Mnemonics
- Jun 22
- 2 min read
Hello,
Spellings can be tricky! Particularly for words with unusual spelling rules, or words that aren't spelt phonetically - so they're not easy to decode and break down into individual sounds.
Mnemonics are a super way to help remember these tricky words.
Mnemonics are a useful learning tool to help remember spellings or information. They could be rhymes, sayings or acrostics.
There are many famous mnemonics, some that you might know are:
Richard of York gave battle in vain - to remember the colours of the rainbow
Never Eat Shredded Wheat - to remember the compass points, North, East, South, West
Never Eat Cake Eat Salmon Sandwiches And Remain Young - to remember the spelling of 'necessary'
They're really useful, as they give your brain a way to 'hook' the spelling, or information, in a memorable way. Some, as above, are well known and children will learn through life or at school. But they can also make their own!
Often, the more memorable or bizarre the phrase, the easier it is to remember. It doesn't matter if it's complete nonsense, as long as the child can remember it. It can be used for day to day spellings, words they're consistently struggling with or tricky spellings in their homework.
I've worked with many children to create mnemonics, and sometimes they will still remember them months later. Occasionally they're so great and bizarre, that I remember and use them too!
The key with any learning, is to keep using it - or it'll get forgotten! If, for example, your child frequently spells 'said' or 'definitely' wrong, then encourage them to create an interesting mnemonic. Then every time they write it, use their mnemonic to help secure it in their mind. You could also ask them to spell it randomly in the day, to keep them on their toes! Or every time they also see the word written. Don't suggest they learn a mnemonic for every word they're trying to spell, as it will likely create cognitive overload (where they're brain becomes too full and confused!) But focus on a few important words that they need to know. When they've cracked the spelling of those, you could introduce a few new ones.
Please drop me a message as to how your child gets on with mnemonics or to share any brilliant ones!
Feel free to drop me an email or book a free call for any specific help you might want or if you'd be interested in booking tutoring or home-education lessons for your child.
I look forward to starting our learning journey together!
Alice
