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Mnemonic Strategies
By: Katherine Newport and Laura Staab
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Definition
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Mnemonic Strategies: Systematic strategies for
strengthening long-term retention and retrieval of
information.
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Relationship to Differentiation
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There are different strategies that kids can choose from to
help retain information
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Acronyms
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For remembering directions (North, East, South, and West)
some children may choose to remember it as “Never Eat Soggy
Waffles” or “Never Eat Salty Watermelon”
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Rhyming
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Songs
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How do Mnemonic Strategies work?
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They work by creating connections where no connection is
immediately obvious to the learner.
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What do Mnemonic Strategies look
like?
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Early Elementary (K-2)
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Intermediate (3-5)
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Children use rhyming to learn rules in grammar (“i” before “e”,
except after “c”)
Children use acronyms to learn the lines of the scale in music (EGBDF
– “Every Good Boy Does Fine”)
Middle (6-8)
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Students learn the preamble of the Constitution through a song
(School of Rock)
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Resources For More Information!!!
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http://education.purduecal.edu/Vockell/EdPsyBook/Edpsy6
/edpsy6_mnemonics.htm
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http://www.adlit.org/strategies/22732/
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http://www.ldonline.org/article/5912/
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How to use Mnemonic Strategies in a
Lesson Plan
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http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/fall-leavesfall-lesson-plan
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Teach the acronym “SLANT” (Sit up, Lean forward, Ask
questions about the topic, Nod your head, and Track the
teacher with your eyes) at the beginning of the lesson
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This would work for any lesson plan
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Key Aspects of Mnemonic Strategies

Mnemonic Strategies: Systematic strategies for
strengthening long-term retention and retrieval of
information.

There are different strategies that kids can choose from to
help retain information (relationship to differentiation)

Example: Children use acronyms to learn the lines of the scale in
music (EGBDF – “Every Good Boy Does Fine”)