| A few years ago, we revisited an | | | | English, science, and social studies |
| inner-city middle school where-about a | | | | classes. Largely, ability to succeed in |
| year before-we had conducted an | | | | these classrooms determines their level |
| investigation on the effectiveness of | | | | of success in school. |
| mnemonic techniques in helping students | | | | What factors determine whether a student |
| with mild cognitive disabilities | | | | will succeed in secondary content-area |
| remember U.S. states and capitals. As we | | | | classrooms? Pumam (1992b) surveyed 7th- |
| entered the classroom, Crystal, a | | | | and 10 th-grade teachers in Kansas, |
| student classified as mildly mentally | | | | Indiana, and Florida, and reported that |
| handicapped, recognized one of our | | | | an average of nearly half of a student's |
| graduate students immediately. | | | | report card grades depended on test |
| "Hey! I remember you!" she exclaimed | | | | performance. Clearly, such factors as |
| enthusiastically. "You were here last | | | | attendance, punctuality, participation, |
| year - you taught us states and | | | | and homework completion are also |
| capitals! I remember, go ahead, ask me | | | | important. However, teachers made it |
| one!" | | | | clear that test scores were the single |
| "Well, uh," replied our colleague, taken | | | | most important factor in report card |
| slightly by surprise, "How | | | | grades. Teachers gave an average of 11 |
| about…Florida? What's the capital of | | | | of these tests over the course of a |
| Florida?" | | | | single 9-week grading period. Clearly, |
| "That's too easy!" she said, smiling. | | | | students' academic survival is tied very |
| "Here it is: Florida, the keyword is | | | | closely with performance on academic |
| flower - the flower is on a television | | | | tests. |
| set, and television is the keyword for | | | | In addition to the number of tests |
| Tallahassee!" | | | | teachers give, Pumam (1992a) also |
| In this scenario, a student classified | | | | examined the types of questions teachers |
| as mentally retarded effectively | | | | asked on tests. He found that the |
| remembered information she had been | | | | overwhelming majority of test questions |
| taught 1 year previously. Even more | | | | students were asked required factual |
| impressive was the fact that she had not | | | | recall: |
| reviewed or rehearsed this information | | | | The majority of questions on tests |
| with any teacher since the last time we | | | | administered by main-stream secondary |
| had seen her! As startling as this | | | | classroom teachers required the student |
| scenario is, it underscores something we | | | | to recall a specific fact - 25.3 per |
| have been witnessing for many years: the | | | | test. A sample question that asked for a |
| incredible power of mnemonic strategies | | | | specific fact was "Who discovered |
| to increase dramatically the amount of | | | | America?" Other possible responses, such |
| information students remember, even | | | | as conclusion, sequence, opinion, |
| students with learning problems. | | | | discrimination, compare and contrast, |
| In this article, we describe the need | | | | purpose, correct an example, and |
| for effective memory strategies for | | | | summary, appeared about one per test. |
| school learning. Next, we provide a | | | | (p. 131) |
| brief description of what mnemonic | | | | Thus it can be seen that memory for |
| strategies are - and what they are not. | | | | factual information is absolutely |
| Following that, we describe how you can | | | | essential for success in school, |
| use these powerful learning tools to | | | | particularly at the secondary level. |
| enhance the school success of your own | | | | Unfortunately, it is also true that |
| students. | | | | students with learning disabilities and |
| The need for mnemonic strategies | | | | other learning problems have been |
| According to the Sixteenth Annual Report | | | | consistently shown to have particular |
| to Congress on the Implementation of the | | | | difficulties remembering academic |
| Individuals with Disabilities Act (U.S. | | | | content (e.g., Cooney & Swanson, 1987). |
| Department of Education, 1994), 71.2% of | | | | Our work in the area of so 7 mnemonic |
| all students now spend all or a | | | | (memory-enhancing) strategies has been |
| substantial part of their school day in | | | | devoted to finding ways of increasing |
| general education classrooms. As many as | | | | the amount of content-area information |
| 78.9% of students with learning | | | | students are able to remember. This |
| disabilities spend all or most of their | | | | article provides information on the |
| educational time in general education | | | | utility, and effectiveness, of mnemonic |
| classrooms. On the secondary level, | | | | strategies in enhancing memory for |
| students with disabilities are included | | | | school learning. |
| in content-area classrooms, such as | | | | |