The Science of Memory: How to Make Lessons Stick (and Not Magically Vanish by Next Week)
You know the feeling. You taught the lesson. You explained it, modeled it, reviewed it, maybe even turned it into a song with hand motions and interpretive dance.
And yet…
A week later, you get: “Wait… we never learned this.”
Cue the internal screaming. It’s not you. It’s not them (okay, it’s a little them). It’s how memory works. Because brains are weird. They hold onto the lyrics of a snack commercial from 2007, but can’t remember what photosynthesis is 24 hours after the quiz.
So what actually helps kids remember what we teach? Let’s break down the science of memory—without turning it into a neuroscience lecture—and figure out how to make lessons stick like Velcro (not Teflon).
Memory 101: A Crash Course in What the Brain Actually Does
For a student to remember something, three things need to happen:
Encoding – They take in the information
Storage – They file it somewhere useful (not next to the lyrics to “Baby Shark”)
Retrieval – They can actually pull it out when needed (preferably not just while brushing their teeth at 10 p.m.)
If any one of those steps breaks down, poof! The lesson you spent an hour on becomes a vague memory filed under “No idea.”
Why Lessons Don’t Stick (Even When You Did Everything Right)
1. They Weren’t Really Paying Attention
Let’s be honest, half of teaching is just trying to get and keep their attention. If they’re daydreaming about lunch or hyper-focused on a crooked poster on the wall, the info doesn’t get encoded in the first place.
2. You Only Said It Once
The brain isn’t a USB drive. It needs repetition and rehearsal. Saying something once is not enough, even if you said it really, really clearly.
3. The Info Had No Meaning (To Them)
If something doesn’t feel relevant or interesting, the brain chucks it into short-term storage and clears it out when it runs low on space. (RIP, entire unit on ecosystems.)
So How Do We Make Lessons Stick? (Without Turning Into a Human Circus?)
Let’s dive into the memory-boosting strategies that are actually backed by science, and yes, they’re fun, too.
1. Make It Meaningful
Brains love connections. When students can link new info to something they already know, it’s way more likely to stick.
Examples:
Tie math to baking.
Tie history to their favorite movie plot.
Tie reading to something actually juicy (“This character has more drama than your group chat.”)
If it feels relevant, their brains perk up.
2. Use Spaced Repetition (Not Cramming)
One-and-done doesn’t work. Revisit content a little bit over a long period of time. Instead of reviewing a skill five times in one week, spread it out:
A quick warm-up today
A review game next week
A connection in a new lesson the week after that
Spacing out review helps move knowledge from short-term memory to long-term memory, where it won’t disappear during spring break.
3. Get Them Moving, Talking, and Doing
Active learners are engaged learners, try:
Turn-and-talks
Sketch notes or mind maps
Act-it-out charades (yes, even for science vocab)
Hands-on tasks and simulations
The more senses and actions involved, the stronger the memory trace.
Bonus: it’s harder to zone out when you’re pretending to be the water cycle.
4. Use Retrieval Practice (a Fancy Way of Saying “Make Them Remember It”)
Instead of re-teaching everything, have students try to recall it on their own.
Examples:
“Write down everything you remember from yesterday’s lesson.”
“Quiz a partner without notes.”
“What questions can you make up about this?”
Struggling to remember something actually strengthens the memory.
Yes, a little brain sweat is a good thing.
5. Make It Funny, Surprising, or Weird
Memory loves emotion and novelty. So go ahead:
Tell a weird story
Use a ridiculous example
Dress up as a historical figure (or at least do the voice)
Let the class create their own memes or skits
That moment you made a pun about volcanoes? They’ll remember that forever.
6. Sleep. Seriously. Let Them Sleep.
Okay, you can’t control this one, but you should know that sleep is when the brain consolidates memories. So when your student forgets everything you taught after staying up playing Roblox until midnight, it’s not you. It’s their sleep-deprived hippocampus.
Final Thoughts: If You Want It to Stick, Teach Like a Sticky Human
Making lessons memorable isn’t about turning everything into a song (though we fully support you if you do). It’s about understanding how memory works—and teaching in a way that supports it.
Repeat.
Connect.
Move.
Laugh.
Let them struggle (just a little).
Revisit.
Because at the end of the day, we don’t just want them to hear what we teach. We want them to remember it. Use it. Love it. (And maybe, just maybe, stop saying “We never learned this” ever again.) Or at least not every Monday. We’ll take the win.
