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Teacher Says: How Do You Remember Things?
Hosted by Evelyn Vuko
Washington Post Education Columnist
Tuesday, Mar. 4, 2003; 2 p.m. ET
Comprehending is more than listening, it's the ability to tap into your
little gray cells and process the information you read or hear. How do you
recall and relate what you saw in the Post this morning or the news you
overheard at lunch? Come share your favorite tricks and learn some new
methods that will help you, and your kids, comprehend better.
This week, Post "Teacher Says" columnist Evelyn Vuko discusses memory and recognition strategies that help process information.
Need help in guiding your kids through their school life, school work, or in becoming better students? Join Washington Post "Teacher Says" columnist Evelyn Vuko every other Tuesday at 2 p.m. ET to talk about education and child development issues.
Below is the transcript.
Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Evelyn Vuko: Baby Boomers aren't the only age group who have memory glitches, it plagues teens taking tests and first graders who were poking their friend when the teacher asked a question. Join me today to talk about ways to improve our memories and help our kids remember what it was you wanted them to do 15 minutes ago.
Somewhere, USA:
For those of us who have difficulty remembering things and have a tendancy to drift off topic and start discussing things unrelated to what they started us talking to, like sports and whether Washington will get a baseball team and are baseballs stiched more tightly so the balls travel further, my question is: do you think the increase in home runs is due to juicing baseballs? Also, how do you get people to stay focused?
Evelyn Vuko: I don't know jack from juiced baseballs, but I do have some suggestions for getting people to stay focused. First, find a friend who knows umpire signals who will shoot one at you when veer off track. Behavior modification specialists use hand signals with kids who have attention deficits and they work well because they're subtle and private. Next, when you have to give a presentation, set the timer on your watch to bleep when your time is up. Sometimes just setting the timer is enough to make you conscious of the time and to use it wisely. Play ball.
Arlington, Va.:
Thank you for taking questions.
I’m sure that I am not the only parent who gets upset by the amount of time his son sits in front of a computer playing action games. Is there any evidence that this has a detrimental impact on memory? I’ve read about how the average teenager’s brain is still developing physically, which accounts for why many teenagers are incapable of complex intellectual or emotional reasoning. It would just make sense to me that the visual overload of these hyper images might affect his ability to process and retain information.
My son constantly blames poor memory for bad performance on tests, in addition to forgetting to perform chores around the house. Since he’s my first teenager, I’m not sure how much this is just typical adolescent irresponsibility, or whether it is a real problem.
Evelyn Vuko: Did you ever consider pulling the plug on the computer? In limited sessions (15-30) minutes, I believe some action games can actually refresh the brain. However, hours and hours of any repeated activity tends to dull the brain's response. Though a teenager's brain is still developing and will continue to develop as he or she grows, your boy is displaying some very complex emotional reasoning in his attitude toward his school work and home chores. Point out how strong his memory is as often as you see evidence of it, then use it as a springboard for making plans about how he will remember his responsiblities.
Bethesda, Md.:
I don't know if this technique will help kids or teens, but as an adult over 40 taking the CPA exam, I used my self prepared flash cards, just like old Newt Becker review class (aahh!) told us to. I would read the chapter, and take 5x7 cards to outline the material. I kept the phrases short, but put in the "buzzwords". With the HUGE amount of material I had to memorize, the act of rewriting what I had read seemed to do the trick. I'm surprised my brain didn't explode.
Hope this helps.
Evelyn Vuko: Flash cards are still a viable tool for memory, especially when what you have to recall is loaded with minute facts. In fact, in a study I just read about how to improve reading comprehension on the computer, researchers found that flashing consecutive words or phrases on the screen actually increased comprehension and reading speeds. Sounds like flash cards to me.
Arlington, Va.:
My 16-year old stepson exhibits a prodigiosly poor memory. For example, he claims he can't remember his mother's birthday. I suspect that there are some underlying emotional causes for his memory problems, but my wife is convinced he suffers from a neurological defect.
Are memory problems in and of themselves ever cause to seek memory help? washingtonpost.com:
Chocolates With a Center of Attention (Post, Feb. 18, 2003)
Evelyn Vuko: I think you should look at his schedule, not his memory function. Christopher Hakala, a psychology professor at American International College in Springfield, Mass., says that "teens have many things that demand their attention, so we should clear the decks." What extraneous activities or inconsequential time-eaters are filling his days? Take a good look at his daily activities and pare them way down to just the most important ones. And add some relaxing time. Give this new schedule a month and see if there's any improvement.
Vienna, Va.:
What about those video games or books on the power of memory? I also heard ginko biloba helps memory too. Are these just gimmicks or do they have truth to them?
Evelyn Vuko: I just read that Gingko Biloba has been discredited, much to my dismay after having taken it for years. What was I saying? The best book I've found is one called "Keep Your Brain Alive" by Lawrence C. Katz and Manning Rubin. Their philosophy is to turn your world upside down, gently, to keep your brain alive--move your desk from the same old place to another wall, wear your wristwatch on the other wrist or take a course in a foreign language. They call it "neurobics;" exercises to increase brain function.
Washington, D.C.:
I admit I'm having more "senior moments". How can I improve my memory?
My biggest problem is remembering something well known, like a famous building, and being able to describe it in detail, but forgetting the name.
I think it's stuck in a part of my brain and can't get out -- because I'll remember the name later on!
Evelyn Vuko: I think lots of memory recall issues as we age are due to physical stamina changes. The more tired we feel, the less likely we are to be focused and sharp. Why don't you try a new activity that requires the use of several different senses simultaneously like learning how to play the trumpet? The more you work all your senses, and your body, the better your recall will be.
Washington, D.C.:
Do you still remember things you memorized in grade school?
Evelyn Vuko: Yes, I do. But then, I remember most things about elementary school because it was there, in kindergarten, that I decided I wanted to be a teacher. Elementary school for me was field research.
Arlington, Va.:
What is the difference between short term and long term memory? When should a person be concerned? I'm fairly young and I wonder about consistently forgetting about things daily.
Evelyn Vuko: Memory ability is a chunking thing. We have an immediate memory limitation of 7 (+ or -) pieces of information. Unless there is some kind of additional sensory input that accompanies this input, the likelihood that it will become a permanent(long term) memory is reduced. You probably need to take a look at the demands that are on you daily and prioritize them. And make lists, not just to aid memory but to reinforce learning. And don't worry--worrying eats memory.
Washington, D.C.:
As we get older why is it sometimes easier to remember things long ago than it is to remember things more recent? Is this short-term memory loss and is this accurate or just an urban myth-type thing?
Evelyn Vuko: Those long-ago memories have had years to engrave themselves in the brain because they been routinely hauled out, polished up and embellished until they glow like gold. Maybe if we did that with all the current things that are important to us, we'd remember them better, too.
Fairfax, Va.:
Do some people have better memories than others?
Evelyn Vuko: I think memory is a function of attention. Therefore, if you train yourself to focus and concentrate on the current input you are receiving, and block the extraneous out, then the memory has a better chance of taking hold. And yes, people who can do this will likely have better memory.
Arlington, Va.:
What is your take on the correlation between a memory and language acquisition? Do you find that people with a "gift for languages" are really just people with strong memories?
Evelyn Vuko: I think memory plays a role in learning a foreign language, but auditory sensitivity and the ability to imitate sounds play a large role in language acquisition, too. They also say that people with musical ability do better at learning a foreign language.
Laurel, Md.:
I think I've read that being good at math correlates better with overall intelligence than being smart in any one other subject (although I think this might be because math is easier to test than other kinds of intelligence, so it's more inherent in testing than any other discipline.)
What I remember correlates worst is spelling, which is more memorization than anything else. I know my brother is a high-level computer geek who can't spell.
This is sort of introduction to asking...how much of what we're discussing is really memory, as opposed to say, self-discipline to listen and pay attention in the first place? Anyone can memorize just about anything, but incorporating new learning into previous knowledge is a more important skill.
Evelyn Vuko: I guess you and I weren't reading the same book! I've read that vocabulary correlates to overall intelligence. Many educational diagnosticians I work with suggest that I look at a child's vocabulary score on an IQ test as an indicator of overall ability. Holly Taylor, at Tufts, has conducted memory studies with kids and concludes, "a lot of memory failure is attention failure." So you are right. However, incorporating new concepts into prior knowledge is another animal called comprehension.
Arlington, Va.:
Glad you brought up the connection between music and memory. I think that studying music has helped my son tremendously in many areas. Right now he is memorizing a piece for a piano competition and it is a fascinating process for me (his non musical mother) to watch, since he has to break the piece down into parts and go over them. Sometimes he starts from the end and works backwards. I know studies have shown that studying music increases kids abilities in other subjects.
Evelyn Vuko: Another cool thing to do with music that helps early readers perfect their ability to discriminate (a critical phonics skill) is to play a piece of classical music and have the kids try to pick out the different instruments they hear. When did the violins start? Where do the trumpets come in and end? This also buffs up the concentration skills in older kids and adults.
Arlington, Va.:
A teacher I had in high school said memorization did not equal knowledge. She said intelligence was knowing where to find the information you need, not memorizing it.
Evelyn Vuko: We teachers are great philosophers...give us a group of kids and we love to spout profound thoughts. I feel that the more you can memorize, the more vast your own personal resources will be. Then, the information you need might be found right in your own head.
Takoma Park, Md.:
Can reading improve my memory? I read the newspaper every day, plus lots of articles on the Internet.
What else should I read?
Evelyn Vuko: Reading is a great way to pack information into the brain. Keep reading, especially the Post, but you can also improve your memory by listening to books on tape or reading a cookbook and following a recipe. Reading that also involves following a process increases memory because more senses are involved.
Washington, D.C. - memory and attention:
Yes, I can attest that memory and attention/focus are interrelated. When I was a teenager in high school and college I was hyperfocused and had a crazy good memory for EVERYTHING. I came off as a bit uptight, perfectionistic and anal.
So I tried to change that, started to let things slide etcetera. And, while I probably don't get stressed out about things like I used to, I notice my memory doesn't plug in as quickly when I expect it to.
As a teenager (and in college) it is cool to come off as ALOOF and RELAXED but in the working world you need all the brainpower you can muster...
Evelyn Vuko: Among my friends are two women aged 91 and 93 who have minds like steel traps. I think it's because nobody told them that they should never be anything but hyper-focused. If you were that way once, you can be that way again. Go for it.
Evelyn Vuko: I think the lesson learned here today was that we all need to take time to allow our brains to do their work. Slow down, prioritize and make lists. And watch you memory wow you. Join me again on March 18th to talk about comprehension, inside and outside books.
washingtonpost.com:
That wraps up today's show. Thanks to everyone who joined the
discussion.
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