Developing and Assessing the Intelligence of a Kindergartner: A Practical Approach
Francine Coss
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Give FeedbackMeaningfulness: Rehearsal and Encoding
Finding meaning in stimuli requires rehearsal and making connections in long-term memory. Rehearsal is the process of repeating information over and over, either aloud or mentally, without altering its form. (Eggen, 2001) While rehearsal is primarily used to retain information in working memory until it is used, if rehearsed enough, it can sometimes be transferred to long-term memory. (Atkinson, 1968) This is an inefficient method of transferring information, however, it is one of the first memory strategies that develops in young children. (Berk, 1997) Constructivism and brain-based theory allow for rehearsal but expects what is rehearsed to then gain meaning, or become encoded, before being transferred to long-term memory.
Encoding is the process of placing information in long-term memory (Bruning, 1999); it is perhaps the most critical cognitive process affecting perception. When encoding information, our goal is for it to be meaningful. Meaningfulness describes the number of connections or associations between an idea and other ideas in long-term memory. (Gagne, 1993) The more background information that exists, and the more interrelated that the knowledge is, the more locations a learner has to connect the new information and the more likely it is to be meaningfully encoded. (Eggen, 2001) These learning requirements of rehearsal and encoding are supported through the twelve principles for brain-based learning.