Memory Strategy: Triple Note Tote

Memory Strategy: Triple Note Tote

A Triple Note Tote is an easy, fast, and fun way to remember vocabulary for classes like English, Social Studies, Science, and Foreign Language. Once you're done, it can also serve as a practice test, study guide, and/or reference sheet when completing work.

Materials needed:

1. piece of paper, folded into 3 columns
2. something to write with
3. vocabulary you're trying to learn

To make a triple note tote, label the three columns like this:

Vocabulary word	Definition  (in your own words)	Memory strategy or visual trigger

In the first column, you're simply going to write down the first vocab word you need to learn. 

In the second column, you'll paraphrase the definition, or put it into your own words. Not hard, right?

So far, your sheet should look like this:

Vocabulary word (Spanish)	Definition  (in your own words)	Memory strategy or visual trigger
Mesa	table

Now comes the fun part, which might take a little longer but will really help you to learn and remember the words. Think about a visual trigger that associates the vocab word with its definition. For example, I might think of a very messy-looking table, because "mesa" reminds me of "mess." Then, I would draw a messy table in that third column of my paper, like this:

Vocabulary word (Spanish)	Definition  (in your own words)	Memory strategy or visual trigger
Mesa	table

The reason you should have some sort of visual trigger, or image, associating the word with its definition is that images (pictures) and language (words) are stored in different areas of the brain. If the language portion of our brain is having a hard time recalling the meaning of "mesa" or the Spanish word for "table," the picture part of our brain still has a chance to kick-in to trigger that language part of our brain. This isn't the most scientific explanation of the process, I know, but it makes sense, right?

Here are a few more examples of how you could use a triple note tote to help you remember vocabulary for a foreign language (in this case, Spanish and Latin):

Vocabulary word (Spanish or Latin)	Definition  (in your own words)	Memory strategy or visual trigger
Correr (Spanish)	to run

The Terminator says "I will end you."

Terminare (Latin)                          To end, To finish