Storing and remembering information

In this section we will not attempt to capture all of the memory strategies but instead identify some common factors and key principles. Strategies for storing and remembering information are often integrated into the various strategies that we have covered. A key point to understanding memory is to think of how all us seem to retain information in general. The literature often talks about learning styles and that everyone has a preferred way of learning (visual, auditory and kinesthetic). However, research often states that when information is presented frequently, in a variety of forums, our retention increases regardless of our "so-called" preference for learning. Now this is not to say that learners who have an auditory disability will prefer to see information rather than hearing it, but that by offering information in a variety of ways it will help to strengthen their weaknesses and build on their strengths. A key role as practitioners is to build learners' independence. Often when adults are confronted with information outside of the learning environment, it may not be presented in a variety of formats, nor presented in a way to favour their preferred learning style. Thus, a key role of practitioners is to help learners recognize their difficulties and give them strategies to help store information independently.

Understanding how the memory works will help practitioners to instruct more effectively. Mnemonics is a common strategy found in the learning disability research. Mnemonics are strategies that help a person remember information, espec ially isolated details that a person often has the hardest time retaining. Mnemonic systems use mental images and unusual situations to link new information with familiar memories already stored in long-term memory. They rely on linking and framing information .The following four principles for mnemonics build on our knowledge of how the mind stores information. For example, it is a known fact that information is stored in an organized way and to learn anything we need to associate it to something that we already know. However, adults with learning disabilities that affect their ability to store information need to be conscious of how our memory works and be given strategies to help them with the breakdown in storage that they experience.