ordered information.
First Letter Strategies: This is a commonly used strategy where students use the first letters of words in a list of items to create another word (acronym) or sentence (acrostic). These strategies can be especially beneficial when students need to recall lists of information.
Other Tips for Studying with Mnemonic Devices
Besides the above strategies, you can also incorporate the below techniques for more effective memorisation!
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- Break down information: Breaking down complex information into smaller pieces helps in memorisation. Instead of forcing oneself to remember the entire string of information, breaking it down into pieces makes it more manageable.
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- Belt it out: Music is a great memory tool, so why not make it into a song? Change the lyrics to a concept or idea you need to remember for a test. There are many songs out there for remembering Mathematical formulas, such as the quadratic equation.
