YOUR STUDENTS REALLY CAN FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS

via nationalgeographickids.com

Your students really can follow instructions!   As humans we can only take in 3-7 chunks of information before we simply overload or and begin to miss new incoming data.  It's called M space.

I want you to take a quiz.  But promise me you will do exactly as I ask. 

Don't scroll any further until I ask.   Grab your phone and put the timer on for 15 seconds.   Then, scroll down and attempt to memorize the letters below.  When, the time is up, look away and attempt to recall the letters from memory.

Are you ready?   Go!

                                                     F   BITV  D   VDJ   FKNB  A

How did you do?  

It was probably a bit trickier than you anticipated.   However, if you found a better way to chunk the letters, the memorization was infinitely easier for you.  

Did any of you try the below method?
 

                                                      FBI  TV  DVD  JFK  NBA

So, we have two takeaways from this little exercise.

1.  We can only handle a certain amount of data input at a time.   More than 2-3 piece is overload for most of us.  Have you ever wondered why you ask a kiddo to do 3-4 things and only 1 or 2 get done?  M space could definitely be part of the equation.

2.  The way we chunk information matters.  We need to make sense of it.   Making sense will look different for different kids.  But, the way we approach it makes a difference.

From a practical sense, the next time you give instructions or are teaching a new concept, try to keep it to 2-3 steps at a time. You will find your students will accept and retain the new content much more efficiently.

:)   Brandy