Learn, forget, learn again (memory tips 2)

Let your kids know that the best way to learn is in several steps: step 1: learn; step 2: forget a bit or all of it; step 3: learn again.

You learn one rule of math like (a - b)² one day; the following day you see if you can recall it is a² -2ab + b² and if you don't recall, see if you can redo it by yourself; you just need to remember that (a - b)² is just shorthand for (a-b) x (a-b). Day three: see if you remember the equation again.
WHY? It is the way the brain works, forgetting is part of learning, and we remember BEST if we have tried several times. That is the reason why the flashcards suggest that you work in increments: like repeat 3 hours later, 1 day later, two days later, four days later etc.

The rule works for everything you need to remember. It is specially useful for languages. Try it for the fun of it on one Chinese way of saying "hello" here at bbc.co.uk/languages where you can get the sound by different voices. Just listen and repeat. Bookmark the place. The following day, do it again. Now wait a week. You probably will not remember how to say "hello" but if you go back to your bookmark, then you will say "Oh yeah, I remember it now"; if you hear it in a Chinese restaurant, you will know what it means, but you might have to go back to your bookmark to pronounce it correctly. The aim of this game is to convince you that it is the way to work.
How many repetitions each kid needs to remember is different from kid to kid and for each item they got to memorize.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? It means that studying at the last minute may be good enough to pass, but it is not good enough to remember later: it is not efficient. THEREFORE you need to help your kids by posting a calendar on your refrigerator with lessons to learn. If the lesson has to be learned for Thursday, post it on Monday and Wednesday night. Do not make the kids work more than usual, just cut the work of learning in two.