how does homework help with memory

Science of mind

Why is homework good for your brain?

Did you know that homework has a profound impact on brain development? It’s not just about completing assignments; homework can actually improve brain function and enhance cognitive abilities.

Homework is designed to help students prepare for the future and develop skills that are essential for success in life. It offers several cognitive benefits, including the development of memory and critical thinking skills. By practicing and repeating new skills through homework, students can enhance their memory and retain knowledge for exams and future tests.

But that’s not all. Homework also helps students build suitable study habits, learn time management, realize personal responsibility, work independently, and improve their ability to use resources and conduct research.

Key Takeaways:

• Homework improves brain function and enhances cognitive abilities.
• By practicing and repeating new skills through homework, students can enhance their memory and retain knowledge.
• Homework helps students build suitable study habits, learn time management, and realize personal responsibility.
• Homework fosters independence and the ability to use resources effectively.
• Research shows that designing and assigning homework correctly can optimize its effectiveness as a learning tool.

The Cognitive Benefits of Homework

Homework is not just a task assigned by teachers to keep students occupied after school; it has far-reaching cognitive benefits and contributes to brain growth and development. Through various homework assignments, students have the opportunity to enhance critical thinking skills, memory retention, and problem-solving abilities.

One essential cognitive benefit of homework is its ability to challenge and develop critical thinking skills. By applying the concepts they’ve learned in class to real-life situations, students can deepen their understanding and improve their analytical thinking abilities. This practice fosters a deeper level of comprehension and encourages students to actively engage with the material.

Another cognitive benefit of homework is its positive impact on memory retention. Through practice and repetition of new skills and knowledge, students reinforce the neural connections in their brains, making the information more accessible and easier to recall. This improved memory retention helps students perform better on exams and enhances their overall academic performance.

Homework also plays a crucial role in developing problem-solving abilities. Assignments that require students to think critically and find innovative solutions to complex problems help cultivate their analytical and logical thinking skills. These problem-solving abilities are essential for success in various aspects of life, from academic pursuits to professional careers.

Overall, homework has a profound impact on cognitive development, providing students with opportunities to enhance critical thinking, memory retention, and problem-solving abilities. By engaging in regular homework assignments, students can nurture these essential cognitive skills and lay a solid foundation for their future academic and professional success.

Building Essential Skills Through Homework

Homework plays a vital role in building essential skills that are crucial for academic success and beyond. It provides students with the opportunity to develop effective study habits, learn time management, cultivate personal responsibility, and engage in independent work.

One of the key benefits of homework is the development of study habits. Through regular homework assignments, students learn how to plan their study sessions, set realistic goals, and effectively organize their time. By following consistent study routines, students can maximize their learning potential and improve their overall academic performance.

Time management is another vital skill that homework helps students develop. By juggling multiple assignments and deadlines, students learn to prioritize tasks, allocate their time effectively, and meet their academic obligations. These skills are essential not only for academic success but also for managing responsibilities in other areas of life.

Homework also fosters a sense of personal responsibility. Being accountable for completing assignments on time and to the best of their ability teaches students the importance of taking ownership of their education. It instills a work ethic that can significantly impact their future success, both inside and outside the classroom.

Furthermore, homework promotes independent work and critical thinking skills. Through assignments that require students to apply concepts learned in class, they develop their problem-solving abilities and deepen their understanding of the subject matter. This type of independent work encourages students to think creatively, analyze information critically, and develop their own perspectives.

By engaging in homework, students are actively building these essential skills that will benefit them throughout their education and beyond. The combination of effective study habits, time management, personal responsibility, and independent work fosters self-discipline, resilience, and a lifelong love of learning.

Testimonial:

“Homework has been instrumental in developing my study habits and time management skills. It has taught me the importance of setting goals and staying organized. Through homework, I’ve become more accountable and independent in my learning.” – Jane Smith, High School Student

Homework and Research Skills

When it comes to homework, research skills are essential for academic success. Homework assignments often require students to explore various resources, such as research papers, books, websites, and videos. By delving into these resources, students develop the ability to effectively use different information sources and enhance their understanding of the subject matter.

Research skills acquired through homework not only improve students’ academic performance but also prepare them to navigate the vast amount of information available in the digital age. By honing their research skills, students become adept at finding relevant and reliable information, analyzing different sources, and critically evaluating the credibility and validity of the information they come across.

Research skills acquired through homework contribute to academic success and prepare students for future challenges.

Through homework, students develop the persistence and resilience necessary to delve deep into a topic, locate relevant information, and synthesize their findings in a coherent manner. These skills are not only valuable during their academic journey but will also benefit them throughout their lives as they continue to learn and grow.

Moreover, conducting research for homework assignments instills a sense of curiosity and a thirst for knowledge in students. It encourages them to explore beyond the textbook and develop a broader perspective on the topics they are studying. They learn to ask questions, seek answers, and develop a lifelong love for learning.

Overall, homework assignments that require research skills play a vital role in shaping students’ intellectual growth, fostering critical thinking, and preparing them for the challenges they will face in their future academic and professional endeavors.

The Science of Homework Efficiency

When it comes to homework, there is a science behind ensuring its maximum effectiveness as a learning tool. Research has shown that the way homework is designed and assigned can have a significant impact on student performance. To optimize learning outcomes, homework should provide independent learning opportunities and present challenges that facilitate deliberate practice of essential content and skills.

One factor that can greatly affect the efficiency of homework is task switching. Constantly switching between homework and distractions like social media can significantly prolong the time spent on assignments. To overcome this, it is crucial to encourage students to delay gratification by using social media as a reward after completing their assignments. By eliminating distractions and focusing on the task at hand, students can deepen their learning and complete their homework more efficiently.

Adopting a scientific approach to tackling homework can lead to improved academic performance. By implementing strategies that optimize learning, such as organizing study sessions, setting goals, and utilizing resources effectively, students can enhance their understanding of the subject matter and improve their overall learning outcomes. By prioritizing uninterrupted focus and disciplined work, students can transform homework into a valuable learning experience that prepares them for success in their academic endeavors.

Source Links

• https://www.crispebooks.org/
• http://www.math.usf.edu/~mccolm/pedagogy/HWgood.html
• https://www.edutopia.org/blog/homework-sleep-and-student-brain-glenn-whitman

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Re-reading is inefficient. Here are 8 tips for studying smarter.

by Joseph Stromberg

The way most students study makes no sense.

That’s the conclusion of Washington University in St. Louis psychologists Henry Roediger and Mark McDaniel — who’ve spent a combined 80 years studying learning and memory, and recently distilled their findings with novelist Peter Brown in the book Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning .

using active learning strategies is most effective

The majority of students study by re-reading notes and textbooks — but the psychologists’ research, both in lab experiments and of actual students in classes, shows this is a terrible way to learn material. Using active learning strategies — like flashcards, diagramming, and quizzing yourself — is much more effective, as is spacing out studying over time and mixing different topics together.

McDaniel spoke with me about the eight key tips he’d share with students and teachers from his body of research.

1) Don’t just re-read your notes and readings

Photofusion/UIG via Getty Images

”We know from surveys that a majority of students, when they study, they typically re-read assignments and notes. Most students say this is their number one go-to strategy.

when students re-read a textbook chapter, they show no improvement in learning

”We know, however, from a lot of research, that this kind of repetitive recycling of information is not an especially good way to learn or create more permanent memories. Our studies of Washington University students, for instance, show that when they re-read a textbook chapter, they have absolutely no improvement in learning over those who just read it once.

“On your first reading of something, you extract a lot of understanding. But when you do the second reading, you read with a sense of ‘I know this, I know this.’ So basically, you’re not processing it deeply, or picking more out of it. Often, the re-reading is cursory — and it’s insidious, because this gives you the illusion that you know the material very well, when in fact there are gaps.”

2) Ask yourself lots of questions

Aram Boghosian for The Boston Globe via Getty Images

”One good technique to use instead is to read once, then quiz yourself, either using questions at the back of a textbook chapter, or making up your own questions. Retrieving that information is what actually produces more robust learning and memory.

retrieving information is what produces more robust learning and memory

”And even when you can’t retrieve it — when you get the questions wrong — it gives you an accurate diagnostic on what you don’t know, and this tells you what you should go back and study. This helps guide your studying more effectively.

”Asking questions also helps you understand more deeply. Say you’re learning about world history, and how ancient Rome and Greece were trading partners. Stop and ask yourself why they became trading partners. Why did they become shipbuilders, and learn to navigate the seas? It doesn’t always have to be why — you can ask how, or what.

“In asking these questions, you’re trying to explain, and in doing this, you create a better understanding, which leads to better memory and learning. So instead of just reading and skimming, stop and ask yourself things to make yourself understand the material.”

3) Connect new information to something you already know

”Another strategy is, during a second reading, to try relating the principles in the text to something you already know about. Relate new information to prior information for better learning.

”One example is if you were learning about how the neuron transmits electricity. One of the things we know if that if you have a fatty sheath surround the neuron, called a myelin sheath , it helps the neuron transmit electricity more quickly.

“So you could liken this, say, to water running through a hose. The water runs quickly through it, but if you puncture the hose, it’s going to leak, and you won’t get the same flow. And that’s essentially what happens when we age — the myelin sheaths break down, and transmissions become slower.”

( Quasar/Wikimedia Commons )

4) Draw out the information in a visual form

”A great strategy is making diagrams, or visual models, or flowcharts. In a beginning psychology course, you could diagram the flow of classical conditioning . Sure, you can read about classical conditioning, but to truly understand it and be able to write down and describe the different aspects of it on a test later on — condition, stimulus, and so on — it’s a good idea to see if you can put it in a flowchart.

“Anything that creates active learning — generating understanding on your own — is very effective in retention. It basically means the learner needs to become more involved and more engaged, and less passive.”

5) Use flashcards

”Flashcards are another good way of doing this. And one key to using them is actually re-testing yourself on the ones you got right.

keeping a correct card in the deck and encountering it again is more useful

”A lot of students will answer the question on a flashcard, and take it out of the deck if they get it right. But it turns out this isn’t a good idea — repeating the act of memory retrieval is important. Studies show that keeping the correct item in the deck and encountering it again is useful. You might want to practice the incorrect items a little more, but repeated exposure to the ones you get right is important too.

“It’s not that repetition as a whole is bad. It’s that mindless repetition is bad.”

6) Don’t cram — space out your studying

Johannes Simon/Getty Images

”A lot of students cram — they wait until the last minute, then in one evening, they repeat the information again and again. But research shows this isn’t good for long term memory. It may allow you to do okay on that test the next day, but then on the final, you won’t retain as much information, and then the next year, when you need the information for the next level course, it won’t be there.

practice a little bit one day, then two days later

”This often happens in statistics. Students come back for the next year, and it seems like they’ve forgotten everything, because they crammed for their tests.

“The better idea is to space repetition. Practice a little bit one day, then put your flashcards away, then take them out the next day, then two days later. Study after study shows that spacing is really important.”

7) Teachers should space out and mix up their lessons too

Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images

”Our book also has information for teachers. And our educational system tends to promote massed presentation of information as well.

”In a typical college course, you cover one topic one day, then on the second day, another topic, then on the third day, another topic. This is massed presentation. You never go back and recycle or reconsider the material.

”But the key, for teachers, is to put the material back in front of a student days or weeks later. There are several ways they can do this. Here at Washington University, there are some instructors who give weekly quizzes, and used to just put material from that week’s classes on the quiz. Now, they’re bringing back more material from two to three weeks ago. One psychology lecturer explicitly takes time, during each lecture, to bring back material from days or weeks beforehand.

the key, for teachers, is to put the material back in front of a student days or weeks later

”This can be done in homework too. It’s typical, in statistics courses, to give homework in which all of the problems are all in the same category. After correlations are taught, a student’s homework, say, is problem after problem on correlation. Then the next week, T tests are taught, and all the problems are on T tests. But we’ve found that sprinkling in questions on stuff that was covered two or three weeks ago is really good for retention.

”And this can be built into the content of lessons themselves. Let’s say you’re taking an art history class. When I took it, I learned about Gauguin, then I saw lots of his paintings, then I moved on to Matisse, and saw lots of paintings by him. Students and instructors both think that this is a good way of learning the painting styles of these different artists.

”But experimental studies show that’s not the case at all. It’s better to give students an example of one artist, then move to another, then another, then recycle back around. That interspersing, or mixing, produces much better learning that can be transferred to paintings you haven’t seen — letting students accurately identify the creators of paintings, say, on a test.

“And this works for all sorts of problems. Let’s go back to statistics. In upper level classes, and the real world, you’re not going to be told what sort of statistical problem you’re encountering — you’re going to have to figure out the method you need to use. And you can’t learn how to do that unless you have experience dealing with a mix of different types of problems, and diagnosing which requires which type of approach.”

8) There’s no such thing as a “math person”

Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

”There’s some really interesting work by Carol Dweck , at Stanford. She’s shown that students tend to have one of two mindsets about learning.

it turns out that mindsets predict how well students end up doing

”One is a fixed learning model. It says, ‘I have a certain amount of talent for this topic — say, chemistry or physics — and I’ll do well until I hit that limit. Past that, it’s too hard for me, and I’m not going to do well.’ The other mindset is a growth mindset. It says that learning involves using effective strategies, putting aside time to do the work, and engaging in the process, all of which help you gradually increase your capacity for a topic.

”It turns out that the mindsets predict how well students end up doing. Students with growth mindsets tend to stick with it, tend to persevere in the face of difficulty, and tend to be successful in challenging classes. Students with the fixed mindset tend not to.

“So for teachers, the lesson is that if you can talk to students and suggest that a growth mindset really is the more accurate model — and it is — then students tend to be more open to trying new strategies, and sticking with the course, and working in ways that are going to promote learning. Ability, intelligence, and learning have to do with how you approach it — working smarter, we like to say.”

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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Does Homework Really Help Students Learn?

A conversation with a Wheelock researcher, a BU student, and a fourth-grade teacher

“Quality homework is engaging and relevant to kids’ lives,” says Wheelock’s Janine Bempechat. “It gives them autonomy and engages them in the community and with their families. In some subjects, like math, worksheets can be very helpful. It has to do with the value of practicing over and over.” Photo by iStock/Glenn Cook Photography

Do your homework.

If only it were that simple.

Educators have debated the merits of homework since the late 19th century. In recent years, amid concerns of some parents and teachers that children are being stressed out by too much homework, things have only gotten more fraught.

“Homework is complicated,” says developmental psychologist Janine Bempechat, a Wheelock College of Education & Human Development clinical professor. The author of the essay “ The Case for (Quality) Homework—Why It Improves Learning and How Parents Can Help ” in the winter 2019 issue of Education Next , Bempechat has studied how the debate about homework is influencing teacher preparation, parent and student beliefs about learning, and school policies.

She worries especially about socioeconomically disadvantaged students from low-performing schools who, according to research by Bempechat and others, get little or no homework.

BU Today  sat down with Bempechat and Erin Bruce (Wheelock’17,’18), a new fourth-grade teacher at a suburban Boston school, and future teacher freshman Emma Ardizzone (Wheelock) to talk about what quality homework looks like, how it can help children learn, and how schools can equip teachers to design it, evaluate it, and facilitate parents’ role in it.

BU Today: Parents and educators who are against homework in elementary school say there is no research definitively linking it to academic performance for kids in the early grades. You’ve said that they’re missing the point.

Bempechat : I think teachers assign homework in elementary school as a way to help kids develop skills they’ll need when they’re older—to begin to instill a sense of responsibility and to learn planning and organizational skills. That’s what I think is the greatest value of homework—in cultivating beliefs about learning and skills associated with academic success. If we greatly reduce or eliminate homework in elementary school, we deprive kids and parents of opportunities to instill these important learning habits and skills.

We do know that beginning in late middle school, and continuing through high school, there is a strong and positive correlation between homework completion and academic success.

That’s what I think is the greatest value of homework—in cultivating beliefs about learning and skills associated with academic success.

You talk about the importance of quality homework. What is that?

Quality homework is engaging and relevant to kids’ lives. It gives them autonomy and engages them in the community and with their families. In some subjects, like math, worksheets can be very helpful. It has to do with the value of practicing over and over.

What are your concerns about homework and low-income children?

The argument that some people make—that homework “punishes the poor” because lower-income parents may not be as well-equipped as affluent parents to help their children with homework—is very troubling to me. There are no parents who don’t care about their children’s learning. Parents don’t actually have to help with homework completion in order for kids to do well. They can help in other ways—by helping children organize a study space, providing snacks, being there as a support, helping children work in groups with siblings or friends.

Isn’t the discussion about getting rid of homework happening mostly in affluent communities?

Yes, and the stories we hear of kids being stressed out from too much homework—four or five hours of homework a night—are real. That’s problematic for physical and mental health and overall well-being. But the research shows that higher-income students get a lot more homework than lower-income kids.

Teachers may not have as high expectations for lower-income children. Schools should bear responsibility for providing supports for kids to be able to get their homework done—after-school clubs, community support, peer group support. It does kids a disservice when our expectations are lower for them.

The conversation around homework is to some extent a social class and social justice issue. If we eliminate homework for all children because affluent children have too much, we’re really doing a disservice to low-income children. They need the challenge, and every student can rise to the challenge with enough supports in place.

What did you learn by studying how education schools are preparing future teachers to handle homework?

My colleague, Margarita Jimenez-Silva, at the University of California, Davis, School of Education, and I interviewed faculty members at education schools, as well as supervising teachers, to find out how students are being prepared. And it seemed that they weren’t. There didn’t seem to be any readings on the research, or conversations on what high-quality homework is and how to design it.

Erin, what kind of training did you get in handling homework?

Bruce : I had phenomenal professors at Wheelock, but homework just didn’t come up. I did lots of student teaching. I’ve been in classrooms where the teachers didn’t assign any homework, and I’ve been in rooms where they assigned hours of homework a night. But I never even considered homework as something that was my decision. I just thought it was something I’d pull out of a book and it’d be done.

I started giving homework on the first night of school this year. My first assignment was to go home and draw a picture of the room where you do your homework. I want to know if it’s at a table and if there are chairs around it and if mom’s cooking dinner while you’re doing homework.

The second night I asked them to talk to a grown-up about how are you going to be able to get your homework done during the week. The kids really enjoyed it. There’s a running joke that I’m teaching life skills.

Friday nights, I read all my kids’ responses to me on their homework from the week and it’s wonderful. They pour their hearts out. It’s like we’re having a conversation on my couch Friday night.

It matters to know that the teacher cares about you and that what you think matters to the teacher. Homework is a vehicle to connect home and school…for parents to know teachers are welcoming to them and their families.

Bempechat : I can’t imagine that most new teachers would have the intuition Erin had in designing homework the way she did.

Ardizzone : Conversations with kids about homework, feeling you’re being listened to—that’s such a big part of wanting to do homework….I grew up in Westchester County. It was a pretty demanding school district. My junior year English teacher—I loved her—she would give us feedback, have meetings with all of us. She’d say, “If you have any questions, if you have anything you want to talk about, you can talk to me, here are my office hours.” It felt like she actually cared.

Bempechat : It matters to know that the teacher cares about you and that what you think matters to the teacher. Homework is a vehicle to connect home and school…for parents to know teachers are welcoming to them and their families.

Ardizzone : But can’t it lead to parents being overbearing and too involved in their children’s lives as students?

Bempechat : There’s good help and there’s bad help. The bad help is what you’re describing—when parents hover inappropriately, when they micromanage, when they see their children confused and struggling and tell them what to do.

Good help is when parents recognize there’s a struggle going on and instead ask informative questions: “Where do you think you went wrong?” They give hints, or pointers, rather than saying, “You missed this,” or “You didn’t read that.”

Bruce : I hope something comes of this. I hope BU or Wheelock can think of some way to make this a more pressing issue. As a first-year teacher, it was not something I even thought about on the first day of school—until a kid raised his hand and said, “Do we have homework?” It would have been wonderful if I’d had a plan from day one.

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Senior Contributing Editor

Sara Rimer A journalist for more than three decades, Sara Rimer worked at the Miami Herald , Washington Post and, for 26 years, the New York Times , where she was the New England bureau chief, and a national reporter covering education, aging, immigration, and other social justice issues. Her stories on the death penalty’s inequities were nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and cited in the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision outlawing the execution of people with intellectual disabilities. Her journalism honors include Columbia University’s Meyer Berger award for in-depth human interest reporting. She holds a BA degree in American Studies from the University of Michigan. Profile

She can be reached at [email protected] .

Comments & Discussion

Boston University moderates comments to facilitate an informed, substantive, civil conversation. Abusive, profane, self-promotional, misleading, incoherent or off-topic comments will be rejected. Moderators are staffed during regular business hours (EST) and can only accept comments written in English. Statistics or facts must include a citation or a link to the citation.

There are 81 comments on Does Homework Really Help Students Learn?

Insightful! The values about homework in elementary schools are well aligned with my intuition as a parent.

when i finish my work i do my homework and i sometimes forget what to do because i did not get enough sleep

same omg it does not help me it is stressful and if I have it in more than one class I hate it.

Same I think my parent wants to help me but, she doesn’t care if I get bad grades so I just try my best and my grades are great.

I think that last question about Good help from parents is not know to all parents, we do as our parents did or how we best think it can be done, so maybe coaching parents or giving them resources on how to help with homework would be very beneficial for the parent on how to help and for the teacher to have consistency and improve homework results, and of course for the child. I do see how homework helps reaffirm the knowledge obtained in the classroom, I also have the ability to see progress and it is a time I share with my kids

The answer to the headline question is a no-brainer – a more pressing problem is why there is a difference in how students from different cultures succeed. Perfect example is the student population at BU – why is there a majority population of Asian students and only about 3% black students at BU? In fact at some universities there are law suits by Asians to stop discrimination and quotas against admitting Asian students because the real truth is that as a group they are demonstrating better qualifications for admittance, while at the same time there are quotas and reduced requirements for black students to boost their portion of the student population because as a group they do more poorly in meeting admissions standards – and it is not about the Benjamins. The real problem is that in our PC society no one has the gazuntas to explore this issue as it may reveal that all people are not created equal after all. Or is it just environmental cultural differences??????

I get you have a concern about the issue but that is not even what the point of this article is about. If you have an issue please take this to the site we have and only post your opinion about the actual topic

This is not at all what the article is talking about.

This literally has nothing to do with the article brought up. You should really take your opinions somewhere else before you speak about something that doesn’t make sense.

we have the same name

so they have the same name what of it?

lol you tell her

totally agree

What does that have to do with homework, that is not what the article talks about AT ALL.

Yes, I think homework plays an important role in the development of student life. Through homework, students have to face challenges on a daily basis and they try to solve them quickly.I am an intense online tutor at 24x7homeworkhelp and I give homework to my students at that level in which they handle it easily.

More than two-thirds of students said they used alcohol and drugs, primarily marijuana, to cope with stress.

You know what’s funny? I got this assignment to write an argument for homework about homework and this article was really helpful and understandable, and I also agree with this article’s point of view.

I also got the same task as you! I was looking for some good resources and I found this! I really found this article useful and easy to understand, just like you! ^^

i think that homework is the best thing that a child can have on the school because it help them with their thinking and memory.

I am a child myself and i think homework is a terrific pass time because i can’t play video games during the week. It also helps me set goals.

Homework is not harmful ,but it will if there is too much

I feel like, from a minors point of view that we shouldn’t get homework. Not only is the homework stressful, but it takes us away from relaxing and being social. For example, me and my friends was supposed to hang at the mall last week but we had to postpone it since we all had some sort of work to do. Our minds shouldn’t be focused on finishing an assignment that in realty, doesn’t matter. I completely understand that we should have homework. I have to write a paper on the unimportance of homework so thanks.

homework isn’t that bad

Are you a student? if not then i don’t really think you know how much and how severe todays homework really is

i am a student and i do not enjoy homework because i practice my sport 4 out of the five days we have school for 4 hours and that’s not even counting the commute time or the fact i still have to shower and eat dinner when i get home. its draining!

i totally agree with you. these people are such boomers

why just why

they do make a really good point, i think that there should be a limit though. hours and hours of homework can be really stressful, and the extra work isn’t making a difference to our learning, but i do believe homework should be optional and extra credit. that would make it for students to not have the leaning stress of a assignment and if you have a low grade you you can catch up.

Studies show that homework improves student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college. Research published in the High School Journal indicates that students who spent between 31 and 90 minutes each day on homework “scored about 40 points higher on the SAT-Mathematics subtest than their peers, who reported spending no time on homework each day, on average.” On both standardized tests and grades, students in classes that were assigned homework outperformed 69% of students who didn’t have homework. A majority of studies on homework’s impact – 64% in one meta-study and 72% in another – showed that take home assignments were effective at improving academic achievement. Research by the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) concluded that increased homework led to better GPAs and higher probability of college attendance for high school boys. In fact, boys who attended college did more than three hours of additional homework per week in high school.

So how are your measuring student achievement? That’s the real question. The argument that doing homework is simply a tool for teaching responsibility isn’t enough for me. We can teach responsibility in a number of ways. Also the poor argument that parents don’t need to help with homework, and that students can do it on their own, is wishful thinking at best. It completely ignores neurodiverse students. Students in poverty aren’t magically going to find a space to do homework, a friend’s or siblings to help them do it, and snacks to eat. I feel like the author of this piece has never set foot in a classroom of students.

THIS. This article is pathetic coming from a university. So intellectually dishonest, refusing to address the havoc of capitalism and poverty plays on academic success in life. How can they in one sentence use poor kids in an argument and never once address that poor children have access to damn near 0 of the resources affluent kids have? Draw me a picture and let’s talk about feelings lmao what a joke is that gonna put food in their belly so they can have the calories to burn in order to use their brain to study? What about quiet their 7 other siblings that they share a single bedroom with for hours? Is it gonna force the single mom to magically be at home and at work at the same time to cook food while you study and be there to throw an encouraging word?

Also the “parents don’t need to be a parent and be able to guide their kid at all academically they just need to exist in the next room” is wild. Its one thing if a parent straight up is not equipped but to say kids can just figured it out is…. wow coming from an educator What’s next the teacher doesn’t need to teach cause the kid can just follow the packet and figure it out?

Well then get a tutor right? Oh wait you are poor only affluent kids can afford a tutor for their hours of homework a day were they on average have none of the worries a poor child does. Does this address that poor children are more likely to also suffer abuse and mental illness? Like mentioned what about kids that can’t learn or comprehend the forced standardized way? Just let em fail? These children regularly are not in “special education”(some of those are a joke in their own and full of neglect and abuse) programs cause most aren’t even acknowledged as having disabilities or disorders.

But yes all and all those pesky poor kids just aren’t being worked hard enough lol pretty sure poor children’s existence just in childhood is more work, stress, and responsibility alone than an affluent child’s entire life cycle. Love they never once talked about the quality of education in the classroom being so bad between the poor and affluent it can qualify as segregation, just basically blamed poor people for being lazy, good job capitalism for failing us once again!

why the hell?

you should feel bad for saying this, this article can be helpful for people who has to write a essay about it

This is more of a political rant than it is about homework

I know a teacher who has told his students their homework is to find something they are interested in, pursue it and then come share what they learn. The student responses are quite compelling. One girl taught herself German so she could talk to her grandfather. One boy did a research project on Nelson Mandela because the teacher had mentioned him in class. Another boy, a both on the autism spectrum, fixed his family’s computer. The list goes on. This is fourth grade. I think students are highly motivated to learn, when we step aside and encourage them.

The whole point of homework is to give the students a chance to use the material that they have been presented with in class. If they never have the opportunity to use that information, and discover that it is actually useful, it will be in one ear and out the other. As a science teacher, it is critical that the students are challenged to use the material they have been presented with, which gives them the opportunity to actually think about it rather than regurgitate “facts”. Well designed homework forces the student to think conceptually, as opposed to regurgitation, which is never a pretty sight

Wonderful discussion. and yes, homework helps in learning and building skills in students.

not true it just causes kids to stress

Homework can be both beneficial and unuseful, if you will. There are students who are gifted in all subjects in school and ones with disabilities. Why should the students who are gifted get the lucky break, whereas the people who have disabilities suffer? The people who were born with this “gift” go through school with ease whereas people with disabilities struggle with the work given to them. I speak from experience because I am one of those students: the ones with disabilities. Homework doesn’t benefit “us”, it only tears us down and put us in an abyss of confusion and stress and hopelessness because we can’t learn as fast as others. Or we can’t handle the amount of work given whereas the gifted students go through it with ease. It just brings us down and makes us feel lost; because no mater what, it feels like we are destined to fail. It feels like we weren’t “cut out” for success.

homework does help

here is the thing though, if a child is shoved in the face with a whole ton of homework that isn’t really even considered homework it is assignments, it’s not helpful. the teacher should make homework more of a fun learning experience rather than something that is dreaded

This article was wonderful, I am going to ask my teachers about extra, or at all giving homework.

I agree. Especially when you have homework before an exam. Which is distasteful as you’ll need that time to study. It doesn’t make any sense, nor does us doing homework really matters as It’s just facts thrown at us.

Homework is too severe and is just too much for students, schools need to decrease the amount of homework. When teachers assign homework they forget that the students have other classes that give them the same amount of homework each day. Students need to work on social skills and life skills.

I disagree.

Beyond achievement, proponents of homework argue that it can have many other beneficial effects. They claim it can help students develop good study habits so they are ready to grow as their cognitive capacities mature. It can help students recognize that learning can occur at home as well as at school. Homework can foster independent learning and responsible character traits. And it can give parents an opportunity to see what’s going on at school and let them express positive attitudes toward achievement.

Homework is helpful because homework helps us by teaching us how to learn a specific topic.

As a student myself, I can say that I have almost never gotten the full 9 hours of recommended sleep time, because of homework. (Now I’m writing an essay on it in the middle of the night D=)

I am a 10 year old kid doing a report about “Is homework good or bad” for homework before i was going to do homework is bad but the sources from this site changed my mind!

Homeowkr is god for stusenrs

I agree with hunter because homework can be so stressful especially with this whole covid thing no one has time for homework and every one just wants to get back to there normal lives it is especially stressful when you go on a 2 week vaca 3 weeks into the new school year and and then less then a week after you come back from the vaca you are out for over a month because of covid and you have no way to get the assignment done and turned in

As great as homework is said to be in the is article, I feel like the viewpoint of the students was left out. Every where I go on the internet researching about this topic it almost always has interviews from teachers, professors, and the like. However isn’t that a little biased? Of course teachers are going to be for homework, they’re not the ones that have to stay up past midnight completing the homework from not just one class, but all of them. I just feel like this site is one-sided and you should include what the students of today think of spending four hours every night completing 6-8 classes worth of work.

Are we talking about homework or practice? Those are two very different things and can result in different outcomes.

Homework is a graded assignment. I do not know of research showing the benefits of graded assignments going home.

Practice; however, can be extremely beneficial, especially if there is some sort of feedback (not a grade but feedback). That feedback can come from the teacher, another student or even an automated grading program.

As a former band director, I assigned daily practice. I never once thought it would be appropriate for me to require the students to turn in a recording of their practice for me to grade. Instead, I had in-class assignments/assessments that were graded and directly related to the practice assigned.

I would really like to read articles on “homework” that truly distinguish between the two.

oof i feel bad good luck!

thank you guys for the artical because I have to finish an assingment. yes i did cite it but just thanks

thx for the article guys.

Homework is good

I think homework is helpful AND harmful. Sometimes u can’t get sleep bc of homework but it helps u practice for school too so idk.

I agree with this Article. And does anyone know when this was published. I would like to know.

It was published FEb 19, 2019.

Studies have shown that homework improved student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college.

i think homework can help kids but at the same time not help kids

This article is so out of touch with majority of homes it would be laughable if it wasn’t so incredibly sad.

There is no value to homework all it does is add stress to already stressed homes. Parents or adults magically having the time or energy to shepherd kids through homework is dome sort of 1950’s fantasy.

What lala land do these teachers live in?

Homework gives noting to the kid

Homework is Bad

homework is bad.

why do kids even have homework?

Comments are closed.

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The Great Homework Debate: Working Memory Disadvantage?

Here at Learning and the Brain, we think a lot about the great homework debate.

Some scholars rail against homework . Some schools are doing away with it . However, other researchers champion its benefits .

What can brain researchers contribute to this discussion? Knowing what we know about brains and minds, how can we reconsider this argument?

Working Memory in Schools

All academic learning depends on a crucial cognitive capacity: working memory — often abbreviated as WM.

WM allows students to hold pieces of information in mind, while simultaneously reorganizing or combining them.

Clearly, students use WM  all the time . For example:

Performing mathematical operations.

Following instructions.

Applying literary terminology.

Combining letters into new words.

Comparing famous figures.

Using scientific principles in new situations.

All these mental operations — and many, many more — require students to hold and process information simultaneously . Whenever students hold and process, they use WM.

Unfortunately, we just don’t have very much of this essential cognitive capacity. As a simple test: you can probably alphabetize the five days of the work week in your head. (Go ahead — try it!)

But, you probably can’t alphabetize the twelve months of the year. Why? You just don’t have enough WM. (Don’t worry: almost nobody does.)

Working Memory and the Homework Debate

A just-published study by Ashley Miller and Nash Unsworth points to a possible connection between WM and our views on homework.

Imagine, for instance, I give my students a list of random words to learn. Later, I ask them to recall words from that list. As you can imagine, the longer the list, the harder that task will be.

As it turns out, a student’s WM influences her performance on that task. The lower her WM, the more she will struggle to recall all those words.

The Miller and Unsworth study adds a crucial twist. As students see the same word list more and more often, the difference between high-WM students and low-WM students gets smaller.

In some ways of measuring, in fact, it simply goes away.

Put simply: repetitive practice can eliminate this functional difference between high-WM and low-WM students .

What’s another name for “repetitive practice”? Homework .

In other words, homework designed in a particular way might help students who traditionally struggle in school. Although a relatively low WM typically makes learning very difficult, a well-structured assignment might ease some of those difficulties.

If teachers could make cognitive life easier for low-WM students, we’d be going a long way to making school more fair and beneficial.

Caveats (Of Course)

First : this argument says that the right kind of homework can help some students. Of course, the wrong kind of homework won’t. In fact, it might be a detriment to most students.

Second : Miller and Unsworth’s study suggests that repetitive practice can reduce the effect of WM differences. However, teachers might struggle to make “repetitive practice” anything other than really, really dull. We’ll need to be insightful and imaginative to ensure that the solution to one problem doesn’t create a new problem.

Third : To be clear: Miller & Unsworth don’t say that their research has implications for assigning homework. However, as I thought over their findings, it seemed the most direct application of this study in a school setting.

Finally : Teachers might object: we rarely ask students to recall random words. This research paradigm simply doesn’t apply to our work.

And yet, we face an awkward truth.

The words that our students learn might not seem random to us, but they nonetheless often seem random to our students.

We know why the words “chlorophyll,” “stomata,” and “Calvin Cycle” are related to each other. However, until our students understand photosynthesis, even that brief list might feel quite random to them.

Words and ideas that live comfortably in teachers’ long-term memory systems must be processed in our students’ WM systems. The right kind of homework just might make that processing easier.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Andrew watson.

Andrew began his classroom life as a high-school English teacher in 1988, and has been working in or near schools ever since. In 2008, Andrew began exploring the practical application of psychology and neuroscience in his classroom. In 2011, he earned his M. Ed. from the “Mind, Brain, Education” program at Harvard University. As President of “Translate the Brain,” Andrew now works with teachers, students, administrators, and parents to make learning easier and teaching more effective. He has presented at schools and workshops across the country; he also serves as an adviser to several organizations, including “The People’s Science.” Andrew is the author of "Learning Begins: The Science of Working Memory and Attention for the Classroom Teacher."

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7 Reasons Why Homework is Good For Your Brain?

Homework is an essential part of learning in school. But how much Homework should kids be doing? And what kind of Homework is best for children? Here are some reasons Homework benefits your child’s brain development.

Research suggests that homework can positively impact academic achievement, particularly in high school. A meta-analysis of studies conducted over 25 years found that homework moderately positively affected student achievement in high school. The study also found that the effect of homework on achievement increased as students progressed through high school.

When used appropriately, homework can be a valuable tool for improving academic performance and developing important skills.

Table of Contents

Let us see 7 reasons Why Homework is Good For Your Brain.

A properly planned and executed homework plan will help you develop your brain and improve your child’s memory power.

1. It helps students learn how to study effectively

Another study showed that elementary school students who were assigned Homework performed better on reading comprehension tests than those who weren’t.

2. It helps them develop better time management skills

Learning to stay organized and plan your day along with Homework helps children develop discipline, which will help them in the long run.

3. It helps them improve their concentration

Since Homework is done after school, it allows students to learn the concepts better at leisure and conform to their home, thus enhancing their concentration on their studies.

4. It helps them understand the importance of organization

Students learn how to manage their time effectively and organize their work by completing assignments.

This skill is beneficial when they start college because they must balance schoolwork with extracurricular activities.

5. It helps them become more independent learners

They learn to take responsibility for their learning by taking ownership of their tasks and responsibilities.

As they gain confidence in completing projects independently, they feel less dependent on others.

6. Sharpens their memory

Homework is a way to revise what was taught in the classroom by teachers.

7. Research on the Topic

You will have access to the internet, Youtube, and parents in the comfort of your home.

Homework was invented since it was believed that students lost the learning given in school once they returned home.

While providing a home assignment in moderation is beneficial to the child’s growth, too many home assignments and projects can negatively affect the child and lead to them hating this concept or even create fear of what will happen if the work is not done well.

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The Impact of Sleep on Learning and Memory

By Kelly Cappello, B.A.

For many students, staying awake all night to study is common practice. According to Medical News Today , around 20 percent of students pull all-nighters at least once a month, and about 35 percent stay up past three in the morning once or more weekly.

That being said, staying up all night to study is one of the worst things students can do for their grades. In October of 2019, two MIT professors found a correlation between sleep and test scores : The less students slept during the semester, the worse their scores.

So, why is it that sleep is so important for test scores? While the answer seems simple, that students simply perform better when they’re not mentally or physically tired, the truth may be far more complicated and interesting.

In the last 20 years, scientists have found that sleep impacts more than just students’ ability to perform well; it improves their ability to learn, memorize, retain, recall, and use their new knowledge to solve problems creatively. All of which contribute to better test scores.

Let’s take a look at some of the most interesting research regarding the impact of sleep on learning and memory.

How does sleep improve the ability to learn?

When learning facts and information, most of what we learn is temporarily stored in a region of the brain called the hippocampus. Some scientists hypothesize that , like most storage centers, the hippocampus has limited storage capacity. This means, if the hippocampus is full, and we try to learn more information, we won’t be able to.

Fortunately, many scientists also hypothesize that sleep, particularly Stages 2 and 3 sleep, plays a role in replenishing our ability to learn. In one study, a group of 44 participants underwent two rigorous sessions of learning, once at noon and again at 6:00 PM. Half of the group was allowed to nap between sessions, while the other half took part in standard activities. The researchers found that the group that napped between learning sessions learned just as easily at 6:00 PM as they did at noon. The group that didn’t nap, however, experienced a significant decrease in learning ability [1].

How does sleep improve the ability to recall information?

Humans have known about the benefits of sleep for memory recall for thousands of years. In fact, the first record of this revelation is from the first century AD. Rhetorician Quintilian stated, “It is a curious fact, of which the reason is not obvious, that the interval of a single night will greatly increase the strength of the memory.”

In the last century, scientists have tested this theory many times, often finding that sleep improves memory retention and recall by between 20 and 40 percent. Recent research has led scientists to hypothesize that Stage 3 (deep non-Rapid Eye Movement sleep, or Slow Wave Sleep) may be especially important for the improvement of memory retention and recall [2].

How does sleep improve long-term memory? 

Scientists hypothesize that sleep also plays a major role in forming long-term memories. According to Matthew Walker, professor of neuroscience and psychology at UC Berkeley, MRI scans indicate that the slow brain waves of stage 3 sleep (deep NREM sleep) “serve as a courier service,” transporting memories from the hippocampus to other more permanent storage sites [3].

How does sleep improve the ability to solve problems creatively?

Many tests are designed to assess critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills. Recent research has led scientists to hypothesize that sleep, particularly REM sleep, plays a role in strengthening these skills. In one study, scientists tested the effect of REM sleep on the ability to solve anagram puzzles (word scrambles like “EOUSM” for “MOUSE”), an ability that requires strong creative thinking and problem-solving skills.

In the study, participants solved a couple of anagram puzzles before going to sleep in a sleep laboratory with electrodes placed on their heads. The subjects were woken up four times during the night to solve anagram puzzles, twice during NREM sleep and twice during REM sleep.

The researchers found that when participants were woken up during REM sleep, they could solve 15 to 35 percent more puzzles than they could when woken up from NREM sleep. They also performed 15 to 35 percent better than they did in the middle of the day [4]. It seems that REM sleep may play a major role in improving the ability to solve complex problems.

So, what’s the point?

Sleep research from the last 20 years indicates that sleep does more than simply give students the energy they need to study and perform well on tests. Sleep actually helps students learn, memorize, retain, recall, and use their new knowledge to come up with creative and innovative solutions.

It’s no surprise that the MIT study previously mentioned revealed no improvement in scores for those who only prioritized their sleep the night before a big test. In fact, the MIT researchers concluded that if students want to see an improvement in their test scores, they have to prioritize their sleep during the entire learning process. Staying up late to study just doesn’t pay off.

Interested in learning more about the impact of sleep on learning and memory? Check out this Student Sleep Guide .

Author Biography

Kelly Cappello graduated from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies in 2015. She is now a writer, specialized in researching complex topics and writing about them in simple English. She currently writes for Recharge.Energy , a company dedicated to helping the public improve their sleep and improve their lives.

• Mander, Bryce A., et al. “Wake Deterioration and Sleep Restoration of Human Learning.” Current Biology, vol. 21, no. 5, 2011, doi:10.1016/j.cub.2011.01.019.
• Walker M. P. (2009). The role of slow wave sleep in memory processing. Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 5(2 Suppl), S20–S26.
• Walker, Matthew. Why We Sleep. Scribner, 2017.
• Walker, Matthew P, et al. “Cognitive Flexibility across the Sleep–Wake Cycle: REM-Sleep Enhancement of Anagram Problem Solving.” Cognitive Brain Research, vol. 14, no. 3, 2002, pp. 317–324., doi:10.1016/s0926-6410(02)00134-9.

Posted on Dec 21, 2020 | Tagged: learning and memory

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Homework questions designed to require higher-order cognitive skills in an undergraduate animal physiology course did not produce desirable difficulties, testing effects, or improvements in information retention

Caitlin n cadaret.

Department of Animal Science, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, NE 68583, USA

Dustin T Yates

Associated data.

Studies show that retrieval practices such as homework assignments that are completed during the encoding phase of learning benefit knowledge acquisition and retention. In addition, desirable difficulties, which are strategies that intentionally create a greater challenge during initial learning to enhance encoding and retrieval pathways, also benefit learning long term. Our objective was to determine whether weekly homework questions intended to create desirable difficulties by requiring higher-order cognitive skills (HOCS) benefited students’ long-term retention of physiology concepts compared to questions designed to require lower-order cognitive skills (LOCS). Undergraduate students in a junior-level animal physiology course were presented information during weekly laboratory periods, and then required to complete retrieval practices in the form of online homework assignments 5 d after each lab. Homework questions were formatted per Bloom’s Taxonomy to require HOCS (i.e., level 4 or 5) or LOCS (i.e., level 1 or 2). Information retention was assessed the next week via performance on an in-class quiz and again at semesters’ end via performance on a final practical exam. We observed no differences in performance on the in-class quiz or final practical exam between students randomly assigned to complete homework with HOCS questions compared to LOCS questions. However, students that received homework with HOCS questions had decreased ( P < 0.05) performance scores on 9 out of the 11 homework assignments compared to those receiving homework with LOCS questions. These findings indicate that desirable difficulties were not created by our HOCS homework questions because students receiving these more difficult retrieval practices did not achieve equal success on them. As a result, this attempt to create variations in cognitive demand did not enhance retention of knowledge in this study.

Introduction

Many classroom environments have experienced recent shifts from traditional lecture-based teaching styles to include innovative techniques that utilize active learning to enhance student knowledge acquisition. As we continue to better understand the factors that contribute to successful learning, investigation is warranted to also understand how the conditions in which learning occurs affect the retention of information and knowledge. Students are traditionally required to demonstrate their information retention and understanding through assessments of knowledge, but their performance on assessments such as quizzes or exams does not always accurately reflect the learning that has occurred for myriad reasons ( Bruning et al., 2011 ). Assessments may also serve to measure teaching effectiveness, to assess students’ prior knowledge, and to reinforce learning before subsequent assessments (reviewed in Kulasegaram and Rangachari, 2018 ). As STEM educators, we strive for more durable student learning that produces long-term retention of knowledge that can be retrieved, utilized, and built upon well beyond the conclusion of a course and its knowledge assessment. This frequently creates the need for new teaching methods that promote stronger encoding and schema development. Instructional practices are ideal when they enable students to effectively process information into long-term memory and to organize this information in a way that facilitates easier retrieval.

The Cognitive Load Theory describes how the conditions during learning affect the encoding and storage of information ( Sweller, 1994 , 2010 , 2011 ). Moreover, it highlights the need for instructors to consider the appropriate balance of intrinsic, extraneous, and germane loads to optimize the learning environment. The inherent difficulty of a topic (i.e., intrinsic cognitive load) is not easily altered, but the method in which the topical information is presented (i.e., extraneous cognitive load) can be manipulated in a way that promotes the desirable connection and formation of schemas (i.e., germane cognitive load; Sweller et al., 1998 ; Sweller, 2010 ). One such method of manipulation is to strategically create robust challenges within the extraneous cognitive load portion of the learning environment. These challenges are known as desirable difficulties and, when met with comparable success, result in better comprehension of information during the acquisition phase of learning compared to less challenging extraneous cognitive loads ( Bjork, 1994 ). Indeed, increased rigor during the initial learning period requires more cognitive resources to be used for acquisition and encoding, ultimately creating stronger neural pathways ( Kirschner, 2002 ; Bjork and Kroll, 2015 ). Techniques for increasing rigor may include temporal spacing of retrieval practices, interweaving of topics, providing fewer cues, and varying the use and nature of cues and retrieval practices (Bjork and Bjork, 2011 ; Cadaret and Yates, 2018 ). Retrieval practice is the repetition or restudying of a topic, and utilizing assessments as retrieval practices (i.e., the basis for the testing effect) has been shown to benefit knowledge retention ( Butler, 2010 ; Larsen et al., 2013 ; Cadaret and Yates, 2018 ). It is important to note that the efficacy of the testing effect is influenced not only by the amount of effort required but also by the degree of success in retrieving the information ( Dobson and Linderholm, 2015 ).

The benefits of desirable difficulties and the testing effect on knowledge retention and academic performance have been demonstrated in a range of student populations ( Roediger III and Karpicke, 2006 ; Larsen et al., 2009 ; Roediger III et al., 2011 ; Bjork et al., 2014 ). Most studies have been performed in a controlled environment under relatively short periods (not more than one week) and often use single topics with minimal complexity ( Butler and Roediger III, 2007 ; Karpicke and Roediger III, 2007 ; Kromann et al., 2009 ; Bufe and Aslan, 2018 ), which does not necessarily recapitulate the typical university classroom environment. Physiology is innately complex due to the interconnectedness of topics and the volume of material, which creates a relatively high intrinsic cognitive load. Therefore, our present study sought to build on the findings of these previous studies by utilizing retrieval practices to facilitate desirable difficulties as part of a semester-long undergraduate physiology course. To do so, we constructed weekly homework questions that targeted differing degrees of cognitive processing skills, as described by Bloom’s Taxonomy ( Bloom, 1956 ). Bloom’s Taxonomy provides a framework that explicitly stratifies educational goals into levels based on the cognitive resources required to complete each category. This framework is typically represented as a pyramid of the following domains, ordered by ascending difficulty/cognitive demand: 1) remembering, 2) understanding, 3) applying, 4) analyzing, 5) evaluating, and 6) creating. Each domain requires greater integration of knowledge than the previous, which shifts the skills needed to complete the goal from simplistic lower-order cognitive skills (LOCS; i.e., those needed for domains 1 and 2) to higher-order cognitive skills (HOCS) requiring synthesis and transfer of knowledge (i.e., those needed for domains 4 to 6; Adams, 2015 ). For example, asking students to recall definitions of terms is an LOCS (domain 1) because it involves simple rote learning (i.e., memorization from repetition) and re-statement. Conversely, asking students to read through a word problem that describes the essence of the term’s definition and then come to a related conclusion represented by a multiple-choice selection is a HOCS (domain 4/5) because it requires analysis of information and critical thinking. We hypothesized that weekly homework questions requiring greater levels of cognitive resources, although initially more challenging to successfully complete, would create desirable difficulties that would improve long-term knowledge retention. Thus, our objective was to determine whether these retrieval practices designed to require HOCS were more beneficial to student performance on subsequent assessments than retrieval practices designed to require LOCS.

Materials and Methods

Informed consent and participation.

All procedures and data collections for this study were approved by the Human Subjects Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). All laboratory activities using live animals were also approved by the UNL Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, and UNL is accredited by AAALAC International. Before data were collected, subjects of the study were informed of their option to participate or decline participation by an independent party in the absence of investigators, per IRB guidelines. Students were not informed of the specific objectives of the study, and all students were required to complete all assignments and assessments as part of the course. However, only data from consenting individuals were utilized for analysis. Students consenting to participate received a 1.5% bonus on their overall course grade as compensation for participation, and the same bonus was offered to a nonparticipating student for an equal alternative effort. All assessments used in this study were graded by teaching assistants not involved in the study, and students were de-identified prior to the investigators receiving the performance data, per IRB guidelines.

Course design and student demographics

Sixty-six students who successfully completed the 4-credit hour Animal Physiological Systems (ASCI 340) course participated in this study. ASCI 340 is a junior-level mammalian anatomy and physiology course designed for students with interests in pursuing veterinary medicine and life-sciences graduate school or careers. This course is delivered in-person and is offered as part of the curriculum for the Department of Animal Science at UNL. It is a requirement for veterinary science majors and most animal science majors and is an elective for all other majors. Data were collected from two independent semesters with enrollments of 23 and 43 students, respectively, and combined for analyses. Students participating in this study consisted primarily of junior (42%) and senior (49%) undergraduates majoring in Animal Science (49%), Veterinary Science (34%), or other life science fields (17%). The student population was 88% female and 12% male. Exclusion criteria included failure to complete the course, electing the pass/fail grade designation, and attendance of less than 75%. The course was taught over 16 wk and consisted of three 1-h lecture periods and one 2-h laboratory period per week. The materials covered anatomical features and physiological functions of the major organ systems within the mammalian body. The study was performed during the laboratory portion of the course, for which 11 of the weekly topics presented were assessed ( Table 1 ). These included cells and tissues, nervous system anatomy, nervous system physiology, the skeletal system, the muscular system, the cardiovascular system, the respiratory system, the urinary system, the digestive system, the reproductive system, and the immune system.

Weekly ASCI 340 laboratory topics

Course assignments and assessments

Weekly laboratory procedures and in-class worksheets.

Laboratory assignments and assessments were designed as previously described ( Cadaret and Yates, 2018 ), with some modifications. Briefly, the laboratory period began with a 10- to 15-min lecture to introduce the topic for the week. Students then used the information provided by the lecture together with guided questioning provided by an in-class worksheet to perform hands-on learning activities related to the respective weekly topic. In-class worksheets were collected at the end of class, graded, and returned to students the following week with standardized feedback.

Weekly online homework assignments

Each week, students received an online homework assignment 5 d after their laboratory to serve as a retrieval practice. These homework assignments were accessed by students using the Canvas learning management system (Instructure, Inc., Salt Lake City, UT), and students received email notification when they became available. Access was closed after 48 h. Using Bloom’s Taxonomy of cognitive domains, two versions of each 10-question weekly homework assignment were developed that required differing levels of cognitive processes required to complete. One version included five questions intended to require LOCS (i.e., domains 1 and 2) to complete and the other version included five questions intended to require HOCS (i.e., domains 3 through 5) to complete. The remaining five questions were identical between the two versions and were designed to require LOCS to complete. Representative HOCS and LOCS versions of questions are included in Supplementary Table 1 . The inherently high element interactivity (i.e., the number of simultaneous elements that must be processed for a concept to be “logical” [ Chen et al., 2018 ]) of physiology imposes a heavier intrinsic cognitive load to questions in any domain, and thus LOCS questions were designed to minimize interactivity (i.e., to be “straightforward”). Conversely, HOCS questions were designed to impose intentional extraneous cognitive load by requiring students to use their declarative knowledge of multiple concepts (i.e., interacting elements) to perform procedural tasks. Questions were developed by the investigators and independently reviewed by UNL faculty members with expertise in the physiology discipline and in pedagogy but that were not otherwise involved in the present study. Questions were structured as multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, and true/false and were automatically graded by the Canvas system. Pre-prepared feedback was provided for each question. LOCS and HOCS versions of the homework were assigned to an equal number of students by simple randomization. Groups were re-randomized every other week, and the version received by each student was flipped the week following each randomization so that every student was exposed to each version an equal number of times throughout the semester.

Weekly in-class quizzes

At the beginning of each laboratory period, students completed a quiz designed to assess their knowledge of the information presented in laboratory the previous week. This served as our measure of short-term knowledge retention. These weekly in-class quizzes consisted of 10 short-answer questions that addressed the same concepts as the previous week’s laboratory assignment/online homework and were intended to require LOCS. All students received the same version of the quiz and were given 10 min to complete it individually and without accessing notes, textbooks, or other aids.

Comprehensive final practical exam

At the end of the semester, students individually completed a cumulative laboratory practical exam designed to assess their knowledge of the information presented during the laboratory portion of the course. We considered this an assessment of long-term knowledge retention. Questions were formatted as short answer, fill-in-the blank, or matching and required students to utilize the skills introduced by the in-class activities. Each weekly topic from the semester was represented on the exam by a group of five to eight questions. For each group of questions, students rotated through stations in 3-min intervals and were given additional time to revisit any stations as needed before turning in their exam.

Statistical analysis

Data from both semesters were analyzed together. Student performance scores on in-class worksheets, online homework assignments, in-class quizzes, and final practical exams were determined from points earned as a percentage of total points possible. All performance scores were analyzed using the mixed procedure of SAS (SAS Institute, Cary, NC), with weekly topic treated as a repeated measure. Cumulative grade point average at the beginning of the semester (GPA) was treated as a covariate. Effect sizes (partial η  2 and ω  2 ) were estimated, and performance scores were correlated with GPA via the correlation procedure of SAS. The threshold for differences between means was P ≤ 0.05 and tendencies for differences between means were considered at P ≤ 0.10. All data are presented as mean percentages ± standard error.

A homework version x weekly topic interaction was observed [ P < 0.001; F (10, 613) = 564; η  2 = 0.081, ω  2 = 0.064] for performance scores on the online homework assignments. Students receiving HOCS versions of homework assignments for the cardiovascular system, cells and tissues, the digestive system, the muscular system, neural anatomy, neural physiology, the reproductive system, the skeletal system, and the urinary system scored lower ( P ≤ 0.05) than students receiving the LOCS version of these homework assignments ( Fig. 1 ). Performance scores did not differ between versions on homework assignments for the immune system or the respiratory system. Performance scores for the online homework assignments were positively correlated (ρ = 0.25, P < 0.001) with cumulative GPA.

Online homework performance scores. Undergraduate students in a physiology course completed one of two versions of a weekly homework assignment 5 d after the respective topic was presented in class. The LOCS version of each homework contained 10 questions designed to require lower-order cognitive skills. The HOCS version contained five questions requiring lower-order cognitive skills and five questions requiring higher-order cognitive skills. *Means within the weekly topic differ ( P < 0.05).

No homework version x weekly topic interaction was observed [ P = 0.17; F (10, 613) = 1.4; η  2 = 0.022, ω  2 = 0.006] in performance scores for in-class quizzes. Performance scores for in-class quizzes did not differ [ P = 0.88; F (1, 613) = 0.02; η  2 = 0.000, ω  2 = 0.000] between students receiving the LOCS or HOCS versions of homework assignments for any weekly topic ( Fig. 2 ). Scores on these in-class quizzes did differ [ P < 0.001; F (10, 361) = 30.28; η  2 = 0.325, ω  2 = 0.310] among weekly topics, regardless of experimental group. Most notably, scores for the immune system and the neural anatomy quizzes were lower ( P ≤ 0.05) than for the quizzes on the other topics. Performance scores for the in-class quizzes were positively correlated (ρ = 0.37, P < 0.001) with cumulative GPA.

In-class quiz performance scores. Undergraduate students in a physiology course completed one of two versions of a weekly homework assignment 5 d after the respective topic was presented in class. The LOCS version of each homework contained 10 questions designed to require lower-order cognitive skills. The HOCS version contained five questions requiring lower-order cognitive skills and five questions requiring higher-order cognitive skills. Students then completed an in-class quiz containing 10 questions designed to require lower-order cognitive skills 7 d after the respective topic was presented in class.

No homework version x weekly topic interaction was observed [ P = 0.28; F (10, 613) = 1.2; η  2 = 0.019, ω  2 = 0.003] in performance scores for the final laboratory practical exam questions. Performance scores for the exam questions did not differ [ P = 0.40; F (1, 613) = 0.69; η  2 = 0.001, ω  2 = 0.000] between students receiving LOCS or HOCS versions of homework assignments for any weekly topic ( Fig. 3 ). Scores on the exam questions did differ [ P < 0.001; F (10, 361) = 77.20; η  2 = 0.550, ω  2 = 0.538] among weekly topics, regardless of experimental group. Most notably, scores for the cells and tissues, neural anatomy, and neural physiology exam questions were lower ( P ≤ 0.05) than the exam questions for the other topics. Performance scores for the exam questions were positively correlated (ρ = 0.28, P < 0.001) with cumulative GPA.

Laboratory final exam performance scores. Undergraduate students in a physiology course completed one of two versions of a weekly homework assignment 5 d after the respective topic was presented in class. The LOCS version of each homework contained 10 questions designed to require lower-order cognitive skills. The HOCS version contained five questions requiring lower-order cognitive skills and five questions requiring higher-order cognitive skills. Two days later, students completed an in-class quiz with 10 questions designed to require lower-order cognitive skills. At semester’s end, students completed a comprehensive final practical exam with questions for each topic designed to require lower-order cognitive skills.

The testing effect is a practical method to create desirable difficulties for students during knowledge acquisition, which in turn strengthens their knowledge retention ( Bufe and Aslan, 2018 ). However, its effectiveness when used for high-complexity concepts is perhaps less clear. In this study, we found that the benefits of the testing effect appeared to be dynamic, and our attempt to create the effect by using assessment questions designed to induce increased cognitive processing did not produce the expected desirable difficulties. In order for desirable difficulties to be created, students must successfully retrieve the information required to complete the more challenging task ( Roediger III et al., 2009 ). However, our students were not as successful when their weekly homework assignments (i.e., retrieval practices) contained questions that required HOCS rather than LOCS, as their performance scores on these homework assignments were lower for the majority of topics. Consequently, we observed no evidence for improved knowledge retention in students assigned the more challenging version of each weekly homework, as these students performed similarly on subsequent in-class quizzes and on the final practical exam as those assigned the less challenging version of the respective homework. The homework questions designed to require HOCS were intended to create greater challenges for the learner, which were expected to strengthen learning. Instead, however, they may have created a scenario in which the cognitive processing required to complete the retrieval practice produced an overly heavy working memory load, which has been shown to diminish the benefits ( Van Merriënboer and Sweller, 2010 ; Haji et al., 2016 ). A more robust assessment of these processes along with student feedback regarding their perceptions of these types retrieval practices may provide insight into the changes needed to produce desirable difficulties via HOCS homework questions.

Our inclusion of more challenging questions on homework assignments did not produce the intended desirable difficulties for students learning complex physiological topics. The ability of the testing effect to create desirable difficulties during knowledge acquisition has been well documented ( Carpenter and DeLosh, 2006 ; Agarwal et al., 2008 ; Karpicke and Roediger, 2008 ; Carpenter, 2009 ; Pyc and Rawson, 2010 ). However, previous studies have utilized cognitive tasks that were intentionally less robust, such as memorization of word lists ( Zaromb and Roediger, 2010 ), pairing of foreign language words ( Toppino and Cohen, 2009 ), or memorization of simple facts ( McDaniel et al., 2012 ). Other studies indicate that when complex tasks requiring high element interactivity (i.e., having multiple interacting elements that must be learned simultaneously) are used in retrieval practices, testing effect benefits are diminished or even reversed ( Sweller, 2010 , 2011 ). By designing homework questions consistent with either the lower or higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy, we sought to deliver retrieval practices that facilitated either LOCS and HOCS, respectively, which we expected would differ in the required cognitive processes and thus the working memory load ( Sweller, 2011 ). Specifically, LOCS homework questions were designed to be less cognitively demanding and have minimal element interactivity, whereas HOCS homework questions were designed to require the incorporation of multiple elements and more robust problem solving. Ultimately, however, students were less successful on the HOCS questions, which likely explain the lack of a beneficial impact on short-term or long-term knowledge retention. Simultaneous processing of multiple elements imposes a more profound working memory load, and when the capacity and/or duration of the learner’s working memory is exceeded, the task is not successful and learning is not extended ( Leahy et al., 2015 ). In such scenarios, the additional challenges do not produce desirable difficulties but rather impediments (i.e., our HOCS questions simply created difficulties ). For high complexity tasks, learners may instead experience more benefit from restudying or relearning information in order to process all components of the task into long-term memory before they can successfully retrieve the information to complete a task ( Van Gog and Sweller, 2015 ). It is worth noting that students in our study were not exposed to HOCS questions on any other assessments or practice retrievals during the course (in-class worksheet, in-class quiz, or final practical exam). Thus, the novelty of these more challenging questions without guided instruction likely produced an excessive extraneous load, as the material presentation was perhaps too complex for students to reliably make the necessary conceptual connections. As such, it is possible that students would have benefited from greater exposure to HOCS-style questions throughout the course or from a tutorial regarding how to best approach these questions. In addition, students were provided only standardized pre-prepared feedback within the Canvas portal on their homework assignments, which identified and briefly explained the correct answer but did not comprehensively explain the thought process. Indeed, individualized feedback correcting the cognitive processes together with more thorough reviews of the homework assignments would have likely benefited student performance on subsequent assessments.

The lack of improvement in shorter-term knowledge retention associated with the HOCS versions of homework assignments when assessed by quizzes in the first few days was not unprecedented. Previous studies found the greatest benefit of desirable difficulties on knowledge retention occurs at an interval of at least one week ( Wheeler et al., 2003 ; Dobson and Linderholm, 2015 ; Rawson, 2015 ). Although the greatest benefits from the testing effect occur after a delay between the acquisition phase and the first retrieval practice ( Roediger III and Karpicke, 2006 ; Cadaret and Yates, 2018 ), it is possible that our 5-d interval between introducing material and assigning the homework left too short of an interval between the retrieval practice and this initial assessment via in-class quiz. However, it is doubtful that the relative timing of our retrieval practice would have also contributed to the lack of improvement in longer-term knowledge retention at semester’s end. It is also possible that the lack of impact on performance was attributable to the high-achieving nature of the students enrolled in the course. The ASCI 340 course is designed primarily for students planning to pursue post-graduate scientific education, and students are explicitly informed of this as part of their academic advising. Moreover, the students enrolled in ASCI 340 for these two semesters entered with an average GPA of 3.41/4.00 and completed the course with an average overall course grade of 89.2%. High-performing students typically practice better study habits and self-regulated learning ( Wolters et al., 1996 ), and thus it is reasonable to speculate that the educational goals and capacity for high academic performance of these students may have superseded any impact created by manipulating homework questions. Finally, we cannot overlook the possibility that small relative contribution of each homework assignment created apathy regarding the necessary effort to successfully complete the HOCS versions of homework assignments, which would have also limited their impact.

The findings of this study allow us to conclude that the anticipated benefits of the testing effect on knowledge retention did not materialize from our use of high-complexity homework questions that required a higher level of cognitive processing. Although varying the degree of cognitive skills needed for success on these retrieval practices did not benefit student knowledge retention, it also did not appear to diminish it as it did in other studies. Further investigation is warranted to determine if the testing effect is in fact absent, perhaps due to excessive cognitive load required for the homework questions, and whether adjustments to this technique can be made to achieve the expected benefits when learning complex STEM concepts. Greater familiarity with HOCS questions and prior instruction regarding how to best approach them may be necessary to maximize the benefit of the testing effect with this approach, as it would lighten extraneous load. Furthermore, utilizing this technique to create desirable difficulties for complex topics in more diverse student populations may result in a more robust effect than in this student population. There is substantial evidence to indicate the benefits of test-enhanced learning, but the present study highlights several gaps in knowledge regarding potential limitations to its effective implementation. A better understanding will provide tools for instructors to implement in their classroom with ease in order to enhance student learning and knowledge retention.

Supplementary Material

Skab246_suppl_supplementary_materials, abbreviations.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no real or perceived conflicts of interest.

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Nix Homework to Help Students? What the Science Says

A Texas teacher's note to parents about her newly implemented "no formal homework policy" in her second-grade class went viral last week, opening up the floodgates for parents, teachers and school administrators to weigh in on this controversial topic.

In the note, teacher Brandy Young told parents that her students' only homework would be work that they did not finish during the school day.

Instead of having kids spend time on homework , parents should "spend your evenings doing things that are proven to correlate with student success," Young said. She recommended that parents " eat dinner as a family , read together, play outside and get your child to bed early," strategies that she suggests are more closely tied to a child's success in the classroom than doing homework.

Young's rationale for her new policy, as she explained in her note, was that "research has been unable to prove that homework improves student performance." [ 10 Scientific Tips for Raising Happy Kids ]

Live Science spoke with three educators who have conducted research on homework and student performance to fact-check this statement, and to find out what studies have shown about homework's positive and negative effects.

Keys to student success

It's accurate to suggest that studies have found no correlation between homework in elementary school and a student's academic performance , but there is one important exception worth mentioning, said Denise Pope, a senior lecturer at the Stanford University Graduate School of Education.

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Research has shown that free reading , or allowing students to read whatever books they want, does improve their academic performance, Pope said. Some elementary school teachers assign free reading as homework, but kids and parents do not always perceive these assignments as true homework that must be completed, she explained. [ Best Science-y Books for Kids ]

In middle school, the evidence shows a slight correlation between doing homework and academic achievement , but further improvement fades after a middle-school student has spent 60 to 90 minutes a night doing homework, said Pope, who is also the co-founder of Challenge Success, an organization that works with schools and families to develop research-based strategies that engage kids and keep them healthy.

But it's tricky to draw conclusions from homework studies, because these studies use such varied ways of measuring a student's academic performance, Pope said. Some researchers use standardized test scores to measure achievement, while others use students' grade-point averages, she said.

Another variable that can complicate the results of homework studies is that it's hard to know who is actually doing the assignment when it's taken home, Pope said. For example, a student could get help from a parent , tutor, sibling or classmate to complete the work.

In high school, there is a strong correlation between students who do 2 hours of homework a night and higher levels of academic achievement, but again, this improvement fades when students exceed the 2-hour threshold, Pope told Live Science. [ Top 5 Benefits of Play ]

Pope said she considers the advice that the viral note offered to parents —to eat dinner as a family, read together, play outside and get a child to bed early — to be "spot on." She added that there is "really good research" to correlate these four variables with student success.

Studies suggest that to perform at their best in school, kids in second grade need sufficient sleep , playtime with their siblings and friends, and downtime, meaning time to transition from school to home. Kids also benefit from regular family time, which ideally takes place five times a week for at least 25 minutes and could take the form of a family meal, Pope said. Making time for reading is also important for a child's success in the classroom, she said.

Learning through practice

But not all educators share Pope's opinions of a no-homework policy for second graders.

The contention that "research is unable to prove that homework improves student performance" is an overstatement, said Harris Cooper, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, who has been researching homework and student performance for 30 years.

"Even in kids as young as age 7, research shows that homework in particular areas can help students learn, especially things children need to learn through practice," said Cooper, the author of "The Battle Over Homework" (Corwin, 2006).

Even when looking at levels as early as second grade, studies have found that kids who study a little bit at home may do better on spelling, vocabulary and math tests given in the classroom, Cooper told Live Science. However, he noted that the correlation between doing homework and higher academic achievement is not as strong in elementary students, who generally don't get much homework, as it is in middle-school and high-school students.

Rather than a no-homework policy for second graders, Cooper said he would recommend that homework for kids at this age be kept short and simple. It should take no more than about 20 minutes a night for second graders to complete their homework, he said.

To estimate an appropriate amount of time for students to spend doing homework, educators may use "the 10-minute rule" which means multiplying a child's grade level by 10 minutes of homework a night, Cooper explained. That means first graders get 10 minutes of homework, second graders get 20 and so on.

Besides just the skills in math, reading or other subjects themselves, homework can have positive effects on children's time-management and study skills, Cooper said. It can also help keep parents informed of what children are learning at school, and help make Mom and Dad aware of their child's strengths and weaknesses, he said.

But too much homework in second grade or assignments that are too hard can have a negative impact on young learners, Cooper said. "The last thing you want is for a 7-year-old to be bored [or] frustrated, or think that he or she is not good in school," he added.

Some parents who are extremely concerned about ensuring that their children achieve to their maximal ability may put pressure on educators, and this has led some teachers to assign students too much homework, especially at the high-school level, Cooper said.

But the key is for students to get the right amount of homework — not too much of it and not too little — so that it can have positive effects on learning and school performance, Cooper said.

Homework and family life

But other educators are steadfast that the right amount of homework in elementary school may be little to none.

Research suggests that homework in elementary school does not have a positive effect on student achievement, and could even have a negative impact, said Etta Kralovec, an associate professor of teacher education at the University of Arizona South, and the author of "The End of Homework" (Beacon Press, 2001).

The findings are more complex in middle- and high-school students, with many studies finding a correlation between classroom grades and homework, Kralovec said. But these results could also raise additional questions, because tracking students — separating them into lower-level and advanced-level classes, for example — also begins at these grades, and kids in the higher-track classes are often assigned more homework.

It may not be that homework actually causes students to get better grades in high school or middle school, it could be that students who do more homework were better students to begin with, Kralovec said.

It's also hard to know how much actual time students truly spend on homework, because most research relies on self-reported data from students, parents or teachers, Kralovec said. The amount of time a student reports spending on homework can differ from a parent's report of it, and it can also differ from the amount of time a teacher estimates students will need in order to complete the assignment, Kralovec explained.

Despite the research, the amount of time students spend doing homework remains a highly contentious topic in education, Kralovec told Live Science. And when a teacher's short note to parents about a no-homework policy goes viral, it shows that this topic has hit a very important nerve in the American family experience, she said.

Family life today is really challenging compared with decades past — with more working mothers and some parents working two or three jobs to make ends meet — and homework can add yet another stressor to the mix, Kralovec said.

If parents feel that the amount of homework students receive is too much and may be encroaching on family time, one strategy they may try is to get organized with other parents, Kralovec suggested.

Each school district may set its own policies about the amount of homework given to students. When parents have banded together in their communities, they have often been successful at having public discussions with administrators and teachers, and even moving assignment levels back to healthier levels, she said.

Originally published on Live Science .

Cari Nierenberg has been writing about health and wellness topics for online news outlets and print publications for more than two decades. Her work has been published by Live Science, The Washington Post, WebMD, Scientific American, among others. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in nutrition from Cornell University and a Master of Science degree in Nutrition and Communication from Boston University.

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How to help kids with working memory issues.

Supportive strategies

Writer: Rae Jacobson

Clinical Experts: Matthew Cruger, PhD , Linda Hecker, MEd

What You'll Learn

• What is working memory?
• Why is working memory important?
• How can we help kids with working memory issues?

Working memory involves keeping in mind the information you need to complete a task. Problems with working memory can affect kids in and out of school. But parents can help by teaching kids strategies that improve working memory.

When kids have trouble following instructions, it’s often a sign that they’re struggling with working memory. Breaking tasks down into smaller steps can help. Instructions with lots of steps are hard for kids with working memory issues. Instead, try focusing on one task at a time: “We’re getting ready to have dinner soon. It’s time to put your toys away. When you’re finished, let me know and I’ll tell you what to do next.”

When kids try to tackle too much at once it makes for sloppy work and creates anxiety. Something like writing a paper requires a huge amount of working memory. Remembering important information. Coming up with and organizing ideas. Using the right spelling and grammar. Trying to do everything at once can be overwhelming.

Instead, help your child break the assignment down into manageable parts. For example, coming up with ideas. Then writing an outline. Then writing a draft…and so on. Doing one thing at a time will make it less stressful and more productive.

Routines are very helpful for kids with working memory issues. When kids get in the habit of a task it no longer needs as much working memory. Find a pattern that works and stick with it. Don’t expect kids to get it right away. Offering reminders and praising your child’s efforts will help them stick with the routine until it sinks in.

Tools like to-do lists and reminders also make it easier for kids to remember important information. Help your child find tools that work — a reminder on their phone or a homework planner they’ll actually use — and make them part of the routine.

Some kids with working memory problems may benefit from medication. If your child has ADHD or executive functioning issues, it might be helpful to meet with a clinician. With or without medication, the best way to help is to support kids in building strategies that work.

Problems with working memory — the ability to keep in mind the information you need to complete a task — affect kids both in and out of school. But there are things parents can do and strategies kids can learn that can help them succeed, even if it doesn’t come automatically to them.

Get to know your child’s limits

If you’ve given your child what feels like a reasonable set of instructions , but they keep getting off track, it’s a good sign that they’ve reached the limits of their working memory . Tuning in to when — and how often — your child starts to lose the thread will help you get a clearer picture of their capacity to hold information. Once you know where their limits lie, you’ll be able to use that as a guide for giving effective directions.

For example, if you notice your child has a hard time following multi-step directions, try breaking tasks down into smaller, more manageable steps:

• Don’t: give a string of instructions, like “Go put your toys away, then put the bike back in the garage, wash your hands and let your sister know it’s time for dinner.”
• Do: Try focusing on one task at a time: “We’re getting ready to have dinner soon. It’s time to put your toys away. When you’re finished, let me know and I’ll tell you what to do next.”

Break it down

Schoolwork that seems simple on the surface may actually require a lot of working memory. With kids trying to tackle too much at once it often translates to sloppy — or unfinished — work and creates anxiety. Teasing out the micro-tasks will help you and your child break the assignment down into manageable parts.

For example, when children are writing an essay they’re using their working memory to recall important information, generate and organize ideas , use correct spelling and grammar, and even make sure their writing is legible. Trying to think through everything at once can clutter up their mental scratchpad. Instead encourage them to approach one task at a time:

• Generate and write down major ideas
• Examine the information and create a thesis statement
• Outline the structure
• Write a rough draft (don’t worry about spelling or punctuation)
• Edit and polish

Breaking homework assignments or study sessions down into manageable chunks will help your child avoid cognitive overload, work more effectively and develop good study habits.

Create routines

Helping kids get into routines is essential for helping with working memory. “Routines are the goal,” says Linda Hecker, MEd , the lead education specialist at the Landmark College Institute for Research and Training. “When we’re able to automate a task it no longer requires working memory to function. Remembering what to do next takes up cognitive workspace — and that’s not necessary.” Here are some tips for creating routines :

• Be consistent : Routines should be just that — routine . Find a pattern that works and stick with it.
• Be patient : It takes time to build effective habits , and distractions happen. Don’t expect kids to get it right away. Offering reminders and praising your child’s efforts to stay on course will help them stick with the routine until it sinks in.
• For example, visual clues could be: Drawing a picture to illustrate how an essay is structured, writing out the order of steps for a math problem, using post-it notes as reminders around the house
• Verbal cues could range from saying each task out loud before he does it, “Step 3, put my homework in my backpack for tomorrow…” to making up a song or poem to help him commit important information — like commonly used math formulas or the names of all 50 states — to long-term memory.

Not everything needs to be remembered. Tools like to-do lists, organizers and reminders free up vital “workspace” and make it easier for kids to remember important information. “Externalizing organizational tasks takes some of the pressure off working memory,” explains Hecker. “I encourage my students to write everything down — assignments, ideas, anything they want to remember later.”

But remember, organizational tools only work if they’re used. Help your child find the tools that work for them and make the tools part of their routine.

“Kids often truly believe that they’ll remember information later on, so they don’t write it down,” says Matthew Cruger , PhD, a neuropsychologist in the Learning and Development Center at the Child Mind Institute. Then later, when they can’t remember all the things they need to finish the homework assignment, they’re frustrated and embarrassed.

But the next day the same thing happens again. They’re sure they can remember what they need to do — right up until they can’t.

Help your child get into the habit of writing down important information — homework assignments, dates for field trips, that brilliant idea for building the best robot ever — right away, even if they think they’ll be able to remember it.

“Medications that enhance attention can help with working memory,” explains Dr. Cruger. ADHD medications don’t treat working memory issues, but they do reduce distractibility and increase focus, which makes it easier for kids to access their working memory. But Dr. Cruger notes, “It’s still essential to provide clear direction and manageable instructions.”

Researchers are studying if methods like brain training can actually improve working memory capabilities. As research expands, we may learn more about the effectiveness of these strategies, but at the moment the long-term benefits aren’t clear. Computer games, apps and memory games can be used alongside other strategies, but it’s important to stick with established supports as well.

The bottom line

For now the best way to help kids with working memory issues is to focus on creating and practicing healthy, effective coping strategies. Creating routines, using tools and offering support helps children develop strategies they’ll be able to fall back on for the rest of their lives.

Frequently Asked Questions

You can help improve your child’s working memory by getting to know their limits, breaking down tasks into smaller steps, creating routines, and using organizational tools like planners.

You can help your child retain information by encouraging them to do one task at a time. Break homework assignments or study sessions down into manageable chunks to help your child avoid cognitive overload.

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How to Engage Students’ Memory Processes to Improve Learning

Strategies like connecting new information to students’ prior knowledge guide them to store what they’re learning in long-term memory.

We’ve all been there. Weeks of carefully planned lessons, and at the end of the unit, the students take the test, and the results are disappointing. How can that be? How is it possible that the students didn’t learn the content after all that teaching? It’s simple, really: They didn’t transfer their learning to long-term memory.

Thanks to advances in neuroscience and cognitive psychology, we now know a lot about how memory works. Here are the basics: First, we engage different types of memory depending on the task. Second, being able to retrieve information stored in long-term memory is an essential part of learning. Third, forgetting is a natural process. Our brains regularly sort through information when we sleep (and while we’re awake) to determine what’s important to save and what isn’t.

When it comes to instruction, it’s helpful for teachers to understand the different types of memory, when and how to engage them, and how to instruct students in such a way that they can move new information from their working memory to long-term memory.

The Types of Memory Involved in Learning

The first type of memory engaged when learning is our short-term or working memory. Working memory is temporary storage with limited capacity. Generally speaking, the younger the student, the smaller the capacity. Children who are the same age can have widely varying capacities for working memory. We see this when we ask them to pay attention and follow directions.

In the book Uncommon Sense Teaching , the writers describe working memory as a juggling octopus: “Too many balls at once, and poof, everything falls away!” So, depending on the complexity of the direction or task, it’s important to support students who have different capacities for working memory. We can do this by repeating directions, writing directions down, and supporting tasks with visuals.

The second type of memory engaged while learning is our long-term memory. It exists in the cortex and, unlike our working memory, has an unlimited storage capacity. Long-term memory is broken into two main categories: explicit and implicit. Explicit memory uses the conscious recollection of information, experiences, and concepts. Implicit memory is unconscious memory or performing activities without having to think about them, such as riding a bike. The trick is being able to retrieve the information once it’s stored.

Research on memory shows that our rote memory is very limited, and it’s easy to forget things. When presented with information in isolation or in random order, our brains have a very difficult time encoding it into our long-term memory. According to the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve , we forget a lot of what we learn over time. The more time that passes, the more we forget. This happens relatively quickly, and it’ll be lost forever unless we consciously review the information over time. So just because you taught it once doesn’t mean your students are going to remember it.

How can educators enhance students’ ability to remember? Several strategies supported by research can have a significant impact on a student’s ability to remember new learning.

Research-Backed Strategies

Activating background knowledge: Background knowledge is super-important for learning—there may already be a neural pathway in the brain for the new information to connect to and strengthen. We need to activate those connections before we begin teaching the new content or skill. Concept mapping, word webs, KWL charts, think/pair/share activities, and videos are all strategies that awaken previous knowledge and enhance the process of encoding new information.

Having strong background knowledge can actually improve our working memory. Research on schema-based learning reveals that new learning can embed more easily in the neocortex.

Using retrieval practice:  If we can’t recall the information, we haven’t learned it. Students can utilize helpful retrieval practice strategies such as using flash cards, writing down a summary of the day’s learning, and reacting to the lesson by stating three main points and their importance. Try using entrance and exit tickets, giving frequent quizzes, and using programs like Kahoot and Quizlet .

Contextualizing learning:  Make learning relevant and interactive. Mix up lessons so that your students don’t have to listen to you talk for more than 10 minutes at a time. They have to use their working memory, which has a very limited capacity, to follow a lecture, so stop and have them do the following:

• Turn and talk to a partner
• Do a demonstration
• Incorporate active learning or hands-on learning intermittently
• Summarize or draw a picture that encompasses the main points of the learning
• Use concept mapping or story mapping strategies throughout a lesson

Using interleaved practice: Make connections. When teachers use interleaved practice, they help students make connections to different topics while learning. For example, they may be learning about a particular historical event, but you then connect it to something else that was going on at the time that was also impacted. This term also describes mixed practice, so maybe your students are revisiting addition and subtraction facts when they practice new multiplication facts. Research shows that interleaving improves retention of new information and results in faster acquisition of the information.

Learning depends on our ability to store new information in our long-term memory and our ability to retrieve that information when we need it. Understanding and applying foundational research on memory can help teachers enhance student learning by improving students’ ability to move new learning from working memory to long-term memory.

When students transfer information into long-term memory, their working memory doesn’t have to work so hard, and they are able to grapple with novel, complex topics quicker and more efficiently. Learning becomes less of a struggle, and students may feel smarter and more confident. When students feel this way, they’re more willing to stick with difficult concepts and problems—allowing them to learn deeply. Ultimately, teachers can see better learning outcomes on assessments, which makes them energized and confident too.

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“I Remembered Not to Forget!” How to Improve Working Memory in Children

If complex instructions or information fly easily out of your child’s mind, use these in-school and at-home tips to reduce the nagging and improve his working memory..

Working memory is the ability to hold information in mind while performing complex tasks. A young child is able to execute simple tasks — sharpen his pencil when asked — while one in middle school can remember the expectations of multiple teachers.

Since students with attention deficit disorder (ADD or ADHD) and learning disabilities often have problems with short-term memory, it is important to reduce the amount of routine information they must remember. Keeping their memory free for the key part of the task in front of them is essential.

Parents and teachers can help students with ADHD develop strategies for remembering more, and — most importantly — routinely using the strategies they came up with.

How to Improve Working Memory in Children at School

Put homework assignments in writing. Write each assignment on the blackboard in the same place every day, so that students know where to find it. Kids with ADHD may not be listening or paying attention when you give them oral instructions — and you can’t rely on them to always remember instructions.

Make checklists. One way to reduce memory demands is to provide your class with a list of the steps required to complete an assignment. The instructions should be brief.

[ Take This Test: Does Your Child Have a Working Memory Deficit? ]

Find out what they heard. Have students with weak working memory repeat assignment instructions and clarify any parts that they may have forgotten.

Make time at the end of class for students to write down homework in their assignment books. Make sure the kids with ADHD are doing what you’ve asked. Fun, visual reminders can also help. For an essay assignment, for instance, have each student trace her hand on a piece of paper and then write the name of one part of the essay in each finger: thesis statement, topic sentences for the first, second, and third paragraph, and conclusion.

Make eye contact with a child before giving him a classroom assignment.

Keep homework assignments on the school website up-to-date. Parents of kids with ADHD depend on this information to make sure their kids know what to do.

Speak slowly and provide information in small units. Given too much information at once, a child with weak working memory quickly loses track. She may still be working through the first few minutes of the lesson after you’ve moved on.

[ Click to Download: 11 Tips for Redirecting Focus ]

Make lectures interactive. To get kids with weak working memory to remember something important, structure the lecture to include responses from them. For instance, when teaching a math lesson, you might encourage students to volunteer to share what they learned about fractions, division, or whatever material was covered that day. Repeating a key point will help anchor it in their memories.

Use wild and wacky strategies.  Presenting information in a typical fashion may not grab a student’s attention, but a curve ball can help grasp it for better recall later.

Use brain breaks or movement and exercise.  Exercise increases blood flow to the brain and helps students think more clearly. So, rather than have students raise their hands to answer, you can have them do jumping jacks by their chairs. You can also encourage movement by letting kids walk to the water fountain for a break.

Have a routine for handing in homework assignments. Some teachers ask students to place their completed work on their desk as soon as they sit down for class — and then check off in their grade books that the homework was done. Another idea: Make handing in homework the “ticket to get out of class” at the end of the day. Stand by the door and collect it as the students leave. As you can imagine, kids will comply when the alternative is having to stay in school one minute longer.

Talk with students about what to do if they forget something. Assign — or ask students to select — a study buddy they can talk with if they’ve forgotten what they’re supposed to do for homework or can’t remember what to do in class.

Use an analog clock during lessons to help your students with time management. They will be able to keep track of how much time has passed and how much remains.

Call close attention to due dates and key concepts. Post them, refer to them frequently, and remind parents and students in notes home, newsletters, or school voicemail. For essential themes delivered when instructing, use cues like, “This is important!” It also helps to frame important information with numbers i.e. “Remember 5 things.”

Ask students to design their own “tickler systems” — ways to remind themselves of things they must remember (permission slips, lunch money, gym clothes). This could lead to a class discussion, to give students a chance to share the strategies that work for them.

How to Improve Working Memory at Home

Assign a designated place for your child to put important stuff — house keys, wallet, sports equipment. As soon as he gets home from school, make sure he puts those things where they belong. A reward for following through — or a penalty for not — will reinforce the habit of staying organized.

Create a reminder checklist to make sure your child has everything she needs to bring to school. In the beginning, watch as she goes through the checklist, to make sure she’s putting every item in her backpack. Do not repeat what’s on the list, but ask her to tell you (this helps to transfer the information from your working memory to hers). Have your child use the checklist when she finishes her homework the night before, to avoid rushing around in the morning.

Make, and use, to-do lists yourself, so that your child sees this is a lifelong coping strategy. Life is too complicated to expect kids to commit everything to memory!

Brainstorm with your child about ways he can remember important things. Can he write it on the back of his hand, program his smartphone to remind him, ask friends with better memories to prompt him?

Homework Routines to Improve Working Memory

Get permission from teachers for your child to e-mail her assignments. This is easy for kids who do homework on the computer. Some families scan the homework on a scanner and e-mail it to the teacher. This tip won’t strengthen working memory, but it’s a good coping strategy for students with weak executive function.

Reward your child for remembering. E-mail teachers once a week to make sure all the homework was handed in. Give your child five points for all homework turned in, four points for missing only one assignment, and no points if he misses more than one. Create a menu of rewards the child can earn. Allot more points for more complex assignments.

Give your child a homework routine to follow. Homework is a complex series of subtasks that must be completed in sequential order. It requires plenty of working memory. Teach your child that, in order to complete a homework assignment, he must:

• Know what the assignment is
• Record the assignment
• Bring the required materials home
• Do the homework
• Return the homework to his bookbag or backpack
• Bring the completed homework to school.

Morning Routines to Improve Working Memory

Have your child tape-record the steps of his morning routine. Listening to his own voice on playback creates less tension than your nagging him about what to do. If he forgets a step, he can just rewind the tape to figure out what he missed.

Rehearse with your child what you expect him to remember right before the situation. For example, if he needs to ask the teacher for a study guide or one-on-one help, prep him by asking, “So, what do you need to say to your teacher when you go up to her desk?”

Use digital reminders. With children in middle school, use cell phones, text messages, or instant messages to remind them of things they have to do.

Keep external distractions to a minimum — turn off the TV or turn down the volume if you want your child’s full attention when you’re saying something important.

Follow through. Children with weak working memory will indicate that they did something — put their homework in their backpack, say — when you ask, but will proceed to forget. Until the child gets used to taking action when prompted, check on him to make sure he did what he told you.

[ Get This Free Download: 10 Solutions for Disorganization at School ]

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How to boost brain power at any age

Tip 1: give your brain a workout.

• Tip 2: Don't skip the physical exercise

Tip 3: Get your Zs

Tip 4: make time for friends, tip 5: keep stress in check, tip 6: have a laugh, tip 7: eat a brain-boosting diet, tip 8: identify and treat health problems, tip 9: take practical steps to support learning and memory, how to improve your memory.

Whether you’re looking to sharpen your mind, boost your mental performance, or preserve your memory as you age, these tips can help.

A strong memory depends on the health and vitality of your brain. Whether you’re a student studying for final exams, a working professional interested in doing all you can to stay mentally sharp, or a senior looking to preserve and enhance your grey matter as you age, there’s lots you can do to improve your memory and mental performance

They say that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but when it comes to the brain, scientists have discovered that this old adage simply isn’t true. The human brain has an astonishing ability to adapt and change—even into old age. This ability is known as  neuroplasticity . With the right stimulation, your brain can form new neural pathways, alter existing connections, and adapt and react in ever-changing ways.

The brain’s incredible ability to reshape itself holds true when it comes to learning and memory. You can harness the natural power of neuroplasticity to increase your cognitive abilities, enhance your ability to learn new information, and improve your memory at any age. These nine tips can show you how.

By the time you’ve reached adulthood, your brain has developed millions of neural pathways that help you process and recall information quickly, solve familiar problems, and execute habitual tasks with a minimum of mental effort. But if you always stick to these well-worn paths, you aren’t giving your brain the stimulation it needs to keep growing and developing. You have to shake things up from time to time!

Memory, like muscular strength, requires you to “use it or lose it.” The more you work out your brain, the better you’ll be able to process and remember information. But not all activities are equal. The best brain exercises break your routine and challenge you to use and develop new brain pathways.

Four key elements of a good brain-boosting activity

• It teaches you something new. No matter how intellectually demanding the activity, if it’s something you’re already good at, it’s not a good brain exercise. The activity needs to be something that’s unfamiliar and out of your comfort zone. To strengthen the brain, you need to keep learning and developing new skills.
• It’s challenging. The best brain-boosting activities demand your full and close attention. It’s not enough that you found the activity challenging at one point. It must still be something that requires mental effort. For example, learning to play a challenging new piece of music counts; playing a difficult piece you’ve already memorized does not.
• It’s a skill you can build on. Look for activities that allow you to start at an easy level and work your way up as your skills improve —always pushing the envelope so you continue to stretch your capabilities. When a previously difficult level starts to feel comfortable, that means it’s time to tackle the next level of performance.
• It’s rewarding. Rewards support the brain’s learning process. The more interested and engaged you are in the activity, the more likely you’ll continue doing it and the greater the benefits you’ll experience. So, choose activities that, while challenging, are still enjoyable and satisfying.

Think of something new you’ve always wanted to try, like learning how to play the guitar, make pottery, juggle, play chess, speak French, dance the tango, or master your golf swing. Any of these activities can help you improve your memory, so long as they keep you challenged and engaged.

What about brain-training programs?

There are countless brain-training apps and online programs that promise to boost memory, problem-solving skills, attention, and even IQ with daily practice. But do they really work?

Increasingly, the evidence suggests no. While these brain-training programs may lead to short-term improvements in whatever task or specific game you’ve been practicing, they don’t appear to strengthen or improve overall intelligence, memory, or other cognitive abilities.

Tip 2: Don’t skip the physical exercise

While mental exercise is important for brain health, that doesn’t mean you never need to break a sweat. Physical exercise helps your brain stay sharp. It increases oxygen to your brain and reduces the risk for disorders that lead to memory loss, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

[Read: The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise]

Exercise also enhances the effects of helpful brain chemicals and reduces stress hormones. Perhaps most importantly, exercise plays an important role in neuroplasticity by boosting growth factors and stimulating new neuronal connections.

Brain-boosting exercise tips

• Aerobic exercise is particularly good for the brain, so choose activities that keep your blood pumping. In general, anything that is good for your heart is great for your brain.
• Does it take you a long time to clear out the sleep fog when you wake up? If so, you may find that exercising in the morning before you start your day makes a big difference. In addition to clearing away the cobwebs, it also primes you for learning throughout the day.
• Physical activities that require hand-eye coordination or complex motor skills are particularly beneficial for brain building.
• Exercise breaks can help you get past mental fatigue and afternoon slumps. Even a short walk or a few jumping jacks can be enough to reboot your brain.

There is a big difference between the amount of sleep you can get by on and the amount you need to function at your best. The truth is that over 95% of adults need between 7.5 to 9 hours of sleep every night in order to avoid sleep deprivation. Even skimping on a few hours makes a difference! Memory, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and critical thinking skills are all compromised.

But sleep is critical to learning and memory in an even more fundamental way. Research shows that sleep is necessary for memory consolidation, with the key memory-enhancing activity occurring during the deepest stages of sleep.

Get on a regular sleep schedule. Go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time each morning. Try not to break your routine, even on weekends and holidays.

[Read: How to Sleep Better]

Avoid all screens for at least an hour before bed. The blue light emitted by TVs, tablets, phones, and computers trigger wakefulness and suppress hormones such as melatonin that make you sleepy.

Cut back on caffeine. Caffeine affects people differently. Some people are highly sensitive, and even morning coffee may interfere with sleep at night. Try reducing your intake or cutting it out entirely if you suspect it’s keeping you up.

Speak to a Licensed Therapist

BetterHelp is an online therapy service that matches you to licensed, accredited therapists who can help with depression, anxiety, relationships, and more. Take the assessment and get matched with a therapist in as little as 48 hours.

When you think of ways to improve memory, do you think of “serious” activities such as wrestling with the New York Times crossword puzzle or mastering chess strategy, or is it more lighthearted pastimes—hanging out with friends or enjoying a funny movie—that come to mind? If you’re like most of us, it’s probably the former. But countless studies show that a life full of friends and fun comes with cognitive benefits.

Healthy relationships: the ultimate brain booster

Humans are highly social animals. We’re not meant to survive, let alone thrive, in isolation. Relationships stimulate our brains—in fact, interacting with others may provide the best kind of brain exercise.

Research shows that having meaningful friendships and a strong support system are vital not only to emotional health, but also to brain health. In one recent study from the Harvard School of Public Health, for example, researchers found that people with the most active social lives had the slowest rate of memory decline.

There are many ways to start taking advantage of the brain and memory-boosting benefits of socializing. Volunteer , join a club, make it a point to see friends more often, or reach out over the phone. And if a human isn’t handy, don’t overlook the value of a pet —especially the highly-social dog.

Stress is one of the brain’s worst enemies. Over time, chronic stress destroys brain cells and damages the hippocampus, the region of the brain involved in the formation of new memories and the retrieval of old ones. Studies have also linked stress to memory loss.

Tips for managing stress

• Set realistic expectations (and be willing to say no!)
• Take breaks throughout the day
• Express your feelings instead of bottling them up
• Set a healthy balance between work and leisure time
• Focus on one task at a time, rather than trying to multi-task

[Read: Stress Management]

The stress-busting, memory-boosting benefits of meditation

The scientific evidence for the mental health benefits of meditation continues to pile up. Studies show that meditation helps improve many different types of conditions, including depression, anxiety, chronic pain, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Meditation also can improve focus, concentration, creativity, memory, and learning and reasoning skills.

Meditation works its “magic” by changing the actual brain. Brain images show that regular meditators have more activity in the left prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain associated with feelings of joy and equanimity. Meditation also increases the thickness of the cerebral cortex and encourages more connections between brain cells—all of which increases mental sharpness and memory ability.

Try one of HelpGuide’s free Audio Meditations .

You’ve heard that laughter is the best medicine , and that holds true for the brain and the memory, as well as the body. Unlike emotional responses, which are limited to specific areas of the brain, laughter engages multiple regions across the whole brain.

Furthermore, listening to jokes and working out punch lines activates areas of the brain vital to learning and creativity. As psychologist Daniel Goleman notes in his book Emotional Intelligence, “laughter seems to help people think more broadly and associate more freely.”

Looking for ways to bring more laughter in your life? Start with these basics:

Laugh at yourself. Share your embarrassing moments. The best way to take ourselves less seriously is to talk about the times when we took ourselves too seriously.

When you hear laughter, move toward it. Most of the time, people are very happy to share something funny because it gives them an opportunity to laugh again and feed off the humor you find in it. When you hear laughter, seek it out and try to join in.

Spend time with fun, playful people. These are people who laugh easily—both at themselves and at life’s absurdities—and who routinely find the humor in everyday events. Their playful point of view and laughter are contagious.

Surround yourself with reminders to lighten up. Keep a toy on your desk or in your car. Put up a funny poster in your office. Choose a computer screensaver that makes you laugh. Frame photos of you and your loved ones having fun.

Pay attention to children and emulate them. They are the experts on playing, taking life lightly, and laughing.

Just as the body needs fuel, so does the brain. You probably already know that a diet based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, “healthy” fats (such as olive oil, nuts, fish) and lean protein will provide lots of health benefits, but such a diet can also improve memory. For brain health, though, it’s not just what you eat—it’s also what you don ‘ t eat.

[Read: Eating Well as You Age]

The following nutritional tips will help boost your brainpower and reduce your risk of dementia:

Get your omega-3s. Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids are particularly beneficial for brain health. Fish is a particularly rich source of omega-3, especially cold water “fatty fish” such as salmon, tuna, halibut, trout, mackerel, sardines, and herring.

If you’re not a fan of seafood, consider non-fish sources of omega-3s such as seaweed, walnuts, ground flaxseed, flaxseed oil, winter squash, kidney and pinto beans, spinach, broccoli, pumpkin seeds, and soybeans.

Limit calories and saturated fat. Research shows that diets high in saturated fat (from sources such as red meat, whole milk, butter, cheese, cream, and ice cream) increase your risk of dementia and impair concentration and memory.

Eat more fruit and vegetables. Produce is packed with antioxidants, substances that protect your brain cells from damage. Colorful fruits and vegetables are particularly good antioxidant “superfood” sources.

Drink green tea. Green tea contains polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that protect against free radicals that can damage brain cells. Among many other benefits, regular consumption of green tea may enhance memory and mental alertness and slow brain aging.

Drink wine (or grape juice) in moderation. Keeping your alcohol consumption in check is key, since alcohol kills brain cells. But in moderation (around 1 glass a day for women; 2 for men), alcohol may actually improve memory and cognition. Red wine appears to be the best option, as it is rich in resveratrol, a flavonoid that boosts blood flow in the brain and reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Other resveratrol-packed options include grape juice, cranberry juice, fresh grapes and berries, and peanuts.

Do you feel that your memory has taken an unexplainable dip? If so, there may be a health or lifestyle problem to blame.

It’s not just dementia or Alzheimer’s disease that causes memory loss . There are many diseases, mental health disorders, and medications that can interfere with memory:

Heart disease and its risk factors. Cardiovascular disease and its risk factors, including high cholesterol and high blood pressure, have been linked to mild cognitive impairment.

[Read: Blood Pressure and Your Brain]

Diabetes. Studies show that people with diabetes experience far greater cognitive decline than those who don’t suffer from the disease.

Hormone imbalance. Women going through menopause often experience memory problems when their estrogen dips. In men, low testosterone can cause issues. Thyroid imbalances can also cause forgetfulness, sluggish thinking, or confusion.

Medications. Many prescription and over-the-counter medications can get in the way of memory and clear thinking. Common culprits include cold and allergy medications, sleep aids, and antidepressants. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about possible side effects.

Is it depression?

Emotional difficulties can take just as heavy a toll on the brain as physical problems. In fact, mental sluggishness, difficulty concentrating, and forgetfulness are common symptoms of depression. The memory issues can be particularly bad in older people who are depressed-so much so that it is sometimes mistaken for dementia. The good news is that when the depression is treated , memory should return to normal.

Pay attention. You can’t remember something if you never learned it, and you can’t learn something—that is, encode it into your brain—if you don’t pay enough attention to it. It takes about eight seconds of intense focus to process a piece of information into your memory. If you’re easily distracted, pick a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted.

Involve as many senses as possible. Try to relate information to colors, textures, smells, and tastes. The physical act of rewriting information can help imprint it onto your brain. Even if you’re a visual learner, read out loud what you want to remember. If you can recite it rhythmically, even better.

Relate information to what you already know. Connect new data to information you already remember, whether it’s new material that builds on previous knowledge, or something as simple as an address of someone who lives on a street where you already know someone.

For more complex material, focus on understanding basic ideas rather than memorizing isolated details. Practice explaining the ideas to someone else in your own words.

Rehearse information you’ve already learned. Review what you’ve learned the same day you learn it, and at intervals thereafter. This “spaced rehearsal” is more effective than cramming, especially for retaining what you’ve learned.

Use mnemonic devices to make memorization easier. Mnemonics (the initial “m” is silent) are clues of any kind that help us remember something, usually by helping us associate the information we want to remember with a visual image, a sentence, or a word.

6 types of mnemonic device

• Visual image – Associate a visual image with a word or name to help you remember them better. Positive, pleasant images that are vivid, colorful, and three-dimensional will be easier to remember.  Example: To remember the name Rosa Parks and what she’s known for, picture a woman sitting on a park bench surrounded by roses, waiting as her bus pulls up.
• Acrostic (or sentence) – Make up a sentence in which the first letter of each word is part of or represents the initial of what you want to remember.  Example: The sentence “Every good boy does fine” to memorize the lines of the treble clef, representing the notes E, G, B, D, and F.
• Acronym – An acronym is a word that is made up by taking the first letters of all the key words or ideas you need to remember and creating a new word out of them.  Example: The word “HOMES” to remember the names of the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior.
• Rhymes and alliteration – Rhymes, alliteration (a repeating sound or syllable), and even jokes are memorable way to remember more mundane facts and figures.  Example: The rhyme “Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November” to remember the months of the year with only 30 days in them.
• Chunking – Chunking breaks a long list of numbers or other types of information into smaller, more manageable chunks.  Example: Remembering a 10-digit phone number by breaking it down into three sets of numbers: 555-867-5309 (as opposed to 5558675309).
• Method of loci – Imagine placing the items you want to remember along a route you know well, or in specific locations in a familiar room or building.  Example: For a shopping list, imagine bananas in the entryway to your home, a puddle of milk in the middle of the sofa, eggs going up the stairs, and bread on your bed.

More Information

• Improving Memory - Understanding age-related memory loss. (Harvard Medical School Special Health Report)
• Achieving Optimal Memory - (Harvard Health Books)
• Don’t Forget! Playing Games With Memory - Games that test memory along with advice for improving recollection. (The Exploratorium, San Francisco)
• If Fish Is Brain Food, Can Fish Oil Pills Boost Brains, Too? - Evidence that eating fish is more effective than fish oil supplements. (NPR)
• Keep Your Brain Alive Exercise - Memory improvement exercises. (Neurobics.com)
• Derbyshire, E. (2018). Brain Health across the Lifespan: A Systematic Review on the Role of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplements. Nutrients, 10 (8), 1094. Link
• Ertel, K. A., Glymour, M. M., & Berkman, L. F. (2008). Effects of Social Integration on Preserving Memory Function in a Nationally Representative US Elderly Population. American Journal of Public Health, 98 (7), 1215–1220. Link
• Gomes-Osman, J., Cabral, D. F., Morris, T. P., McInerney, K., Cahalin, L. P., Rundek, T., Oliveira, A., & Pascual-Leone, A. (2018). Exercise for cognitive brain health in aging: A systematic review for an evaluation of dose. Neurology: Clinical Practice, 8 (3), 257–265. Link
• Leanos, S., Kürüm, E., Strickland-Hughes, C. M., Ditta, A. S., Nguyen, G., Felix, M., Yum, H., Rebok, G. W., & Wu, R. (2020). The Impact of Learning Multiple Real-World Skills on Cognitive Abilities and Functional Independence in Healthy Older Adults. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 75 (6), 1155–1169. Link
• McKim, D. B., Niraula, A., Tarr, A. J., Wohleb, E. S., Sheridan, J. F., & Godbout, J. P. (2016). Neuroinflammatory Dynamics Underlie Memory Impairments after Repeated Social Defeat. The Journal of Neuroscience, 36 (9), 2590–2604. Link
• Meditation and Mindfulness: What You Need To Know | NCCIH. (n.d.). Retrieved August 1, 2022, from Link
• Okereke, O. I., Rosner, B. A., Kim, D. H., Kang, J. H., Cook, N. R., Manson, J. E., Buring, J. E., Willett, W. C., & Grodstein, F. (2012). Dietary fat types and 4-year cognitive change in community-dwelling older women. Annals of Neurology, 72 (1), 124–134. Link
• Rasch, B., & Born, J. (2013). About Sleep’s Role in Memory. Physiological Reviews, 93 (2), 681–766. Link
• Seidler, R. (2007). Older adults can learn to learn new motor skills. Behavioural Brain Research, 183 (1), 118–122. Link
• The impact of diabetes on cognitive decline: Potential vascular, metabolic, and psychosocial risk factors | Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy | Full Text. (n.d.). Retrieved August 1, 2022, from Link

More in Healthy Aging

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Preventing or Slowing Down Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia

What you can do to reduce your risk or delay symptoms

Tips to help you or your loved one prevent falls and lower your risk

Nutrition tips to boost energy levels and increase resistance to illness

No matter your age, it’s never too late to get started

Tips to staying healthy as you get older

Tips to help you increase intimacy and enjoyment as you get older

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10+ Proven Reasons Why Homework Is Good For Students

• Post author By admin
• October 13, 2022

What’s more important than getting good grades? Many students will say that nothing is better than good academic marks. There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, good grades are a prize. Secondly, it is the symbol that you have accomplished something. Lastly, it is essential because they can indicate that you have earned the respect of your teacher.

There must be a connection between homework and higher accomplishments in Maths, Science, and English. In the United Kingdom, the Department of Education thinks that doing homework brings many benefits. If a student understands the value of homework, then homework can help increase productivity and motivate you.  

This blog will help you understand why homework is good and discuss all its benefits. But let’s first know what homework is.

Table of Contents

What is Homework?

Homework is defined as tasks students assign as an extension or elaboration of a classroom work that students do outside of class, either at home or in the library. In other words, it is the school work that a student is required to do at home.

Homework serves various educational needs such as an intellectual discipline, reinforces work done in school, establishes study habits, helps you learn time management, and many more. Below are the ten benefits of why homework is suitable for students. 

10 Beneficial Reasons Why Homework Is Good for Students

Homework is an integral part of your life because it develops core skills in young children that will serve them throughout school and their lives. According to a study, if you do homework regularly, it is considered an investment in your child’s future. Some vital life skills like improved grades, time management, discipline, using some resources, and improving communication can help your children succeed in their careers. 

By encouraging regular homework and supporting students with their assignments, you can expect to see the following benefits why homework is good:

• Increase Memory Power.
• Enhances Concentration. 
• Homework Strengthens Problem-Solving. 
• Helps in Developing Analytical Skills.
• Discipline Skills.
• Develops Time Management. 
• Better Understanding of Study. 
• Develop Better Future.
• Homework Helps Students Get Better Grades.
• Better Preparation for Exams.

Increase Memory Power

Homework is a great tool to practice something. The students use it to remember what they have learned in school. When students revise the same lesson taught in school at home, it will help them remember better. 

If you revise or do your homework repetitively, this will help you with long-term memory. Homework can be used to improve a student’s memory power. This is the first reason why homework is good.

Enhances Concentration

Students who spend more time on their homework without any distractions can focus better on what they are doing. Once you can concentrate better, it will also help you in exams. This is the second reason why homework is good.

Homework Strengthens Problem-Solving

Assignments are given as homework to help students solve problems on their own instead of asking for help from others which is very embarrassing. After solving many problems, students learn how to manage their time and find solutions to any problem on their own that they only encounter while working on homework. This is the third reason why homework is good.

Develops Time Management

As we mentioned earlier, students who spend time on their homework assignments have a better understanding of time management. After you better understand time management, getting better marks in exams is straightforward. As a result, homework plays a crucial role in developing time management skills. This is the fourth reason why homework is good.

Homework Helps Students Get Better Grades

The main aim of education is to receive better academic marks, which will further help you get the job of your dreams. Higher academic marks can open up several opportunities in the future. Many teachers use homework as a tool for students who are not that good at studying. Teachers often give relevant homework to the students to add to the future exam. As a result, if you revise your homework before an exam, getting better marks is high. This is the fifth reason why homework is good.

Develop Better Future

As we mentioned above, if students do well in their homework assignments, it will automatically boost their grades. If a student can do well in their homework, it will reflect that they are capable of handling challenging tasks given to them in the future. As a result, if you have better grades in school or university, the chances of getting the highest paying job are much higher. This is the sixth reason why homework is good.

Discipline Skills

Students who do their homework without any complaints are likely to develop discipline. Discipline is an important life skill that will help you in school and help you further in the future. This is the seventh reason why homework is good.

Discipline will help you when you have to work for someone else because discipline is first noticed. This is the most valuable quality employers would look for while choosing between candidates. 

Better Understanding of Study

When students revise the lessons again and again that they have learned in school at home, it helps them understand the subject better. If a student practices the same topic twice or more, then it is easier for the student to get an idea about the relevant topic. This is the eighth reason why homework is good.

Better Preparation for Exams

Studying for the exams can be a difficult task for the students. But if they revise the lessons that they have learned in school at home, it is easier for the students to learn and memorize the subject better. As a result, it will give you more confidence for the exam. This is the ninth reason why homework is good.

 Read our other blog to learn about the different facts about homework .

Helps in Developing Analytical Skills

When students are given homework that requires them to analyze information, it will help develop their analytical skills. It is the most valuable quality that students can possess. In other words, homework helps the students develop the analytical skills necessary for solving problems in the future. This is the last reason why homework is good.

Bonus Tips For Homework For Parents

• Make sure that your child has a quiet place to do homework if your children are doing homework in front of the television or in an area with other distractions. Then make sure to either turn off the tv or tell the kid to move somewhere with no distraction.  
• Always be optimistic about the homework, and tell your child how vital homework assignment is. Express a positive attitude regarding the task. 
• Establish a set timetable for each day for your children. Help your child to maintain time. Don’t let your child leave homework until it’s done. 
• Somehow, if your children ask for help, provide guidance, not answers.
• When the teacher says that you (parents) play an important role in homework, please cooperate with the teacher. Follow the directions that the teacher gives.
• Too much parent involvement is bad. If homework is meant to be done alone, please stay away from your children.
• Let your child take a short break. 
• If your child is getting better marks due to homework, reward them for those things they like. If they get better academic marks, then you can celebrate that success with a small event.

What is the importance of homework to school students?

Improves students’ knowledge 

Homework is a type of practice that needs to be done to achieve better results. If students get homework regularly, they become intelligent and answer questions effectively. 

Have a chance to explore

To complete the homework, students must solve the problems by researching them. Students have to search for an answer from different sources. Students get to explore new things while working from home in this process.

Make you Responsible

Apart from increasing study skills, homework helps build a sense of responsibility in the students. It means students take responsibility for their work to ensure it is complete and submitted before the last date. 

Brings Families Together

When students have homework, they usually ask their parents to help with the assignment. As a result, this allows the student to understand the work better. Asking for help from your parents or siblings will bring the family together. 

Why Homework Should Be Banned

After learning about why homework is good for students here you will get some reasons why homework should be banned .

• Homework Restricts A Student’s Freedom
• No Time For Exercises
• No Time To Play Outdoor Games
• Often Breaks Students’ Confidence
• Homework Doing Not An Achievement

Conclusion: Why Homework is Good

This blog provides you with ten reasons why homework is good.

Homework has many benefits for students. If they can complete all their homework seriously, it would help them improve their academic marks.

They can also prepare better for exams by studying the homework at home with the help of their parents. Overall, homework is an integral part of a student’s education, and it should not be taken lightly.

Also, Read: Is Homework Good or Bad

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a fact about homework.

A study by a top renowned university, Stanford University, found that 56% of the students or pupils say that the main cause of their stress is homework.

Does homework help in life?

Yes, homework helps students in life. Homework develops a good study habits among students and develop that sense of responsibility as students become responsible for completing their homework.

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How does homework enhance understanding and retention of lessons?

Homework has long been a fundamental component of formal education, aiming to reinforce learning through independent study outside of the classroom. Its purpose is to extend the learning process beyond the limited timeframe of a classroom setting, allowing students to engage further with the subject matter. One significant aspect of homework is its role in enhancing understanding and retention of lessons. By requiring students to review and practice what they have learned, homework provides invaluable opportunities to solidify new knowledge, develop essential skills, and deepen comprehension. In this discussion, we will explore the various ways in which homework positively contributes to enhancing students’ understanding and long-term retention of lessons.

Table of Contents

The Importance of Homework in Education

Homework has long been a staple in education, serving as a means to reinforce and extend learning beyond the classroom. While its effectiveness has been debated among educators and parents, there is compelling evidence to suggest that homework can indeed enhance understanding and retention of lessons . In this article, we will delve into the various ways in which homework contributes to the learning process and why it should be considered an integral part of education.

1. Reinforcing Concepts

One of the primary purposes of homework is to reinforce the concepts taught in class. Through practice and application, students can solidify their understanding of the material covered. When they engage with homework assignments, they are given the opportunity to revisit key concepts, apply problem-solving skills, and consolidate their learning. This repetition plays a crucial role in strengthening their knowledge and ensuring that it is retained for the long term.

2. Deepening Understanding

Homework provides students with the chance to delve deeper into a subject and explore it beyond the surface level. In a classroom setting, time constraints often limit the extent to which topics can be explored. However, homework allows students to engage with the material at their own pace, conduct additional research, and gain a more comprehensive understanding of the subject matter. By delving deeper into the material, students can develop critical thinking skills and form connections that enhance their overall comprehension.

3. Independent Learning

Another benefit of homework is that it promotes independent learning. By completing assignments outside of the classroom, students are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning and develop self-discipline. They learn to manage their time effectively, set goals, and seek out resources to aid their understanding. This sense of autonomy and self-direction fosters a lifelong love for learning and equips students with valuable skills that extend far beyond their academic journey.

4. Retention of Knowledge

Research suggests that the act of retrieving information from memory strengthens the neural pathways associated with that knowledge. Homework provides the perfect opportunity for students to engage in active recall, as they are required to retrieve information and apply it to solve problems or complete tasks. This process of retrieval enhances long-term retention, ensuring that the lessons learned in the classroom are firmly embedded in the students’ minds.

5. Application of Skills

Homework allows students to apply the skills and knowledge they have acquired in real-world contexts. By tackling authentic problems or engaging in practical tasks, students can see the relevance and applicability of what they have learned. This application of skills not only reinforces understanding but also helps students develop transferable skills that can be utilized beyond the classroom. Whether it is analyzing data, writing essays, or solving mathematical equations, homework provides a platform for students to put their knowledge into action.

In conclusion, homework serves as a valuable tool in enhancing understanding and retention of lessons. By reinforcing concepts, deepening understanding, promoting independent learning, facilitating retention, and encouraging the application of skills, homework plays a vital role in the learning process. However, it is important for educators to strike a balance and ensure that homework assignments are purposeful, meaningful, and manageable. When implemented effectively, homework can truly empower students and contribute to their overall academic success.

6. Feedback and Reflection

Homework provides an avenue for students to receive feedback on their progress and identify areas for improvement. When teachers review and provide feedback on homework assignments, students gain valuable insights into their strengths and weaknesses. This feedback loop allows them to reflect on their learning, make necessary adjustments, and seek further clarification if needed. By actively engaging with feedback, students can enhance their understanding and make strides towards mastery of the subject matter.

7. Preparation for Assessments

Homework plays a crucial role in preparing students for assessments such as quizzes, tests, and exams. By regularly practicing concepts through homework assignments, students become familiar with the types of questions and problems they may encounter in assessments. This familiarity reduces anxiety and helps students feel more confident when approaching exams. Homework also serves as a diagnostic tool for teachers, allowing them to gauge students’ understanding and tailor their instruction accordingly.

8. Parental Involvement

Homework offers an opportunity for parents to be involved in their child’s education. When parents assist their children with homework, they gain insights into their child’s learning progress and can provide additional support and guidance. This partnership between parents and teachers strengthens the educational experience and reinforces the importance of learning beyond the classroom walls.

In conclusion, homework serves as a valuable tool in education by enhancing understanding and retention of lessons. Through the reinforcement of concepts, deepening of understanding, promotion of independent learning, facilitation of retention, encouragement of skill application, provision of feedback and reflection, preparation for assessments, and fostering of parental involvement, homework contributes to the holistic development of students. However, it is essential for educators to strike a balance and ensure that homework assignments are purposeful, meaningful, and manageable, taking into account the individual needs and abilities of students. When implemented effectively, homework can empower students, cultivate a love for lifelong learning, and set them up for success in their academic journey and beyond.

What is the purpose of homework?

Homework serves as an extension of classroom learning, allowing students to practice and apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired during lessons. It provides an opportunity for students to reinforce their understanding of various concepts and foster deeper learning through independent study. Additionally, homework assists in developing important study habits, time management skills, and discipline.

How does homework enhance understanding of lessons?

Homework plays a crucial role in enhancing understanding of lessons by allowing students to revisit and review what they have learned in class. By applying the concepts independently, students can solidify their understanding, identify areas of confusion, and seek clarification if needed. It also helps students to connect different ideas from various lessons, reinforcing a coherent understanding of the subject matter.

Does homework improve retention of lessons?

Absolutely! The act of engaging with homework assignments aids in the retention of lessons. When students actively revisit and practice the material, they are more likely to retain the information in their long-term memory. Regularly spaced intervals of reviewing and recalling the content through homework assignments significantly enhance retention. It reinforces students’ ability to recall and apply the learned knowledge, which is crucial for long-term academic success.

Can homework help in identifying areas of difficulty?

Yes, homework serves as an excellent tool for identifying areas of difficulty and potential gaps in understanding. When students struggle with certain concepts while completing their homework, it highlights the need for further clarification or practice. Teachers can review and provide additional guidance to address these areas of difficulty, promoting a more comprehensive understanding of the lessons. Homework acts as a diagnostic tool, enabling teachers to tailor their instruction to meet the specific needs of students.

Are there any benefits to collaborative homework assignments?

Collaborative homework assignments can offer numerous benefits. When students work together on homework, it encourages discussion, sharing of ideas, and peer learning. This collaborative approach fosters a deeper level of understanding as students explain concepts to one another, ask questions, and engage in problem-solving together. It also enhances communication and teamwork skills, while promoting a sense of community within the classroom.

How can homework be made more effective?

To maximize the effectiveness of homework, it is important to ensure that assignments are meaningful, engaging, and relevant to the lessons taught. Homework should be designed to promote critical thinking, independent problem-solving, and application of knowledge. Providing timely and constructive feedback on completed assignments is also crucial. Additionally, considering the individual needs and abilities of students while assigning homework can help tailor the tasks to their specific learning objectives and enhance overall effectiveness.

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The Role of Memory in Professional Success: What It Is and Why It Matters

Let’s face it—forgetting important details at work can be more than just a minor annoyance; it can seriously derail your day. Whether it’s blanking on a client’s name during a meeting or missing a key deadline because it slipped your mind, memory plays a critical role in your professional success. But here’s the good news: you can train your memory just like you would a muscle. With the right strategies, you can sharpen your recall and stay on top of your game. We’ll explore what memory really is, break it down into bite-sized pieces, and share seven practical tips—tailored for the busy professional—to help you boost your memory and your productivity.

How Memory Fuels Your Workday

Think of your memory as the ultimate office assistant—always on hand to retrieve vital information, keep track of tasks, and remind you of important deadlines. But unlike your trusty notebook, memory isn’t just about scribbling things down; it’s a complex, dynamic system that involves various parts of your brain working in perfect harmony. Picture your brain as a well-oiled machine, with the hippocampus acting as the conductor, orchestrating the smooth flow of information.

Memory comes in different flavors, and understanding these can help you fine-tune your recall:

• Duration-Based Memory:  Picture sensory memory as a sticky note—you jot something down, but it’s only there for a second before it fades away. Short-term memory , on the other hand, is like a to-do list on your desk—it holds onto information temporarily, such as meeting notes or that email you need to send. Long-term memory is your office archive, storing crucial information like client preferences or company protocols for the long haul.
• Information Type:  At work, you rely heavily on verbal memory for remembering what’s said in meetings, during presentations, or in emails. Non-verbal memory kicks in when you need to recall a graph from a report or the layout of a project plan.
• Sensory-Based Memory:  Your visual memory helps you remember the layout of a spreadsheet or the last slide in a presentation. Auditory memory? That’s your go-to for recalling the discussion points from a conference call. And if you’ve ever had to remember how to operate a tricky piece of office equipment, that’s where haptic memory comes into play.

Think of memory as a three-step process: First, you encode the information (like when you really listen to what your boss is saying). Then, you store it in your brain’s filing system. Finally, when you need it—whether in a meeting, writing an email, or pitching a client—you retrieve that information and put it to use.

7 Essential Memory Hacks for Busy Professionals

Storytelling for Presentations:  Imagine you’re preparing for a big presentation. Instead of just memorizing the facts and figures, turn them into a story. For example, if you’re presenting a project timeline, think of it as a journey with each milestone being a key destination. By turning dry data into a narrative, you make it more engaging and way easier to remember when you’re in the spotlight.

Teach a Colleague:  Got a new process to learn? Instead of just going over it in your head, explain it to a colleague. This forces you to organize your thoughts and really understand the material. Plus, it’s a great way to show leadership and teamwork—double win!

Memory Anchors in Your Office:  Let’s say you need to remember to follow up on a client’s request later in the day. Place a specific object on your desk, like a brightly colored sticky note or a unique pen, as a visual anchor. Every time you see it, you’ll be reminded of that task, without having to constantly check your to-do list.

Create a Visual Task Board:  Got a lot on your plate? A visual task board can be your best friend. Use a whiteboard or a digital tool to map out your tasks. Color-code them, add symbols, and connect related tasks. Not only does this keep you organized, but it also reinforces your memory of what needs to get done. Imagine looking at your board and instantly knowing your next move—that’s the power of visual memory!

CogniFit Brain Training : Now, here’s where things get really interesting. CogniFit offers a set of brain games designed specifically to sharpen the kind of memory skills you need at work. Whether you need to enhance your working memory to juggle multiple tasks, improve visual memory for reading complex charts, or boost short-term memory for recalling key details in meetings, CogniFit has you covered.

What truly sets CogniFit apart is its targeted memory training program . The platform offers specific exercises aimed at improving different aspects of memory, such as short-term memory, working memory, and contextual memory. These exercises are scientifically designed to stimulate the neural connections responsible for memory processes, ensuring that you’re not just playing games but engaging in a structured program that adapts to your needs.

The best part? The platform adapts to your progress, meaning the more you improve, the more challenging and rewarding the games become. What makes CogniFit perfect for the busy professional is its flexibility. Each session is short enough to fit into a coffee break or during your lunch hour. Plus, you get detailed progress reports that show exactly how much you’re improving—talk about motivation! Imagine finishing a tough week at work and seeing how your memory skills have leveled up. That’s a win for you and your career.

Invent Mnemonic Devices for Tasks:  If you’ve got a process with multiple steps, try turning each step into a memorable word or phrase. For example, if you’re handling a client onboarding process, you could use the acronym “WELCOME” where each letter stands for a step in the process:

• W  –  Welcome  the client warmly.
• E  –  Evaluate  their needs.
• L  –  Learn  about their business.
• C  –  Create  a customized plan.
• O  –  Onboard  them into your system.
• M  –  Monitor  their progress.
• E  –  Engage  with them regularly.

Practice Active Recall in Meetings:  Instead of just jotting down everything in meetings, challenge yourself to mentally recap the main points every 10-15 minutes. Not only does this keep you engaged, but it also helps cement the information in your memory, so when your boss asks a question, you’ve got the answer ready to go.

By incorporating these exercises and tips into your daily routine, you’ll find yourself remembering more, stressing less, and performing better. Whether you’re turning a project into a story, using CogniFit to sharpen your skills, or creating mnemonic devices to breeze through processes, these strategies will help you excel in your professional life. So why wait? Start putting these tips into practice today, and watch your work performance reach new heights!

• Category: Brain Health
• Tag: brain , brain health , brain training , Improve memory , memory , professional success , types of memory

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/ Blog / How does homework improve your child's thinking and memory?

How does homework improve your child's thinking and memory?

Christopher Smith

16th february 2022.

Working memory is the process of retaining and working directly with knowledge held in the short-term memory. 

With some homework techniques that will improve your child's memory, you can help them achieve long-term success.  

Memory is essential for building a strong learning foundation. It benefits youngsters both in and out of the classroom. Working memory optimization will help a youngster do better in school, perform optimally on tests, and get the highest academic grades. 

Contrary to popular belief, people are not born with great memories. These abilities will hone over time. With practice, they will improve.

1: Improve your visualization skills. 

Reward your child while he or she does homework.  Encourage your child to picture what he or she reads or hears while doing school work. This will improve your visualization skills to help you recall your knowledge later.  

2: Encourage Your Children to Teach You 

 According to a study, we absorb 98 percent of what we teach. If you want to improve your child's working memory, ask them to teach you what they learn during homework. Teaching knowledge helps us understand the brain. The clearer the material, the easier it will be to remember when needed. 

3:Encourage active learning

Encourage your child to participate in discussions about the topic being taught. Ask questions that require your teenager to think critically about the topic as well as remember what he or she has seen or heard. This stimulates the mind and helps preserve memories. 

4: Use All Your Senses 

Using a multimodal approach to learning will make your child more interested in the topic. Use your senses of sight, hearing, and touch. Have a chat, use props, and educate your kids to be creative. When children are exposed to the material in a variety of ways, they form more thorough and personal relationships, which strengthen their understanding.

5: Improving Memory Using Games and Tricks  

Finally, as you try to activate and develop your working memory, encourage your child to do tricks that will help them remember the knowledge they are looking at while playing games and doing homework. 

This can help improve your child's performance skills. This helps them connect all the information they see during homework. These games and tricks will be very fun and interesting for your child. Learning becomes more interesting and fun for all participants when using games and tricks. 

The use of thinking and memory encourages the child to explain what the homework is before the homework help supports it. Before explaining, the young man should consider the meaning of the instructions. 

Before communicating the meaning of the instructions to the home helper, your child must first understand what the instructions mean. He learns to filter information so that others can understand what he is saying. This allows the child to go through visual and memory processes to complete tasks. 

6: All about fun 

A student's homework assistant should encourage the use of lecture-related visual memory games whenever possible. This is especially useful when learning basic math concepts such as multiplication tables, addition, subtraction, and simple division. 

For example, a teenager might ask, "What is 1+1?" Therefore, numbered cards may be the best method for answering the question.

He can ask you to find the correct answer in a pile of cards with visual numbers. Number cards that combine visualization and memory skills by associating objects with numbers, such as 1 apple + 1 apple = 2 apples, are called visual number cards. 

 7: Using Playing Cards 

The goal of the card game is achieved depending on whether the child is playing with real or virtual cards through homework. The goal is to improve memory by making children remember cards that have already been played in the game. 

Go Fish or Crazy Eight are two games that are often used in these situations. Homework teachers can help students develop linguistic relationships. 

8: Think, Read and Memorize 

Assignment help can encourage children to develop verbal relationships through reading, which helps them remember things better. In adults, this is called a keyword note. You can use your thinking and memory skills by reading information aloud to your children and then writing them down in memorized notes. 

9: Start with fewer instructions.

It is very important not to overload your child with instructions that must be memorized to complete homework. A professional homework helper will know how to instruct the child one by one, trying to repeat each lesson until the child understands. 

The child begins to think and understand instructions. Only after the young man has completed the task himself can he receive new instructions for the task. 

Teachers understand the importance of images in developing thinking and memory. The problem is that the time teachers allocate to classroom activities does not adequately support their students' learning. 

Teachers themselves admit that they need more help to improve their students' thinking and memory skills. This is where the homework teacher comes to the rescue. 

Teachers aren't the only ones helping with homework. They have the time to focus on a child's learning abilities in a way that school based education cannot.

Teachers aren't the only ones helping with homework. There is time to focus on your child's learning abilities that school teachers cannot. With fun online activities, Homework Assistant provides fun learning for kids. 

The child is completely unaware that he or she is acquiring a new skill or is honing an old skill. It is simply a game or story told to a child. It wasn't serious enough to be called a formal class, but it was still a class based on the purpose of the activity. 

Parents call homework a blessing when it helps children develop their thinking and memory skills. The children who had difficulty with math suddenly improved.  Children who had previously struggled in math classes learned new teaching “on their own”. 

Homework teachers are always happy to recognize teens who have improved their learning skills. 

This motivates students to learn by having fun and enjoyable reflection and memorization of aspects of the course.

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