Using acronyms as a mnemonic technique is helpful when you need to remember lists or key words. The acronym comprises a blend of letters that often form a word you can easily retain. Each letter in the word is a cue to the information that you needed to remember. The acronym HOMES stands for the five Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior). Therefore, instead of trying to remember the name of each lake individually, you can remember the names by recalling the simple word HOMES.
Acrostics are very similar to acronyms. An acrostic is used exactly the same way as the acronym, but instead of attaching the first letter of the blended word to the information (like an acronym), you would attach a word in a sentence to the information you need to retain. A common acrostic -- "never eat shredded wheat" -- will help remind you to state directions as North, East, South and West. Another acrostic -- "every good boy deserves fun" -- will remind you of the order of music notes: E, G, B, D and F.
It is helpful to use rhymes when trying to remember information. The lyrical format will help you to better access the key words. A common grammar rhyme is, "I before e except after c." This is a helpful tool for young children because the rhythmical sentence is easier for them to remember. This technique is also helpful when trying to recall dates. For instance, a history lesson is condensed as follows: "In 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue."
The loci method is the most complex of these techniques. It is used when trying to recall large lists of about 20 items. This technique also takes the most time to develop and perfect. This device requires the person to visualize a familiar place; the home would be an ideal place to start. Take a mental walk through a room in your home. Create a mental route and mark the order of several "stops." Walk into the room through the door, look at the sofa and walk by the stereo. Later, when you need to recall the long list, you can place objects or people by the "stops" in the room. If you are trying to remember the presidents, visualize George Washington by the door, John Adams sitting on the sofa and Thomas Jefferson by the stereo. "Loci" comes from the Latin word "locus," which means location.