USING MNEMONIC INSTRUCTION TO TEACH WRITING

Download this document: Microsoft Word | Adobe PDF

What Is Mnemonic Instruction?

Mnemonic instruction is a set of strategies designed to help students improve their memory of new information. Mnemonics instruction links new information to prior knowledge through the use of visual and/or acoustic cues. These strategies have been proven effective with students at a wide range of ability levels (gifted, normally achieving, and those with mild and moderate disabilities) and at all grade levels. Mnemonics are particularly helpful in teaching students with disabilities who have difficulty recalling verbal and content-area information, as they are effective with any type of verbal content.

There are three basic types of mnemonic strategies:

• Keyword – A keyword is a familiar word that sounds similar to the word or idea being taught. Keywords are generally used with an illustration of some type. The teacher creates a picture or other graphic that links the old and new information in the student’s memory. For example, a mnemonic for remembering the definition of the word “carline” (meaning witch) might be a drawing of a witch driving a car.
• Pegword – Pegwords refer to a set of rhyming words that are used to represent numbers. For example, the pegword for “one” is “bun.” Pegwords are used to help students remember information involving numbers or other information in a particular order.
• Letter – Letter strategies include acronyms and acrostics (or sentence mnemonics). For example, the acronym HOMES can be used to help students remember the names of the Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, etc.). Acrostics are sentences in which the first letters of the words correspond to the first letters of the information students are expected to remember. For example, “Every Good Boy Does Fine” is commonly used to help music students remember the notes on the lines of the treble clef.

What Does It Look Like for Writing?

Of the three types of mnemonic strategies, letter strategies are used more often in teaching writing. Keywords can sometimes be used as well, as in the example below.

The purpose of using mnemonics in teaching writing is to help students remember the steps in the process of a particular kind of writing, such as a narrative paragraph or paragraphs. Keywords can be used either alone or with a graphic organizer to help students construct paragraphs, either singly or in a series, and to help them remember that writing always has to have a structure to be effective.

How Is It Implemented?

In teaching new content, good teachers not only tell their students what is important to remember, they give them ways to remember it. Teachers must create the mnemonics themselves and must be explicit in their instruction, telling students, for example, “ here is a good way to remember this.” Then the teacher must go through the specific steps involved in using the mnemonic to show students how to use it to retrieve information. Then the teacher practices all the steps of the strategies with the students, until they can practice them independently and retrieve the information correctly. See the references at the end of this brief for resources on: combining mnemonics, using them with varying levels of student independence and teacher support, and using them with other teaching techniques.

There is no need to be an accomplished illustrator to create the illustrations or other graphics used in some mnemonics. Simple drawings or clip art can be used, as in the example below. Most word-processing software offers a wide selection of clip art, and there are web sites offering free or inexpensive clip art. And most mnemonics can be used without pictorial illustrations. The references at the end of this brief provide some sources teachers can use in developing mnemonics and accompanying illustrations.

Keyword Strategy

One keyword strategy for teaching writing can help students to remember the construction of a paragraph. The keyword “giraffe” can be used, as in this example:

“Whenever you start to write a paragraph, remember your giraffe:

 

At the top, you have the topic sentence, which tells the readers what your paragraph will be about.

In the middle is the body of your paragraph. This is where you write the sentences telling the readers what you want them to know about your topic.

At the bottom is the end of your paragraph. This is where you write a sentence finishing your paragraph by summarizing what you told your readers.

The giraffe mnemonic is useful primarily when students are first learning what a paragraph is and how to write one. It can be used in a variety of grade levels, depending on the instructional level of the student.

It is important to go through the giraffe “steps” with your students every time they write a paragraph, until they can use the mnemonic independently. Repeated use is what makes a mnemonic most effective. Formative evaluation is another key to the effective use of mnemonics. Until students become proficient in writing paragraphs, evaluate their use of the mnemonic, and the result, to determine where instructional changes may be needed.

Letter Strategy

As shown above, letter strategies involve the use of acronyms and acrostics (sentence mnemonics). One acronym that can be used in teaching writing is DEFENDS, which is a task-specific writing strategy used in conjunction with an organizer to cue students through the writing process. This strategy is effective with students who have mild and moderate disabilities. As with all mnemonicis, teachers need to model the strategy to students and go through the steps of the mnemonic repeatedly until the students can use it independently.

 

 

References

Ehren, Barbara J. (2005). MnemonicDevices.  University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning.  http://itc.gsu.edu/academymodules/a304/support/xpages/a304b0_20600.html

Ellis, Edwin (1993).  Integrating Strategy Instruction:  A Potential Model for Teaching Content Area Subjects to Adolescents with Learning Disabilities.  Journal of Learning Disabilities  26, 6, 358-383.

Scruggs, T.E. & Mastropieri, M. A. Teaching Tutorial:  Mnemonic Instruction.  www.teachingld.org

Other Web Resources

Alert 5:  Mnemonic Instruction.  www.teachingld.org

www.allfree-clipart.com

 

 

 

• Resources

  • Background Information on Access (10)
  • Co-Teaching (2)
  • Computer-Assisted Instruction (4)
  • Differentiated Instruction (6)
  • Direct Instruction (2)
  • English Language Learners (2)
  • Graphic Organizers (3)
  • Language Arts (47)
    • Reading (32)
    • Writing (15)
  • Math (26)
  • Middle School (4)
  • Mnemonics (6)
  • Peer Tutoring (2)
  • Science (11)
  • Standards & Assessments (6)
  • Teaching & Learning (48)
    • Instructional Strategies (32)
    • Learning Strategies (18)
  • Technology Applications (7)
  • Universal Design (13)

• Pages

  • About
    • Access Center Advisory Board Members
    • Access Center Staff
    • Information Sharing Communities
      • District-to-District Sharing
      • State-to-State Sharing
    • Our Customized Assistance
    • Partner Organizations
  • Access in Action
    • States' Top FIVE Most Commonly Reported Challenges
    • Submit a Resource to Access in Action
  • Contact Us
• 
•