Forgot something lately? You probably want to rev up on your memorization approach. There are a lot of memorization methods available today and all you have to do is just choose what you think suits you best. Consider trying more than one memorization technique on your pursuit to improving and enhancing your memorization skill and you’ll surely feel a lot better after putting the technique to practice.

Mnemonics is a memorization tool which teaches you how to keep up with the important things that you need to remember or the errands that you need to do. You’ll notice that learning memorization technique such as peg method, loci or journey system and even the linkword technique; just a few to mention the different classifications of mnemonics, could noticeably change the way you’re able to retain information.

But even then, there is no perfect way to maximum memorization skills. It takes a lot of time, effort, motivation and interest for a person to be able to achieve something. And with memorization, the mentioned four are all important. This doesn’t even include yet the special skills like creativity and imagination. If you try to think about it, all of the factors mentioned here, especially the memorization skills are all part of the big picture – enhancing memorization.

Even experts suggests that in order for a person to remember better is for him to take initiative in reading, reflecting about what he has read, reciting it out loud and reviewing it afterwards to complete the process of remembering efficiently. Prior to that, a general view of what you need to memorize (e.i a law book) then backing it up with questions you could possibly ask along the way helps establish an even concrete studying goal.

After this stage, you can then choose a mnemonic technique you desire to help you create a connection of what you have just absorbed according to your own familiarities. You may perceive this to be a lot of work but with constant practice, you’d be picking out important names, words and dates out of your head in no time.

The following strategies are offered to help students develop a more efficient and effective memory. This listing is by no means exhaustive, but rather is meant as a place to begin.

1. Take the mystery away.

The first and perhaps most important strategy is to insure that all students understand how memory works and identify their particular profiles of memory strengths and challenges. Then, students should be taught memory management strategies.

2. Give directions in multiple formats.

Students benefit from being given directions in both visual and verbal formats. In addition, their understanding and memorizing of instructions could be checked by encouraging them to repeat the directions given and explain the meaning of these directions. Examples of what needs to be done are also often helpful for enhancing memory of directions.

3. Teach students to over-learn material.

Students should be taught the necessity of “over-learning” new information. Often they practice only until they are able to perform one error-free repetition of the material. However, several error-free repetitions are needed to solidify the information.

4. Teach students to use visual images and other memory strategies.

Another memory strategy that makes use of a cue is one called word substitution. The substitute word system can be used for information that is hard to visualize, for example, for the word occipital. These words can be converted into words that sound familiar that can be visualized. The word occipital can be converted to exhibit hall (because it sounds like exhibit hall). The student can then make a visual image of walking into an art museum and seeing a big painting of a brain with big bulging eyes (occipital is the region of the brain that controls vision). With this system, the vocabulary word the student is trying to remember actually becomes the cue for the visual image that then cues the definition of the word.

5. Give teacher-prepared handouts prior to class lectures.

Class lectures and series of oral directions should be reinforced by teacher-prepared handouts. The handouts for class lectures could consist of a brief outline or a partially completed graphic organizer that the student would complete during the lecture. Having this information both enables students to identify the salient information that is given during the lectures and to correctly organize the information in their notes. Both of these activities enhance memory of the information as well. The use of Post-Its to jot information down on is helpful for remembering directions.

6. Teach students to be active readers.

To enhance short-term memory registration and/or working memory when reading, students should underline, highlight, or jot key words down in the margin when reading chapters. They can then go back and read what is underlined, highlighted, or written in the margins. To consolidate this information in long-term memory, they can make outlines or use graphic organizers. Research has shown that the use of graphic organizers increases academic achievement for all students.

7. Write down steps in math problems.

Students who have a weakness in working memory should not rely on mental computations when solving math problems. For example, if they are performing long division problems, they should write down every step including carrying numbers. When solving word problems, they should always have a scratch piece of paper handy and write down the steps in their calculations. This will help prevent them from loosing their place and forgetting what they are doing.

8. Provide retrieval practice for students.

Research has shown that long-term memory is enhanced when students engage in retrieval practice. Taking a test is a retrieval practice, i.e., the act of recalling information that has been studied from long-term memory. Thus, it can be very helpful for students to take practice tests. When teachers are reviewing information prior to tests and exams, they could ask the students questions or have the students make up questions for everyone to answer rather than just retelling students the to-be-learned information. Also, if students are required or encouraged to make up their own tests and take them, it will give their parents and/or teachers information about whether they know the most important information or are instead focused on details that are less important.

9. Help students develop cues when storing information.

According to the memory research, information is easier retrieved when it is stored using a cue and that cue should be present at the time the information is being retrieved. For example, the acronym HOMES can be used to represent the names of the Great Lakes – Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior. The acronym is a cue that is used when the information is being learned, and recalling the cue when taking a test will help the student recall the information.

10. Prime the memory prior to teaching and learning activities.

Cues that prepare students for the task to be presented are helpful. This is often referred to as priming the memory. For instance, when a reading comprehension task is given, students will get an idea of what is expected by discussing the vocabulary and the overall topic beforehand. This will allow them to focus on the salient information and engage in more effective depth of processing. Advance organizers also serve this purpose. For older students, CliffNotes or other similar study guides for pieces of literature are often helpful aids for priming the memory.

11. Use Post-Its.

The use of Post-Its for jotting down information can be helpful for students who have short-term memory or working memory challenges.

12. Activate prior knowledge.

In order to enhance the likelihood that students will elaborate on new incoming information, teachers should activate their prior knowledge and make the new information meaningful to them. An easy way of accomplishing this task is to ask, “What do you know”, “What do you want to know”.

13. Give extended time.

If students have difficulty with the speed of retrieving information from memory, they should be given extended time for taking tests so that a true picture of what they know may be gained.

14. Use multisensory methods.

When learners, both young and old, experience something through multiple senses, they are much more likely to remember it. Use a Multisensory approach by engaging as many of the senses as possible when teaching (seeing, touching, hearing, smelling, and tasting).

15. Review material before going to sleep.

It should be helpful for students to review material right before going to sleep at night. Research has shown that information studied this way is better remembered. Any other task that is performed after reviewing and prior to sleeping (such as getting a snack, brushing teeth, listening to music) interferes with consolidation of information in memory.

However you will be surprised to learn that human brain is very powerful. It has been proved scientifically that both the parts of our brain work efficiently and can hold on to each and every piece of information that we feed to it. Many a times, one is not able to recollect simple things like names of people, things on the shopping list and not to mention other small household stuff. The left hemisphere of the brain takes charge of numbers, logic, analysis words and list. While the hemisphere to the right is responsible for rhythm, color, day dreaming imagination and spatial awareness. If you are student then with good memory you can work on getting better grades at school.   There is a method by which you can recollect things at once. You can master the skills so much so that you will not want to remember anything the difficult way. Many things can be mastered by adopting the different  memory improvement  methods. This will enable you to remember appointments, dates and important date schedules without having to consult the digital diaries or notepads. You can recollect at ease appointments, date schedules without missing any one. This improved memory will enhance your performance.   The orthodox method of memory improvement training was to read books or attend memory workshops. Workshops were costly and therefore people read books and mentioned made a mention of the various tips in their notebook but never had any plans of following it. The people felt disillusioned and angry. They put the entire blame on the training that was a long drawn affair and not practical. Cramming, they felt was not the answer to their problem. Their efforts failed to bring any result.  What is needed at the moment is a fun way of learning the techniques for  memory improvement  so that one can also apply them in everyday life.

Everyone knows that the key to a healthy body is diet and exercise.  Many people obsessively work out every day to keep in tip top shape.  So, if we’re so concerned with exercising our bodies, why do we often neglect to exercise our minds?  Our brains are just like our muscles: use it or lose it.  If we don’t do daily activities to help keep our brain in top order, we lose important skills; particularly the skill of remembering.  So if you want to remember your mother’s phone number, your grocery list, or where you left your keys; start exercising your brain.

So, how exactly do you exercise your brain?  There’s no brain gym you can get a membership to with “memory classes”, but there are things you can do on your own.  Here are some things you can try to keep your neurons limber.

* Open a newspaper.

Sure, reading the paper might expand your knowledge, but if you really want to get your brain in shape, turn to the crossword puzzle.  You can also try solving other puzzles that require using your language skills.  These help you remember things by making you regularly access simple memories (i.e. certain words)

* Try the latest puzzle craze.

Go to a book store, go online, or look in the paper; you’re likely to find Sudoku puzzles. These are number puzzles that are becoming increasingly popular.  They help exercise your brain’s deductive reasoning skills. Plus, they’re fun and incredibly addictive.

* Learn something new.

You’ve probably heard people say that learning something new pushes old information out of your brain.  This is not only wrong, it’s just plain silly.  The capacity of your brain is only determined by how much you want to put in it.  Try learning a new skill or how to play a musical instrument.  Learning a skill and continue to use it will keep your memory accessing skills limber.

* Books, games and services.

While there aren’t actually gyms you can go to, there are ways to get exercises specifically designed to improve memory.  You can find these in book stores, online, and even in video game stores.

While it’s great to exercise your brain cells, don’t skip out on your trips to the gym.  Keeping your body in good physical shape will help keep your brain healthy too.  While cardio is the best work out to keep you healthy, you can still keep your memory if you can’t perform a strenuous workout.  Even a simple walk for an hour a day can help prevent or slow memory loss.  So get up and go as much as you can to keep your brain going.

Most people don’t worry about memory loss until they start to notice it slipping away, but the best time to start is while your mind is still sharp.  You may not be able to bring your memory back, but you can keep it from fading.  Regularly working your mind has even been shown to ward off Alzheimer’s.  So if you want to keep your mind sharp, be sure to eat right, get enough rest, and exercise regularly.

There are so many gadgets and programs available today for enhancing brain function, particularly for improving your memory. They offer many tips and tools, as well as personal support. But you can start enhancing your memory on your own right now–not by changing how you recall memories, but by improving how well you create them in the first place.   Try these eight brain enhancement tips for improving your memory:

1.Pay attention. One of Ilchi Lee’s (author of Principles of Brain Management) three rules for operating our brain effectively, paying attention is the first step toward creating a memory. You should try and take in as many details as possible.

2.Use more than one sense. The more of your five senses you pay attention to when trying to create a memory, the more connections you will make in your brain, which leads to a stronger, longer-lasting memory.

3.Make associations. Making associations between one thing and another will help you remember it. For example, when you meet someone and want to remember their name, really focus on it and notice different things about the person such as, “Mary with the blonde hair and brown eyes who smells like roses and likes white wine.” The more interesting or entertaining the associations you create are, the more easily you will remember them.

4.Enthusiastically engage yourself in what you are doing. According to memory expert Eran Katz, when we like something, or are excited about it, we automatically remember it better because we naturally pay attention to it using more than one sense, and make associations with it to things we’ve already experienced.

5.Repeat, repeat, repeat. Once you make your associations, keep repeating them. If you can repeat them out loud you will employ the help of your sense of hearing and remember them more easily. Brain Rules author John Medina says, “The human brain can only hold about seven pieces of information for less than 30 seconds.” If you want to hold more information longer, keep repeating it and the associations you’ve made to it.

6.Get plenty of exercise. Exercise, especially when it increases the circulation of oxygen-rich blood to your brain, boosts every brain function, including memory.

7.Manage your stress. This tip also applies to overall brain function. Levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which are higher during chronic stress, actually shrink memory centers in the brain and kill nerve cells. Stress also affects things like how well you eat and sleep, which then also affect your memory. Exercise, of course, helps to manage stress.

8.Get enough sleep. During sleep, especially the first few hours of “slow-wave” sleep, our minds are busy processing the information and skills we learned during the day, further solidifying memories.  As you continue to use these brain enhancement tips for creating more solid new memories, they will also help you keep them. In addition to memory improvement, brain enhancement techniques for other cognitive abilities will help keep your brain active and agile throughout your life.

A lot of us are failed by our memory. Although it is not entirely a sign of aging or brain deficiency, memory lapses can lead to severe memory gap or sometimes, even memory loss. The best way to keep our minds working even at the busiest times of the day is to remember things, items and important details that we need to attend to in the next coming days.

Exercising our brain cells by remembering is an important activity for our brain. It’s also a way of maintaining a healthy mind and active memory as we grow old. Unfortunately, there comes a time when we really can’t remember a person’s name of an old friend or even a famous line from a recent blockbuster movie. How can this be? We then blame ourselves for not paying attention to the details given to us.

Failing to give our full attention to the details given to us is usually what leads to memory lapses. We then associate it with a bad memory or memory gone wrong ideas when in fact, we still and can control what we are capable of remembering. The same thing applies in memorizing long lists of information. For this context however, a memory technique called Peg Method works very well.

What’s a Peg Method you ask? It’s simply an approach you can use in memorizing many items at a time. You can use numbers to associate a word or an item. So when you mention number 12, you can immediately refer the number 12 equals to the item you’ve linked it with. To make it even easier for you to remember information in using the Peg Method, try putting all the items in cluster.

A good approach is to group the items in five’s or ten’s. For example, items 0-9 is labeled extremely small, 10-19 is medium sized while 20-29 is large and so on. You can use various cluster labels by location, texture or even by rhymes. When you’ve gotten used to memorizing items through Peg Method, don’t worry in memorizing short lists, you can surely do it on your own.