The Forgotten Art of Memorization: Why It Still Matters in Modern Education

The Current State of Affairs

In recent years, there’s been a push in education to move away from memorization. “Don’t memorize, apply!” has become a common phrase we hear in professional development. We have also heard it from renowned professors.¹ While the intention behind this shift is admirable—encouraging critical thinking and deeper comprehension—we have swung the pendulum too far in the opposite direction.

As a teacher, I have seen firsthand how this shift away from memorization has impacted students. Many of my high school students struggle with fundamental skills that are typically mastered in elementary school. These teens often can’t do simple math, sound out new words, or write clear sentences without my help. Other teachers share the same sentiment.² This predicament, however, isn’t a reflection of their intelligence or potential, but rather a symptom of an educational approach that may have been overcorrected. In our eagerness to be innovative, we have removed crucial foundational elements, such as memorization, from our practices. Consequently, I believe this is setting our children up for failure. 

The Science Behind Learning: How Our Brains Process Information

To understand why memorization still matters, let’s begin by examining the four key stages of information processing in our brains: sensory memory, short-term memory, working memory, and long-term memory.³ Each stage builds upon the previous one, creating a pathway for information to become deeply ingrained knowledge that we can readily access and apply.

1. Sensory Memory: The First Step in Information Processing

We have five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. When you see something, hear a sound, smell an aroma, taste a flavor, or feel a texture, this information is put into sensory memory. The information is retained long enough for the sense to be processed. It only lasts for a fraction of a second to a few seconds.³

Now, if that sensory information manages to capture your attention, it gets transferred to the next level: your short term memory.

2. Short-Term Memory: The Brief Holding Ground

In short-term memory, information can be retained for a slightly longer time. It typically lasts 20 to 30 seconds.³ In short-term memory, your brain can either forget the information or begin transferring it to working memory, but this happens only if the brain thinks the information is important enough to remember.

3. Working Memory: The Mental Workspace with Limits

Working memory is an extension of short-term memory. Working memory is where the real work happens. Your working memory acts as a mental workspace, allowing you to actively process, analyze, and make sense of the new information you are trying to learn or understand. Hence the name “working” memory. But here’s the catch – your working memory is limited. Its limit is about 7 ± 2 items.³ This means that the most items that people can effectively hold in their working memory is between 5-9. Keep that limitation in mind, it’ll be key later.

4. Long-Term Memory: The Ultimate Goal of Learning

Assuming that your working memory does not hit its limits and takes the time to properly encode and organize the information, it transfers the information to long-term memory. 

Long-term memory is like a vault where information can get stashed away for hours, days, years, or even a lifetime.³ The true power of long-term memory lies in its ability to be accessed and retrieved whenever needed. Whether you are applying a learned skill or remembering a cherished childhood memory, your brain can retrieve that information from your long-term memory whenever it requires it. And isn’t this the purpose of learning? To be able to learn the information and retrieve it whenever it is required?

Learning Challenges: When Foundational Knowledge is Missing

Now that we understand how our brain processes and files away knowledge, let’s look at what happens when we try to learn some advanced topics without having the foundations memorized. In other words, not having the foundations in long-term memory. 

Say you’re in Algebra 2 class. To really be set up for success there, you have to understand the foundations:

• Basic algebraic rules and operations
• What variables are
• Basic math skills like adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing

But what if you never took the time to really learn and memorize all those basic things? That means your brain still has to actively hold and process that core information in your limited working memory space.

Now, when the teacher starts teaching a new, harder algebra concept, your working memory has to do two jobs at the same time. It has to keep thinking about the basics you didn’t memorize, like algebra rules and math skills. And it also has to figure out and understand the new, complex topic the teacher is explaining. Remember, working memory is limited–it can only handle 5-9 things at a time. But because your working memory has to juggle too much information all at once, it gets overloaded trying to handle both the basics and the new hard concept together. So then what happens is that your working memory gets overwhelmed. It is so busy trying to figure out the basics that it does not leave room in your working memory to work through the new, complex concept. 

Cognitive scientists call this phenomenon “cognitive overload.” When the brain experiences cognitive overload, it struggles to process and retain new information effectively. This overload can lead to:

• Reduced comprehension: The brain has difficulty grasping the new concepts being taught.⁴
• Increased mental fatigue: The constant juggling of information quickly exhausts mental resources.⁴
• Slower learning progress: Without a solid foundation, each new topic becomes increasingly challenging to understand.⁴
• Frustration and decreased motivation: Students may feel overwhelmed and discouraged, potentially leading to a negative attitude towards the subject.⁵

It is no wonder that this learning process is extremely frustrating. 

Benefits of a Strong Foundation: How Memorization Enhances Complex Learning

Now let’s flip the script. Imagine you took the time to study and fully memorize the basics:

• Algebra rules and operations? Easy.
• What variables are and how to use them? You’re an expert.
• Basic math skills? Like the back of your hand.

Since you have memorized and understood the basics, this information is no longer in your working memory. It is automatic since your brain has stored it in your long-term memory. This means that there is more room in your working memory to work with the new, complex concepts that your teacher presents to you in class. This makes the learning process easier and increases the chances of your brain transferring the new, complex concept to long-term memory too.

By memorizing the basics and having more room in your working memory for the new, complex information, the following occurs:

• Enhanced comprehension: The brain easily grasps and understands new concepts being taught.⁴
• Increased mental stamina: With a solid foundation, the brain efficiently processes information without quickly exhausting mental resources.⁴
• Accelerated learning progress: A strong foundation allows each new topic to be more readily understood and integrated into existing knowledge.⁴
• Enthusiasm and increased motivation: Students feel confident and engaged, leading to a positive attitude towards the subject.⁵

Balancing Act: Combining Memorization with Deep Comprehension

If you want to promote high-order thinking skills, such as application, creation, and evaluation, then you must acquire the knowledge first. You cannot apply, create, or evaluate things that you do not know. 

Therefore, the notion that memory is not required is heavily flawed. Memorizing the basics is actually really important for learning harder, more complex concepts. When you have all the foundational information and skills committed to your long-term memory, it gives your working memory more space to actively think about and understand the new, advanced topics without getting overwhelmed. 

Now, memorization alone is not enough to truly master something. As stated in Make It Stick written by Henry Roediger, Mark McDaniel, and Peter C. Brown, “Mastery requires both possession of ready knowledge & conceptual understanding of how to use it.” However, having that solid base of memorized knowledge provides the foundation your brain needs to then build deeper comprehension. The key is striking that right balance between memorizing the essentials and also taking the time to develop a meaningful understanding. Remember, education isn’t about choosing between memorization and understanding—it’s about using both to create well-rounded, knowledgeable individuals ready to take on the challenges of tomorrow.

As educators, parents, and mentors, we do our students a disservice when we completely dismiss memorization. By reintroducing thoughtful memorization practices into our teaching practices, we can provide students with a stronger foundation for academic success.

Let’s not view memorization as an outdated relic of the educational past, but as a valuable tool in modern education. When combined with analytical skills and creativity, a well-trained memory can be a powerful asset for any learner.

Notes:

1. This is referring to Professor Jo Boaler from Stanford University when she suggested that students do not need to know their time tables. More information can be found at the following: https://ed.stanford.edu/in-the-media/times-tables-are-not-how-you-teach-maths-features-jo-boaler
2. These observations are anecdotal and are drawn from my personal experiences and conversations had with other teachers during professional development. 
3. Gazzaniga, M. S., Ivry, R. B., & Mangun, G. R. (2018). Cognitive neuroscience: The biology of the mind (5th ed.). W.W. Norton & Company.
4. Sweller, J., van Merrienboer, J. J. G., & Paas, F. G. W. C. (1998). Cognitive architecture and instructional design. Educational Psychology Review, 10(3), 251–296. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022193728205
5. Paas, F., Tuovinen, J., van Merrienboer, J. J. G., & Darabi, A. (2005). A motivational perspective on the relation between mental effort and performance: Optimizing learner involvement in instruction. Educational Technology Research and Development, 53(3), 25–34. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02504795