For many students, the hardest part of learning happens right at the beginning — they simply have trouble retaining the information they’re taught in the first place. According to Dr. John Medina, author of Brain Rules for Baby, there’s a very simple principle that can improve this: a “schema.”
The way to enhance memory is by creating associations between different concepts. Essentially, we have to know the meaning of the information we are to recieve before we actually recieve that information. A schema by definition is an outline or plan, and in this case, it means stating outright what you’re about to talk about before talking about it. If a schema is triggered near the moment of learning, that learning is more permanent.
In the video below, Medina uses an example — first he gives a random paragraph of directions without context, which is nearly impossible to memorize or understand. As soon as he gives the context, all of the information becomes clear, and having that context first would have made it all easier to grasp. We want our brains to be capable of retaining the information we learn, and if a student is given a clear schema before a lesson, it drastically improves his/her ability to remember and process it.
There are other brain exercises and games you can do with your child to help them improve their learning ability, and we’d love to help you discover them.
Our simple online analysis tool can help you find what areas need strengthened
Key takeaways
- A vital piece of learning is simply remembering the information.
- A schema is the context or meaning of information before the details are given.
- Providing a schema can drastically improve how information is retained.
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