Blog Series: Memory – Color, Sensory Involvement
Do you have a child who is struggling
in school? Perhaps you’re a teacher who is frustrated because your students
don’t retain material as well as you would like. Maybe you’re tired of
wasting time searching for things in your home. If any of these apply, read on!
· Color is a memory stimulant. Teachers have color-coded things in
their classrooms for years. Generally this was for organizational purposes, but
by using different colors, our visual minds make an association that creates
memory. Marketers talk a lot about branding ones business. One of the first
things they use as a marketing tool is color. Think about a few businesses, what
color do you associate with them? Target? McDonald’s? Planet Fitness? These
businesses want you to remember them, so color is important.
· Sensory Involvement can make a huge difference in memory. We are told that
scent is possibly the strongest sense we have in promoting memory. Every
spring, when the lawn is first mowed, I have a quick jolt of childhood memories
of playing outside with my brother. It’s the smell of new-mown grass that does
it.
When studying WWII, one
way I incorporated sound, taste and smell, was to construct a cardboard facsimile
of an upright radio to resemble one from the 1940's. Behind this prop was a
taped selection of radio shows of the time, including music, big news
broadcasts of the time, comedy shows, soaps, etc. We sat around the "radio" enjoying popcorn while listening. They had a cultural experience
from another age, and the memory was stimulated by multiple senses. Remember,
one sense is good, but the more senses involved in a learning process, the
better. Memory retention is the
goal.
I challenge you to think about ways in
which you can utilize color and/or sensory involvement to help you, your child,
or an aging parent with some memory issue. These are simple to apply, and the
rewards can be amazing.
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