MEMORIZING

    The mechanical memory is repeating literally the material that we have to memorize. Formerly, students studied mechanically the list of the kings of Goths or the rivers of Spain with its place of birth, its tributaries and its mouth. The exclusive use of the mechanical memory, without understanding the contents of what has been studied, can complicate and damage the development of mental faculties. Therefore, we must avoid memorizing mechanically the lessons.

    The memory will be used after we fully understand the contents through the analysis, classification, comparison and synthesis. These functions are carried out through the reading, the underlining and the various forms of schema.

    It is important to strengthen the visual and auditory memory for improving the study. An exercise to improve the visual memory can be to observe carefully a shop window, looking at the articles, forms, colors, prices and other details. We should try to remember all the possible things from the shop window and check to see how many things we have forgotten.

    In order to strengthen the auditory memory we can do this exercise: turn on the radio and tune into a radio station in which radio speakers are constantly talking. After listening just a little, turn off the radio and try to repeat literally what has been said by the radio speaker. Return to turn on the radio and listen carefully to what they say to repeat aloud everything heard, with the highest possible fidelity. Then, repeat these steps by increasing the amount of time of listening.

    It is advisable to use all the senses that we can to improve the memorization. Therefore, it is advisable to read, write, draw, underline, make synoptic tables, and so on.

    Another way to memorize is the review or the repetition of the main ideas and the data without using, necessarily, the same words in the text. This review would do after making the schema of each lesson. It is better to spend short times to review than long times. The experiences of Ebbinghaus show that in order to learn a text, the number of repetitions is reduced by half if it is done in three different sessions rather than in a single long session.

    Arturo Ramo

Instructions:: Press one of the buttons with the letters a, b, c. Put the correct letter in red.