Have you ever wondered why some students seem to recall every detail of what they read, while others struggle to remember even the basics? Ultimately, the answer lies in a combination of metacognitive skills, your learning strategies, and motivating factors rather than just talent.
The Impact of Working Memory
Students with high working memory can process and store text information more efficiently: they can more effectively decode complex words, stay focused on the text when reading, and recall information/ideas contained in the text more effectively later.
The Role of Motivation
Motivation fuels memory retention. Students open to leaning into the topic they are studying are engaged and tend to pay closer attention. Everything they read is mentally associated with what they read, making recall much easier and much longer. The power of connecting new information, like linking the science concept they read to a real-life event, pushes recall and retention even further.
The Importance of Strategies
Top readers have strategies that they actively use to enhance memory. Historically, visualization, the act of picturing something mentally, and diagramming (organizing ideas) are extremely strong practices. Re-reading, reading out loud, and summarizing after reading turns passive reading into an active and purposeful learning endeavor, increasing comprehension significantly.
Social and Environmental Support
It’s also important to have a supportive environment, as access to a variety of reading materials, inputs from educators, and involvement and support from family members all enhance reading abilities, retention, and development of future reading preferences.
It’s important to remember that the ability to retain all the information from everything a reader reads will develop as a skill rather than a natural predisposition. All a student needs to do is to develop their working memory, remain motivated while developing good learning strategies into reading plans, while giving themselves time to practice those plans in a supportive environment, and they will improve their retention and comprehension significantly. With time, practice, and previously considered environmental supports, every reader can develop a stronger and more confident skillset with reading.
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