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Chunk Information to Improve Retention

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Study Skills & Tools All Ages Strategy

Skills

Auditory Processing Working Memory Verbal Reasoning Verbal Memory Abstract Reasoning Visual Memory

Chunk Information to Improve Retention

If your student feels easily overwhelmed remembering too much information

Teach It!

  1. Objective: Students will remember a large amount of information by chunking or breaking it down into more manageable pieces.
  2. Instruction and Practice: Model for students how to break down and organize information in pieces to learn one piece at a time. The approach to chunking might vary slightly depending on the type of information and the timeframe. Show students how to practice and master one chunk and then add a new chunk. Make sure they incorporate review of earlier chunks as they add on.
  3. Share Examples: a) With long strings of numbers, chunk numbers together. If you hear 2, 4, 8, 3, think 24, 83. Do this with important telephone numbers, dates or numbers you need to add together. b) With lists of items or facts, do not memorize everything at once. Break it up into manageable amounts of 3 to 7 items. For example, if you need to remember all the states, learn them in groups of 5 by geographic location.

Why It Works (the Science Of Learning)!

Chunking information enables students to remember by association. It also provides a sense of accomplishment when they master a chunk, so they are encouraged to persevere. By adding new information incrementally, students will more easily overcome the overwhelming feeling of having to learn a lot of information at once.