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Types of Memory

saundersk1992 — 2025-08-03 16:55:00 UTC

Sensory memory is short term memory that is experienced through the senses. "The sensory-memory system stores information acquired through the senses for a brief time to allow other memory systems to screen and select which parts of the message will be kept for further processing" (Auday, 2024). It is able to hold a larger capacity than short term memory. Sensory memory is controlled by the temporal, parietal, and occipital lobe.

Short term memory is only held for a short amount of time. The brain then has to decide if it is going to store that information. Short term memory and working memory go hand in hand together. The main components of short term memory are attention and recognition (Cleveland Clinic, 2024). Attention is what helps you focus and recognition is connecting and matching information that is already in your brain. The parts of the brain that control short term memory are the hippocampus and the cerebral cortex.

Long term memory is broken into two categories explicit and implicit (McLeod, 2025). Explicit is knowing something and implicit is knowing how. Long term memory can be unlimited. Information is formed in the hippocampus and then stored in the cerebral cortex.

The importance of knowing how memory works is crucial for student success. Students will use working memory and long term memory. "When presented with information in isolation or in random order, our brains have a very difficult time encoding it into our long-term memory" (DiTullio, 2021).

Strategies for teachers for build working memory and long term memory

Activate background knowledge
Retrieval practice (Have students write a summary of what was learned for the day, exit tickets, or online quiz games such as Kahoot.)
Contextualizing learning (Turn and talk, give a demonstration, or concept mapping).

What Occurs in the Brain When Memories are Established

There are four things that happen when memories are established. First, there is gathering. That is where the brain is taking information from the environment. Then, there is encoding. "That is where the brain translates information into an easily stored format" (Cleveland Clinic, 2024). Next, there is storage where the brain organizes and retains translated information. Lastly, there is retrieval. That is where your brain selects and finds stored information.

Retention and Transfer in Regards to Learning

saundersk1992 — 2025-08-03 17:40:10 UTC

Learning and retention are two different things. "Learning involves the brain, the nervous system, the environment, and the process by which their interplay acquires information and skills" (Sousa, 79). Learning does not always mean they will be able to retain that information later. Retention is when learners give a conscious effort with attention but also building a conceptual framework that builds consolidation for long term memory storage. If we want students to retain information we need to give them time to practice what they learned. Teaching should not be speaking in front of students for long periods of time. Teaching should be short then give students a chance to practice new material. Also, making learning concrete can help with retaining new information.

Trauma and Memory

saundersk1992 — 2025-08-03 18:02:38 UTC

Trauma affects memory. When people are stressed they release high amounts of cortisol. This can block learning from happening because survival is the person's top priority. Students that have experienced trauma have lower reading achievement then those that did not. Students that have experienced trauma will need to have their physical, emotional, and mental needs met before learning can occur. "these memories may manifest as somatic sensations or emotional responses rather than verbal recollections, highlighting a form of awareness that does not necessarily rely on conventional cognitive memory structures and may manifest later in life as a "felt sense" about something rather than as a cognitive memory" (Wilks, 2024). The brain is helpful in blocking out traumatic events in order to let the person continue on with life.

How to Improve Memory and Retention for Students

saundersk1992 — 2025-08-03 18:14:53 UTC

Provide Visuals
Provide Retrieval practice (Give students opportunities to practice answering questions) (Thorne, 2023).
Help students develop cues. (Acronyms such as PEMDAS) They can be very helpful in retaining new information.
Provide opportunities for self exploration of new material.
Allow discourse amongst the students.
Give students the opportunity to be the teachers.

Sources

saundersk1992 — 2025-08-03 18:18:21 UTC

Auday, B. C., PhD, & Schafer, E. D. (2024). Sensory memory. Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health.

Cleveland Clinic. (2024, September 16). Memory: What It Is, How It Works & Types. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/memory

Cleveland Clinic. (2024, November 12). Short-Term Memory: What It Is, How It Works & Duration. Cleveland Clinic; Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/short-term-memory

DiTullio, G. (2021, September 9). How to Engage Students’ Memory Processes to Improve Learning. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-engage-students-memory-processes-improve-learning

Mcleod, S. (2023). Long-Term Memory | Simply Psychology. Simplypsychology.org. https://www.simplypsychology.org/long-term-memory.html

Sousa, D. A. (2022). How the Brain Learns (5th ed.). Corwin, A Sage Publishing Company.

Thorne, G. (2023). 10 Strategies to Enhance Students’ Memory. Reading Rockets. https://www.readingrockets.org/topics/brain-and-learning/articles/10-strategies-enhance-students-memory

Wilks, J. (2024). Trauma, Memory, and Perception. International Body Psychotherapy Journal, 23(2), 65+. https://link-gale-com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A845064118/AONE?u=canyonuniv&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=39771fc5

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