Homework Tip: Coloring Books as Memory & Test Study Tools

Studying for tests and remembering important facts (such as the muscles in the body, the parts of a cell or plant, the location and shape of the states) can feel like endless (and pointless) memorization to students if they don't have a good mental picture of what the words they are studying connect to.

Try using coloring books to

• Make studying more interesting

• Add understanding to vocabulary and content

• Increase retention

Educational coloring books on different topics, such as geography, biology, and more are available at Amazon.com and local booksellers.

One innovative student took this idea even further.  When studying various organs in the body, she laid down on a giant piece of paper and had her friend trace around her.  Then they drew in and orally labeled all of the organs that would be on their test.  The girls had a lot of fun while studying productively for their test!

Another student memorized the states and their location by remembering each state and the color it was on the puzzle map.

What things would be easier to remember in color?  What kind of coloring book or sheet could you make that would help you remember?  Without too much extra effort, your student can begin remembering things more easily without it feeling like a lot of extra work.

Give it a try!