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MEMORY TECHNIQUES for children

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to recall any piece of information instantly, without having to refer to a sheet of paper every five minutes?
Your brain already has this ability… It’s only that you just haven’t been taught how to use it!
We are only using a small fraction of our brain’s natural ability.
There are many techniques which help one to memorise any piece of information instantly.
Some of the techniques are Association Technique, Link/Story Technique, Peg System, LOCI, Mnemonics, Phonetics Technique, Mind Mapping etc
You will be blown away with the power of all these techniques and the self esteem you will gain as a result of using them.
I will be discussing VISUALIZATION, LINKING & ASSOCIATION TECHINIQUE in this column. All go hand in hand.
“Visualization” – It is indeed a very powerful word.
It is the process of consciously creating an image in your mind of a task a number, a name, a word or a thought.
If you take the time to translate words into meaningful picture and then hold that picture in your mind for a few seconds, you are more likely to remember the name, the task or the thought.

Follow this 4 STEP PROCESS

1 Visualize a picture of what you want to remember
2 Enlarge the size
3 Imagine the picture
4 Bring the picture in front of you

VISUALIZING YOUR SUCCESS

• Sit down & think about what you want to do successfully.
• See it in your mind, as if it was a real experience and really concentrate on it.
• Talk Success to yourself. Say to yourself – “I can do it”, “I can be successful”.
• Don’t build obstacles in your mind. Conquer them.
• Be motivated by fear of failures.
• Think positively.
• Begin study with a new thought.

Now let’s see how we can use ‘Association Technique’ to memorize the objects with the help of Visualization.
Suppose I give you a list of 10 objects, in pairs and tell you to memorize its pair, how much time would you take?
For Eg, Memorize the following 10 objects in pairs. That is if I ask you what is the pairing for ‘Television’, you shoud be able to tell me its ‘pen’. It takes a lot of time, isn’t it?

Now lets see, using the Association Technique, how we can memorize it fastly.
Association means ‘Connecting or Linking’. In this technique we try to connect or Link the 2 objects.
In the above table LINK ‘Television & Pen’
So what is LINKING?
Linking is Connecting 2 objects. While Linking you have to keep the following things in mind.

• Link the 2 objects in a FUNNY way
• Link them ILLOGICALLY (that is something unreal, imaginary, doesn’t have any sense)
• While Linking 2 objects, don’t bring in any 3^rd object
• You can change the size of the objects. That is make it Big or Small
• Closing your eyes, Vizualize that happening in front of you

The reason we connect it in Funny, illogical way is, the brain remembers something funny & illogical more easily.

Pair 1: Now let’s come back to the Television & Pen.
I’m linking it like this: “when I switch on the television, pens come out”
It satisfies all the above conditions that is, its funny, illogical & no 3^rd object is involved.
Now close your eyes and actually think it happening in front of your eyes.

Pair 2: Frock & Duck
Linking – “A Duck is wearing a Frock &dancing”

Pair 3: Rainbow & Mobile phone
Linking – “There are many mobile phones hanging from a rainbow”
I have done the first three for you. Now you yourself try doing the rest & see the magic.
After linking all the 10 pairs, close your eyes & visualize them all.
Now memorize the missing objects and write down in the table given below.

It was very easy, isn’t it? That’s the magical power of Visualization & Linking.
Applications:

• In your academics, you can use it to associate 2 different words.
• You can also link the keywords of an answer.
• Use it in Match the following etc

I am going to discuss one more Memory Technique which is “Chain or Story Technique”
It is a process of making up a simple imaginary story connecting items that seem to have no connection. If you give it a try, you will find it amazingly effective.
Earlier you saw how you can link pairs of objects. Now you will see how you can memorize 10 different objects, in the same order from 1 to 10.

Let’s get started. Below is the list of 10 objects which you have to memorize in same order.

• Let’s get going. Again ‘Linking ‘comes in picture here. Link the first two objects that is Table & River. Make up an imaginary Story. Vizualize that to be happening right in front of your eyes. While linking, follow all the rules explained in the previous technique.
• Linking Table & River (1^st & 2^nd Object): There is a big Inverted Table & a big river is flowing in it.

Now continue the Story. Leave the 1^st object which is ‘Table’ & link 2^nd & 3^rd Object that is River & SunFlower

• • Linking River & Sunflower (2^nd & 3^rd Object):

On the big river, a big sunflower is growing. Now drop 2^nd object & continue your story with 3^rd & 4^th object

• • Linking Sunflower & Queen (3^rd & 4^th Object):

On the Sunflower, a Queen is sleeping. Now drop 3^rd object & continue your story with 4^th  & 5^th object

• • Linking Queen & Cradle (4^th & 5^th Object):

Queen is sleeping in the cradle. Now drop 4^th  object & continue your story with 5^th  & 6^th object.

Did you get the hang of it?

• Now continue your story till you finish with all the objects. Keep in mind while making stories, let it be IMAGINARY, ILLOGICAL & FUNNY
• Now Visualize the whole story closing your eyes. The story goes like this,
  1. There is a big Inverted Table & a big river is flowing in it.
  2. On the big river, a big sunflower is growing.
  3. On the Sunflower, Queen is sleeping.
  4. Queen is sleeping in the cradle.

Now continue the story.  Now lets see if you can remember all the 10 objects, in the same order. In the table below, write down all the 10 objects in the same order.

That was very easy. Isn’t it? That’s the power of Linking & Visualization.
Applications:  You can apply this technique, when you have long answers and you find it hard to remember.
Pick up some 10 keywords from thr answer; try linking them one after the other in the same order, illogically. Visualize it. Here you go. Answers become so easy to remember.

Written by Sathya Sunil,
Founder & Director,
Kidz N Brainz

This Writeup Was Published In Monthly Magazine, “ Parent Edge”  On March 2018.