Forgetting is what every student is afraid of whenever they’re learning something new or reviewing what they read some time back. Much as we might say that it’s inevitable to forget, there are so many ways that we can prevent or at least tone down on the rate at which we forget things. But first let’s take a look at the reasons why students forget.
1. Learning too little
So many times, students forget what they learnt because they didn’t learn enough of it to understand it fully. As it turns out, it’s just hard to memorize something if you haven’t understood it, unless you cram every word in it like a song in a language you don’t understand.
2. Limited time
Students need ample time, both inside the classroom and outside during their own study time. If students don’t have enough time to read and understand what they have been given.
However, this is on both the students who can’t make time for their books, and teachers who impose extra lessons on students during their free time.
3. Learning the wrong way
Not to offend the teachers reading this, but sometimes it might be that you’re using the wrong teaching methods, and this could be the reason why your students just keep on failing to memorize what you teach them.
4. Failure to prioritize
Some students just don’t know what’s good for them. That’s exactly why many students learn and forget just easily, despite their immense intellectual capacity. In simple terms, some students forget what they learn because they don’t really think it’s important enough for them.
5. Compacted information
As teachers, there has to be a way that you dose the amount of information that you give your students whenever you teach them. If not, students will just forget whatever you’ve taught them because;
- They don’t know where to start to revise each of the things that you taught them
- Failure to prioritize out of the information that you’ve given them
6. Information isn’t emphasized enough
Sometimes, teaching students might feel exhausting, and you’ll get to the point where you aren’t emphasizing some important things to get them on your students’ RADAR.
This, therefore, makes students forget because the things you emphasize are the ones they usually strive to remember.
7. Natural factors
There are some students that don’t easily memorize things, and their failure to retain information in their heads is not to be blamed on the teachers or their own activities.
To this problem, teachers have to consult with parents and parents to seek clinical advice for the better.
SOLUTIONS:
1. Use catchy examples while teaching
So many times, students will remember the things you taught them because of the examples that you used to elaborate what you were teaching.
Usually, students remember what’s funny and/or so relatable for them, according to their own personal or family history.
2. Emphasize the importance of your information
Since so many students forget important information because it doesn’t seem important, what about you make everything seem important, as it actually is?
This will help your students take your lessons more seriously. Another thing you can do in this line is guide and counsel them on education, so they can take everything about it seriously.
3. The spacing effect
Compacting the content you give your students is one of the reasons why some students just can’t learn well. As a teacher, you should find ways to divide information and deliver it in a way that’s easy and safe for all students to consume.
Also, it’s important that you don’t miss your lessons or waste time in the classroom, because that will make you rush through the last parts of the syllabus, delivering information in large and unmanageable chunks.
4. Frequent practice tests
Students have to be constantly and consistently tested so that you can find out what they know or don’t know. This will help you emphasize the value of revision and correction, and soon enough your students will be able to remember everything they learn.
5. Making enough reading time
Students need enough time to read, analyze and internalize what they learned. Therefore, teachers don’t have to fill this time with unnecessary abrupt lessons in the name of keeping their students focused.
6. Combine text with images
This is one of the reasons why YouTube is a great teaching tool these days. Humans think through images, and that’s just the way it is.
Therefore, attaching images to the things you teach them like diagrams, internet photos, movies or documentaries. This will be one of the most effective ways to get them to understand and remember the things you teach them with ease.
Conclusion;
In cases where students can’t remember because they are biologically or psychologically impaired, you have to offer personal help to them, or even consult with their parents on how best to get the situation under control.