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Playing Fetch With Your Brain Is An Easy and Effective Study Method


Leigh Cousins, M.S. Ed.

Tutoring, Test Preparation, Study Skills


203-517-6177

CousinsTutoring@gmail.com

Dear Fellow Learner,


My next-door neighbors have an adorable, energetic little dog, and I love going out in our shared backyard and playing fetch with him. He's become really good at retrieving his ball or Frisbee.


To remember what we learn, our brains also need "retrieval practice." That's the technical cognitive psychology term for strengthening one's memories by recalling them over and over.


I like to think of it as playing fetch with one's brain. You ask your brain to retrieve a memory, for example What did we learn in history class today? or What did I just read? Let me recite it back...and the neurons in your brain are activated to strengthen that memory.


We naturally do this in many cases. When someone introduces themselves, don't you tend to repeat the new name to yourself a few times? Or when someone gives you directions, don't you rehearse them in your head so as to better understand and remember what you need to do? (Left at the stop sign then right at the light...left at the stop sign, right at the light...).


This common sense practice is just as helpful when learning school subjects. Let's see how you can apply the habit of retrieval practice now and throughout the coming school year!


Happy Learning!

-Ms. Cousins


Play Mental Fetch Immediately With New Information


As you're doing your summer reading, stop after each paragraph and recite back what you just read. You need not memorize every word, but you should be able to retell the gist of what you read. (If not, go back and read again!)



Retrieve Each Lesson As You Leave Class


As your walking out the door and into the hallway, take a minute to run through in your head What did we just learn? What were the important ideas?


This simple habit will help you retain what you were just taught, so you'll need to study less later.



Form The "Brain Dump" Habit


A brain dump is a super simple and very effective daily study method.


  1. You take out your notebook and turn to a blank page and write down everything you can remember about the day's lesson.
  2. Then you flip to the notes you took in class and compare, filling in what you didn't remember to mention.
  3. If you've got textbook reading, keep your notebook open and fill in any new details.


Here's a great article about different variations on Brain Dumps for students, and also for how teachers can apply this strategy in their instruction.


Students, parents and teachers: 


Thank you for reading my newsletter. Welcome aboard as we learn together. I'd love to hear from you with any insights you'd like to share with our readers. Also, please forward this newsletter to the learners in your life.

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Please click here for a printable version of The Seven Study Habits with fancy fonts to color and keep.


And here's the free, printable workbook version of my book, Here's What The "Smart" Kids Do


You can purchase my book, Here's What The "Smart" Kids Do 

in paperback here on Amazon.

Cousins Tutoring, Curiosity Lane, Redding, CT 06896