A Mnemonic is something which we can use to remember things much easier. As is often the case, it could be a phrase, a short song, or something that is quite easily remembered. That we use to remember something that would otherwise be difficult to remember. Mnemonics are a way of remembering using Association. Mnemonics devices can be divided into two broad categories, encoding mnemonics and organizational mnemonics with some sub categories in each of them (Bellezza, 1981)
Organizational Mnemonics
The classic Mnemonic device is a way of loci (Method of Location). When using the method of Loci, the mnemonics must have rememorized the images of the sequence of locations. Next if the set of information to be memorized is not already a set of words, but, for example, a text, it must be reduced to a sequence of essential words that represent the outline of the text. Each word is then associated to its corresponding location using visual imagery mediation. The important point is that the loci organize information by providing a ready-made memory structure for it. And within the structure a number of places like distinctive containers for the item or information to be stored. This process allows the item to recall the items in a specific order. Recall from locus 1, from locus 2 and up to so on. A mnemonic procedure similar to the method of loci is the Pegword Mnemonic. Rather than using images of physical locations as mental cues, The well-known rhyme “One is a bun, Two is a shoe, Three is a tree, four is a door, five is a hive, six is sticks, Seven is heaven, eight is gate, nine is a fishing line and ten is a hen” (Miller, Galenter & pribram, 1960)
Encoding Mnemonics
Encoding Mnemonics are procedures that memorable representations, whereas organizational mnemonics organize those information in memory. Forming a visual image representing the referent of image can be considered an encoding mnemonic, although a very simple one. If we form a visual image of a dog for the word dog, and associate that image to a locus or Pegword, we later can remember the image of dog and use the image as a mental cue for the word dog (Lorayne, 1975)
Music Mnemonics
Music can used to help students recall important details to main ideas and many learners have made songs out of information when a list of items must be learned. Advertising on radio and TV uses music to help potential customers remember their products when shopping. With sufficient repetition of commercials, advertisers have discovered that when shoppers see their product in the stores that often the shopper will start reciting a oft repeated phrases from the commercial or start singing the lyrics to the promotion melody. The results has been increased sales of the product. You can make a song or jingle using any type of music you choose for any list of items. Music Mnemonics work best with long lists. For example, some children learn the ABC's by singing the "ABC" song.
Name Mnemonics
In a Name Mnemonic, the 1st letter of each word in a list of items is used to make a name of a person or thing. Sometimes, the items can be rearranged to form a more recollectable name mnemonic. e.g. ROY G. BIV = colors of the spectrum (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet.)
Expression or Word Mnemonic
This is by far the most popularly used mnemonic. To make an Expression or Word mnemonic, the first letter of each item in a list is arranged to form a phrase or word. Examples: For physical laws dealing with gasses, try these: In English, the 7 coordinating conjunctions are For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So = FANBOYS. The order of operations for math is Parentheses, Exponents, Multiply, Divide, Add, and Subtract = Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally.
Model Mnemonics
In a Model Mnemonic, some type of representation is constructed to help with understanding and recalling important information. Examples include a circular sequence model, a pyramid model of stages, a pie chart, and a 5-box sequence.
Ode or Rhyme Mnemonics
An Ode or Rhyme Mnemonic puts information in the form of a poem. Examples include: A commonly used Rhyme Mnemonic for the number of days in each month is: 30 days hath September, April, June, and November. All the rest have 31 Except February my dear son. It has 28 and that is fine But in Leap Year it has 29.
Reference
Bellezza. (December, 1996). Mnemonic Methods to Enhance Storage and Retrieval. Retrieved April 21, 2018 from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279427563 Congos, (n.d). 9
Types of Mnemonics for Better Memory. Retrieved April 21, 2018 from https://www.learningassistance.com/2006/january/mnemonics.html
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