In the past, correct spelling, the multiplication tables, the names of the state capitals and the American presidents were basics that all children were taught in school. Today, many children graduate without this essential knowledge. Most curricula today follow a haphazard sampling of topics with a focus on political correctness instead of…

A child with a disability is expected to take tests along with his or her non-disabled classmates. The child may receive accommodations or modifications, if needed. Some children may take alternate assessments. Some may take tests that measure progress in alternate standards. Your child must recall facts quickly and correctly to do well on tests.…

This bulletin concerns the role of memorization in mathematics instruction. Sections of the bulletin are devoted to discussions of: old math vs. new math; the importance of memorization ability on mathematics learning; misconceptions about memory; how to enhance the memory, including short-term vs. long-term memory systems, attention, interest,…

Evidence is offered that children with specific language impairment often have serial memory difficulties. Research on the difficulties such children have in rote counting and in learning nursery rhymes is reviewed. Implications of current research for assessment and intervention in mathematics and rhymes are discussed. (DB)

This article describes instructional procedures for helping students with learning disabilities become more effective mnemonic keyword strategy users. The procedures involve providing a rationale, providing explicit strategy-attribution instruction, modeling strategy use with think-alouds, providing verbal practice, providing guided practice with…

This article discusses the use of mnemonic techniques in helping students acquire new information and apply that information in problem-solving situations. It outlines common academic learning problems and the dynamics of mnemonic strategies and applies the strategies to remembering definitions, factual information, processes, functions, and…

Discusses instruction in mnemonics to help students with disabilities and learning difficulties improve memory for school content. Discusses what mnemonic strategies are; offers general techniques for improving memory; and explains (with examples) the mnemonic techniques of using keywords, using pegwords, and using letter strategies. Also provides…

Reading is fundamental to learning. Vital to learning is memory, which is the mental faculty used to retrieve what was read and understood. The human brain is about the size of a grapefruit and weighs about as much as a head of cabbage. The cerebral cortex is a kind of problem-solving and memorizing device. The hippocampus plays a critically…

Seven memory strategies that can be taught to college students with learning disabilities or students who have not learned essential study skills are described: the method of loci, pegwords, keywords, rote rehearsal, chaining, clustering, and first letter mnemonics. To help college faculty provide direct instruction in the memory strategies, the…

To aid instructors in teaching their students to use effective methods of memorization, this article outlines major memory methods, provides examples of their use, evaluates the methods, and discusses ways students can be taught to apply them. First, common, but less effective, memory methods are presented, including reading and re-reading…

Notes that the ways in which spelling has been conceptualized have evolved dramatically over the last few decades. Explores the evolution of this reconceptualization through a discussion of spelling as a system, as a subject of instruction, and as a psychological and linguistic process in writing and reading. Explains how instructional…

Preservice teachers in an introductory microcomputer class received an advance organizer to help them learn about microcomputer components. The advance organizer facilitated learning by providing an opportunity for them to build schema. (SM)

This article on using mnemonics with students having learning and behavior problems first offers a case study of a 7th grade student and then describes the letter strategy, the keyword mnemonic method, and the pegword method. Seven steps for implementing mnemonic strategies are offered. An inset reviews the research literature on using mnemonic…

Outlines leadership capabilities that effective principals can exert to improve the teaching of higher level thinking skills to students. An important initial step is to make the development of student thinking skills a building priority at the school. (MD)

Fourteen students (ages 7-9) with reading difficulties were taught to create word-picture links for those words they find particularly difficult to recognize quickly. Students consistently learned more words when using the word association method. (DB)