Strategies for improving memory

Verbal Mnemonics

Acronym

A word or sentence is formed using the initial letters of other words. e.g. ROYGBIV is used to remember the colours of the rainbow

Acrostic

A poem or sentence where the first letter in each line or words forms the item to be remembered. e.g. My Very Easy Method Just Speeds Up Naming Planets

Rhymes

Groups of words with an identity rhythm. e.g. 30 days hath september, april, jun and november

Chunking

Involves diving a long string of information into memorable chunks. e.g. post codes or phone numbers

Visual Imagery Mnemonics

The method of loci

Loci literally means 'places' and the method requires the learner to associate parts of the material to be recalled with different places (usually rooms in a familiar building, or sites along an often travelled road) in the order that they can be recalled.

Keyword method

This is used to associate two pieces of information. For example when learning a foreign language and wanting to remember a foreign word and its english equivalent, you think of an image to link the two words: the spanish word for horse is 'caballo' pronounced 'cab-eye-yo'; the keyword could be 'eye…