The word capture technique can be an effective tool to help you memorize many seemingly unrelated items. The word capture technique connects the unrelated ideas that we want to remember in the letters of a word or a series of words that are related to each other. We know from recent research on the hemispheric brain that our brains act like computer file folders, placing newly learned information in the same file as already learned information that fits within that same file. This technique connects ideas or elements, just like our brain file folders do. By taking the time to organize new information in the same way as our brains, we can improve our retention of that information.

Examples of catch phrases

Do you remember these keywords from school?

HOUSEHOLDS-for the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior

ROY G. BIV-for spectrum colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and purple

NEWS: for the main compass points: North, East, South and West

Addresses

For each keyword you want to remember, use its first letter as one of the letters in a new word. Then select another keyword and use its first letter as another one of the letters in the word, etc. Certainly add additional words as needed, but try to match the words together in a memorable sentence, like ROY G. BIV in the example above. Replace concrete objects with any keyword that is too abstract to remember well. For example, replacing the concrete nose with the abstract smell would be a much more memorable object to use in keywords.

Let’s try to memorize some facts for an upcoming history quiz on WWI. You need to know the causes of the war and the members of the alliances of the Triple Entente and the Central Powers. Simple with the word capture technique.

For the long-term causes of WWI: alliances, militarism, nationalism, and imperialism, let’s rearrange this list, using the first letter of each cause in this order: MAIN. For the Triple Entente: England, Russia and France, let’s reorganize this list as REF. For the central powers: Germany, Austria and Italy, let’s reorganize this list as A GI. Put them together and you get the memorable MAIN REF A GI. Develop a picture of GI-Joe, dressed in a referee uniform, directing traffic on Main Street, and you will never forget these keywords. It’s ten key facts from World War I, organized into three categories!

Now, go ahead and remember each fact referring only to the previous keywords. Works fine, right? A little essay will put these facts into your long-term memory and help you “clean up” that proof of history.

Memorizing using the word capture technique will allow you to retain memory of many seemingly unrelated items. Useful for upcoming tests, names, essays, lectures, shopping lists? Easy and very memorable.