Specific Mnemonic Techniques

The Keyword Method
   
  The keyword method has already been described for helping students remember states and capitals. However, the keyword method is extremely versatile and has a variety of helpful applications. One possibility is in teaching new vocabulary words. For example, to help students remember that barrister is another word for lawyer, first create a keyword for the unfamiliar word, barrister. Remember, a keyword is a word that sounds like the new word and is easily pictured. A good keyword for barrister then, is bear. Then, you create a picture of the keyword and the definition doing something together. It is important that these two things actually interact and are not simply presented in the same picture. Therefore, a picture of a bear and a lawyer in one picture is not a good mnemonic, because the elements are not interacting. A better picture would be a bear who is acting as a lawyer in a courtroom, for example, pleading his client's innocence. We have created pictures and shown them on overhead projectors, but you could show them in other ways as well. When you practice this strategy, be certain students understand all parts of it:
   

 

Class, barrister is another word for lawyer. To remember what a barrister is first think of the keyword for barrister: bear. What's the keyword for barrister? [bear] Good, the keyword for barrister is bear, and barrister means lawyer. Now [displays overhead] look at this picture of a bear acting like a lawyer. The bear is the keyword for . . ? [barrister] Barrister, good. So remember this picture of a bear acting like a lawyer. When you hear the word barrister, you first think of the keyword. . ? [bear] Good, and remember what the bear is doing in the picture? [being a lawyer] Right, being a lawyer. So what does barrister mean? [lawyer] Lawyer, good.

  
 

 

The keyword method can also be used for more specialized vocabulary such as ranidae the scientific term for common frogs. A good keyword for ranidae could be rain and you could show a picture of frogs sitting in the rain. Practice the strategy as in the barrister example. When you question individual students, ask them to give the answer and then describe how them remembered. You should get an answer something like:
 
Ranidae is the word for common frogs. I remembered because the keyword is rain and it was raining on the frogs.
 


If you practice the strategy carefully and frequently, students should remember this information very well. At early stages of learning you might find some students give the answer rain when you ask what ranidae means. In these cases, you simply remind the student,
    No rain is the keyword - it just helps us remember the answer. Now think in the picture, what is it raining on? [frogs[ Right, forgs. So what does ranidae mean? [common frogs] Correct, common frogs.  
 

 

Table 1. Sample Italian Vocabulary Words and Corresponding Mnemonic Strategies
 
 

Word and Meaning

mela (apple)
capre (goat)
lago (lake)
carta (letter)
fonda (bag)

Keywords

mail
cop
log
cart
phone

Strategy

an apple in a mailbox
a goat dressed like a cop
a log in a lake
a cart with a letter in it
a phone in a bag
 
  Keywords have also been used to improve recall of map locations. For example, students with learning disabilities were much more successful in locating Revolutionary War battle locations on a map when they were mnemonically encoded (e.g., a picture of a tiger, keyword for Fort Ticonderoga) than when representational pictures were used. When asked for the location of Fort Ticonderoga, students proved much more able to identify where on the map the tiger had been than they were to identify the location of a more traditional illustration. Further, if the tiger was shown tending a cannon, students were more likely to remember that at Fort Ticonderoga, cannons were captured that were helpful in the American war effort (Brigham, Scruggs, & Mastropieri, 1995)
   
  Back
Continue