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To use the ABC Memory Strategy, start by choosing a theme. Next, think of words related to that theme beginning with letters of the alphabet, in order (A–Z). For example, if the theme is the seven continents and the task is to recall them the ABC Memory Strategy would prove helpful. The letter A would be paired with four continents and when put in alphabetical order they would be Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia in that order. The student would find no continents starting with the letters, B, C, or D so these letters are skipped. There is a continent starting with the letter E and that is Europe. The student would find no continents starting with the letters, F, G, H, I, J, K L or M so these letters are skipped. There is a continent starting with the letter N and that is North America. The student would find no continents starting with the letters, O, P, Q, or R so these letters are skipped. There is a continent starting with the letter S and that is South America. This makes the seventh continent, so once these are learned in order, the task of recalling and naming the seven continents in ABC order is complete.

Flashcards are used to help the student remember the information. To create the flashcards, print the letter of the alphabet on the front of the card and the word that begins with that letter on the back of the card. A graphic representation of the word may also be used for unfamiliar words. Apps like StudyBlue can also be used to create flashcards for the ABC Memory strategy. When there are multiple items for a particular letter, such as A for the continents, the four A cards in alphabetical order could be numbered 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Start by having the student learn the word on the back of the card that corresponds to the letter on the front for the seven cards, in alphabetical order (i.e., letters A–Z). Have the student follow the steps below to commit the words to memory:

 Read the letter (A) on the front of the card and the word (e.g., Africa) on the back of the card.

 Say the letter (A) on the front of the card and the word (e.g., Africa) on the back of the card.

 Look at the letter on the front of the card (A), and without turning the card over, state the word (continent) associated with that letter (e.g., A—Africa).

 Put the card out of sight and think about the letter on the front of the card (A). Without looking at the card, say the continent associated with that letter (e.g., A—Africa). If successful, proceed to the next letter. If unsuccessful, go back to the first step and follow the steps until successful.

 After successfully learning the first card, proceed to the second card and follow the same steps to learn it. Once learned, include the previous cards for review.

 Continue until the words on all seven cards have been memorized. Going forward, always include the previous cards for review while the student is learning the new cards. This builds success for the student.

 Commit to memory by saying the name of the continents faster and faster. This step also improves processing speed.

The student will find this process motivating when he or she sees how much easier it is to learn and remember information. Our data from 2008 through 2012 showed students remembering up to twenty items in a week’s time using this strategy. Often, no more than seven letters as in the seven continents will be used, but for other lists additional letters can be added following the same process. It is important to continuously review the cards already learned as the student continues to add more cards and words to his or her memory bank.

FIGURE 2.2 ABC Memory Strategy for a List

FIGURE 2.3 ABC Memory Strategy Process