Books: Throughout our lives, books play a critical role in shaping us in more ways than we’d ever expected.

Whether it’s during warm nights where you'd like to let your imaginations run free or hard studying sessions during classes, books are undoubtedly vital in many ways. In fact, as time goes by, and you grow older, the importance of reading is going to grow even more significant!

At this point, you’ve probably gone through at least hundreds of different books that were read out of compliance or leisure. With a lifetime of reading ahead of you, however, you may have one concern that seems to grow even more important: Remembering the books and words that you read.

An all-too-common problem of poor learning retention

You might not realise it now, but you’ve most likely been subconsciously worrying about not being able to remember what you just took in from your latest read. Here’s what a growing learning retention-related problem sounds like:

“I would tell you about what I learned from the last book I read, but I can’t seem to remember it.”

“Why is it so hard to remember what I read; I swear I just had the book in my hand last night!”

“Oh, I read about that before! I just can’t seem to remember anything from it right now.”

Do these ramblings sound familiar to you? Well, you may be dealing with a learning retention-related problem that can easily become even more difficult to deal with if you don’t take care of it. Yet, it’s also worth noting that you’re not alone because millions of Australians—both young and old—face this dilemma.

Given all the time you’ve spent reading various books and brushing up on every page with lots of determination and commitment, it can be frustrating to dish out so much effort, only to not remember anything at all! Thankfully, there are a few proven tips that you can use to increase your brainpower so that you can easily recall all thatyou’ve read: 

Tip #1: Use the “pause-and-recall” method‍

One of the proven and tested methods for boosting learning retention is the trusty “pause-and-recall” approach.

The way this method works is that you rely on active recall repetitively until a specific memory or excerpt from what your reading sinks in—a method which is also known as “retrieval practice.” By pausing at the end of a page or paragraph and recalling what you just read, you expose your brain to an act of repetition that makes remembering much easier.

‍Tip #2: Give the Feynman Technique a try‍

Among the different techniques that memory coaches have taught in the past few decades, one of the most proven methods that work wonders for any reader is the Feynman Technique.

Commonly associated with higher learning retention rates, the Feynman Technique helps accelerate learning and retention by using analogies to digest the idea and understand it. When you break down what you’ve read and try to repackage it to a point where even a third-grader can understand what’s being talked about, it becomes far easier to recall what you’ve read!

At Young Growth Academy, we heavily incorporate this in our chemistry, biology and physics classes to help you engage with concepts and better remember them!‍

Conclusion

‍Admittedly, the experience of reading something and understanding it, only to not recall a single line or phrase thereafter can be frustrating. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean that you’ll need to keep experiencing it. Through the help of the two tips mentioned above, it will be much easier to retain all the information that you’ve read so that you can remember them at the top of your head when they’re needed the most!

Are you looking for high school tutoring in Penrith to help you refine your learning retention skills? Get in touch with us today; we’re more than happy to help!