Strategies For Memorizing Formulas: Mnemonics: Acronyms / Acrostics / Stories / Rhymes / Songs & Rap

Strategies for Memorizing Formulas
Deconstruction / Scaffolding
Its helpful to understand how a formula was created or builds from other
formulas that you know, or to put yourself into a situation where it
develops.
Once you know area of a rectangle is
b * h , you can scaffold other concepts on to it, such as
cutting a rectangle in half to form triangles (creating bh or

2
two unequal bases in trapezoids (creating
1
),
bh
2
and taking the average of the
or 1 ( B b)h ).
2
If you are trying to memorize the surface area of a cube, imaging yourself painting each side of it,
which would be adding together the areas of all six sides, and that process can be changed to
multiplication for sides that have equal measures.
h*
Bb
2
Learning how to rearrange formulas (as challenging as that is for some students), can reduce the
number of formulas you need to memorize that simply isolate different variables in the same basic
formula (e.g. in statistics the formula for determining a z score is simply rearranged to determine
a data value for a given z score, but often the two formulas are taught separately).
Mnemonics: Acronyms / Acrostics / Stories / Rhymes / Songs & Rap

These methods alter unfamiliar information into more familiar (and easier to memorize)formats.
Acronyms reduce key information into the first letter of each, and then create a
word (in order if the information is sequential). eg. FOIL, SOAP, DIRT
Acrostics do the same, but create a sentence which flows more easily than the list
of steps. eg. Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally
Stories change information into a situation with items or actions that flow more
easily than the steps or formula. The next page has ideas for this process.
Songs & Rap use the idea that we always seem to easily memorize lyrics. By
adding a (usually familiar) melody to the steps or formula, they become lyrics. eg. the
quadratic formula sung to Pop Goes the Weasel
Flashcards:
Put the formula on one side and either its name or a sample problem that would require the
formula on the other side. Study fewer than 7 of these at a time until they are memorized.
Templates:
These are for memorizing the structure of a formula so that you can fill it
in with the information from a problem.
More About Stories
Stories can be a powerful technique for memorizing formulas or procedures. Key points are to
keep them short, make them reasonably feasible, and yet make them entertaining enough to be
memorable. With formulas, the information to memorize is clear; however, with procedures,
you will want to get a sense of the steps or key points before you begin.
Ideas to personify or activate items:
Variables: x and y can be men and women ( XX and XY chromosomes), other letter
variables can be the start words, like peoples names, animal types, actions, or even
description words (adjectives or adverbs)
Numbers: how many of something there are (e.g. 2x can be 2 women, bh can be one
of two Bob Hopes, or half of a beef hamburger)
Equal signs: try to use is, are (be careful not to confuse with r), was, were, or even has or
have
Addition/Subtraction: often and works for addition, but also remember the various
words that translate into addition or subtraction in word problems: such as plus, more,
additional, increased for addition; minus, less, decreased, take away for subtraction
Multiply: often times works for multiplication, especially doing an action (which your
variable could stand for), or for the number of things. Also try twice (for 2), triple (for 3)
and other words that translate into multiplication in word problems.
Divide: put things or people over or under others, or consider putting them
underground to create a fraction-like setting. Also try splitting, dividing, breaking or
cutting up into parts, and other words that mean division in word problems.
Square roots: stories have used radical or square (but dont confuse that with the
exponent squaring). Also try putting things in boxes (coffins are interesting in stories),
creating a checkbox, or involving roots in your story.
Exponents: square, for squaring, using a cube for the third power, or the idea of
power/powerful are common. Also consider ideas used in multiplication, but be careful not
to confuse the operations.
Once you have some ideas of what items in the formula could stand for or you have the steps of
a procedure in mind, think about some kind of event, experience, or location for them, such as a
sporting event, picnic, party, class event, or a date (good for xs and ys).
Eg. Quadratic formua:
b b 2 4ac
x
2a
Xavier was (=) a negative boy who couldnt decide whether ( ) to go to the
radical (
) party or be square (b2). He missed out (-) on 4 awesome chicks and the party was
over (/) by 2am.

And as with all mnemonics, creating it isnt the total solution. You still need to review the
mnemonic and remind yourself what the parts of it mean if you personified or activated them.

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Strategies for Memorizing Formulas

Once you know area of a rectangle is

b * h , you can scaffold other concepts on to it, such as

cutting a rectangle in half to form triangles (creating bh or

two unequal bases in trapezoids (creating

and taking the average of the

Mnemonics: Acronyms / Acrostics / Stories / Rhymes / Songs & Rap

More About Stories

over (/) by 2am.

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