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| Strategies For Enhancing Memory |
 6. Teach students to be active readers.
To improve 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. Students can then go back and read what is underlined, highlighted, or written in the margins. Students can make outlines or use graphic organizers to consolidate this information in long-term memory. Investigation has shown that the use of graphic organizers increases academic achievement for all students.
7. Write down steps in math problems.
Students with a weakness in working memory should not rely on mental computations when solving math problems. For instance, if they are performing long division problems, they should write down every step including carrying numbers. While solving word problems, they should always have a scratch piece of paper handy and write down the steps in their calculations. It will help prevent them from loosing their place and forgetting what they are doing.
8. Provide retrieval practice for students.
Investigation has shown that long-term memory is enhanced when students engage in retrieval practice. Taking an exam is a retrieval practice, i.e., the act of recalling information that has been studied from long-term memory. Thus, it can be very useful for students to take practice tests. If 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. Besides, 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.
Research show that 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 instance, 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.
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