Using Mnemonic Strategies to Teach Information about U.S. Presidents: A Classroom-Based Investigation

Over a six-week period, students with learning disabilities in an inner-city middle school were taught the chronological orders of 32 U.S. presidents. For three weeks, they were taught using a modified mnemonic keyword-pegword strategy. For the next three weeks, they were taught using rehearsal and representational pictures. Two weeks subsequent to the six-week instructional period, students were given a delayed posttest in which they were asked to provide the numerical order of the president, given a president name; and the president's name, given the numerical order. Results revealed a significant main effect for instructional condition and a significant condition-by-response interaction, suggesting that information was processed differently, depending on instructional condition. Implications for classroom instruction are provided.