Improving Memory and Reading
Chapter 7
How does the memory work?
Three Stages:
Sensory Register
Short Term Memory (STM)
Long Term Memory (LTM)
Sensory Register
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Lasts less than a second
Records sensory experience
Allows the brain to process info
Helps us to focus on relevant info
The Sensory Register is like
a quickly fading photo of
your sensory experience
Short Term Memory
• Lasts about a half a minute
• Temporary and limited
• Records what we see, hear, do, taste,
touch
• Purpose is to ponder significance and
decide if it is important enough to
remember
Magical Number 7
• It is easier to remember material grouped in
chunks of seven (+ or –2)
Common 7’s
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Telephone Number
License Plate
Days of the Week
Colors of the Rainbow
Deadly Sins
7 Dwarfs (Snow White)
Can You Name Some Others?
Long Term Memory
• Large capacity
• Permanent storage
• Use it to store important information for
future use
• Use it to store information for college
success
How are long term memories formed?
• Takes purposeful action
– Repetition
– Meaningful association
• It must have survival value
– Personal reasons
– To pass a test
These Help Motivation
• Interest or
• Joy in learning
Is It True that We Never Forget?
• We remember what is stored in
Long Term Memory (LTM).
• This is the goal of college study.
How Long Do We Remember?
• Sensory Register less than one second
• Short Term less than one minute
• Long Term permanent
Summary
To Store Information in Long
Term Memory
• Requires rehearsal.
• Apply memory techniques.
Rate of Forgetting (or losing access)
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AFTER 20 MINUTES 47%
AFTER 1 DAY
62%
AFTER 2 DAYS
69%
AFTER 15 DAYS
75%
AFTER 31 DAYS
78%
Hermann Ebbinghaus
When is the best time to review?
Review within 20 minutes.
Ready for a memory test?
How did you remember?
Memory Techniques
Meaningful Organization
Memory is like a library.
If you miss-file a book,
You cannot find it.
It is still there and you may
stumble across it one day.
File your books correctly.
Organize those thoughts!
Organize it.
Learn from the general to the
specific
Make it meaningful
Remember the Magical Number 7?
Organize in Groups of 7 or Less
Visualization
• Make a mental picture of what you want to
remember
• Commercials make good
use of this technique
Recitation
• One of the most powerful techniques
• Memories exist in the form of a chemical
neural trace
• Some researchers think it takes 5 seconds to
establish this trace
• Repeat it 5 times or keep it in your mind for 5
seconds
READY FOR THE TEST AGAIN?
YOU’LL DO BETTER THIS TIME
More Memory Techniques
Develop an Interest
• We tend to remember what interests us
Can You Remember?
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Music
Sports
Hobbies
Styles
Find Something Interesting
in Your College Studies
See the Big Picture
• Understand the main points first and the
details second.
Imagine trying to see a painting
one inch at a time! It is difficult to
appreciate or understand.
“The essence of genius is
knowing what to overlook.”
William James
Intend to Remember
Tell yourself that you are going to remember.
Example: Intend to
remember where you put
your keys!
Distribute the Practice
• Learn small amounts at a time.
• Review frequently.
EXAMPLE: SAFMEDS
SAY
ALL
FAST
ONE MINUTE
EACH
DAY
SHUFFLE
Create a Basic Background
• We remember by making connections to
what we already know.
• At first college is difficult because you are
establishing the basic background.
Relax While Studying
You can’t remember if you
are embarrassed.
Frustrated
Tired
Memory Tricks
Acrostics
Creative rhymes, songs or poems
Musical Notes: Every Good Boy Does Fine
Acronyms
• Create New Words as Memory Aids
NASA
LASER
SCUBA
Exercise: Practice with
Mnemonics
Peg Systems
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Bun
Shoe
Tree
Door
Hive
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Sticks
Heaven
Gate
Wine
Hen
Picture the Peg
Bun
Connect what you want to
remember. Use a picture.
Bun
Milk
Exercise: Remember a
Grocery List
Peg Systems
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Bun
Shoe
Tree
Door
Hive
Six
Seven
Eight Gate
Nine
Ten
Sticks
Heaven
Wine
Hen
Loci Systems
Use places to remember
A House
A Hallway
Can you strengthen your
mind?
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Exercises to Strengthen the
Mind
Puzzles
Music
Fix Something
Art
Dance
Aerobic Exercise
Interesting People
Keeping Your Mind Healthy
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Exercise
Rest
Balanced, low-fat diet
Eat proteins and carbohydrates
Drink caffeine in moderation
Don’t abuse drugs or alcohol
Use safety gear
Part II: Read to Remember
Warm Up Your Brain
Can You Remember the Grocery
List?
Peg Systems
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Bun
Shoe
Tree
Door
Hive
Six
Seven
Eight Gate
Nine
Ten
Sticks
Heaven
Wine
Hen
Sum:
Apply these super learning techniques:
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Meaningful Organization
Visualization
Recitation
Develop an Interest
See the Big Picture First
Intend to Remember
Distribute the Practice
Create a Basic Background
Relax
Myths About Reading
• If I read, I should remember what I read.
Generally people cannot
remember 50% of the material they
have just read!
Myths About Reading
• If I read, I should remember what I read.
• I do not need to read if I go to class.
• Practice makes perfect.
SQ4R
A shortcut to
college reading
Read once
Instead of Re-reading.
Recite for memory
improvement.
Step 1
Survey
Question
FAST
Why?
•Beginning of speed reading
•Improves comprehension
How?
• Quickly look over the chapter.
• Turn the subtitles into questions.
Survey
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See the big picture.
Ease into studying.
Warm up.
Create a basic background.
Get started.
Question
• Read to find answers
• Improves reading comprehension
• Forces you to concentrate
??
Keeps you awake
Become an Active Reader
Exercise: Surveying and
Questioning a Chapter
Step 2
Read
SLOW
Recite
FAST
This step is most important for
Memory
How?
Read to identify
the topic sentence
or main idea.
Underline or highlight the
idea if it is important.
When reading is tough
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Read it again.
Look up new words.
Read it aloud.
Ask the instructor.
Stand up and read.
Use tutoring.
Pretend you understand.
Take a break and come back later.
Use 3X5 cards to learn new words
Recite
• Most powerful memory technique
• Converts information from short term to long
term memory
• Keeps you alert
FAST
Step 3
Review
FAST
Reflect
Why?
Reinforces memory
When?
Within 20
Minutes!
Most of the forgetting occurs
in the first 20 minutes.
How to Review
• After each main section, review the main
points.
• At the end of the chapter, quickly review the
main points one more time.
• Do your review quickly.
Reflection is the creative step.
Reflection
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How can I use this?
What is important?
How does it relate?
How can I use it
in my career?
• Is it true?
A step beyond memorization is
Wisdom
REFLECT
Sum:SQ4R
Online Reading Strategies
What is your purpose for reading?
For college material:
Scan first.
Look for key points.
Make note of the important points.
Review.
What to do if the reading goes
in one ear and out the other.
What to do if the reading goes in
one ear and out the other?
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Tell yourself you can do it!
Try visualization.
Look for personal meaning.
Scan for important points.
Talk to the text as you read it.
4 Gears of Reading
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Skimming (2000-3000 WPM)
Rapid Reading (300-800 WPM)
Slow Reading (150-300 WPM)
Studying (200 WPM)
Guidelines for Marking a Text
A Mind Map for Marking a Text
“THE ESSENCE OF
BE SELECTIVE GENIUS IS KNOWING
20%
WHAT TO OVERLOOK”
Marking
WHY?
MEMORY
SAVE TIME
BE SELECTIVE
20 %
“THE ESSENCE OF
GENIUS IS KNOWING
WHAT TO OVERLOOK”
Marking
WHY?
MEMORY
SAVE TIME
BE SELECTIVE
20 %
“THE ESSENCE OF
GENIUS IS KNOWING
WHAT TO OVERLOOK”
GUIDELINES
READ FIRST
ORGANIZE
NOTES IN MARGIN
BRIEF
FAST AND NEAT
WHY?
MEMORY
SAVE TIME
SYMBOLS
1 2 3
*
**
Marking
BE SELECTIVE
20 %
“THE ESSENCE OF
GENIUS IS KNOWING
WHAT TO OVERLOOK”
GUIDELINES
READ FIRST
ORGANIZE
NOTES IN MARGIN
BRIEF
FAST AND NEAT
Marking
DOUBLE SYSTEM
WHY?
MEMORY
SAVE TIME
SYMBOLS
1 2 3
*
**
1. UNDERLINE IN PENCIL
2. HIGHLIGHT AS PART OF
REVIEW
“THE ESSENCE OF
GENIUS IS KNOWING
BE SELECTIVE WHAT TO OVERLOOK”
20 %
GUIDELINES
READ FIRST
ORGANIZE
NOTES IN MARGIN
BRIEF
FAST AND NEAT
More Ideas on Text Marking
• Point out definitions by writing DEF in the
margin. Circle the word being defined.
• Point out examples by writing EX in the
margin
• Write SUM in the margin to point out useful
summaries to reread.
Group Activity:
Make a Mind Map
Use How Does the Memory Work?
An Example of a Mind Map
Understanding the
main ideas=
Success on tests
The Listing Pattern Presents
a List of Items
• Your task as a reader is to identify all the
items listed.
• Watch for clues such as numbers or
letters.
Sequence Pattern
• Presents a list of items in a specific order.
The order is important.
• As a reader, identify and mark all items in
the series and note their order.
• Again clues are numbers or letters.
• Notice words such as then, next, finally
Definition Pattern
• Presents an explanation of a term
• As the reader, understand all parts of the
definition
• Watch for words such as: is, is defined, this
term means, is known as, refers to
Comparison/Contrast Pattern
• Presents similarities or differences
• As a reader, recognize these similarities or
differences
• For comparisons, notice these words:
similarly, likewise, also
• For differences, notice these words: however,
in contrast, on the other hand, nevertheless
Cause/Effect Pattern
• Presents the reasons things happen (causes)
and their results (effects)
• As a reader understand the cause and effect
• For cause notice these words: causes,
produces, leads to, results in
• For effect notice these words: results from,
was caused by, due to, consequently,
therefore
Keys to Success:
Positive Thinking
• You can improve your reading and your
life with positive thinking!
If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don’t.
If you like to win but think you can’t,
It’s almost certain that you won’t.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger woman or man,
But sooner or later, those who win
Are those who think they can.
Exercises:
Check Your Textbook Reading
skills
Scenarios