Letter and word mnemonic strategies
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Acronyms and acrostics are generally the most familiar types of mnemonic strategy.
Acronyms use a simple letter formula to refer to each word or phrase that you need to memorize.
For example, think of the NBA, which stands for National Basketball Association.
Or, if you're trying to remember four different types of dementia, you can use this acronym: FLAV, which stands for Frontotemporal , Lewy Body , Alzheimer's, and Vascular . Note that I have ordered the list in such a way that it is easier to form the "word", which I would not have done if the list you need to remember is ordered.
An acrostic uses the same concept as an acronym, except that instead of forming a new "word," it generates a sentence that helps you remember information.
An acrostic often used in math class: "Please excuse me, my dear Aunt Sally." This acrostic mnemonic represents the order of operations in algebra and denotes parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction .
