Easy way to memorise

SOMe people draw little diagrams when they’re thinking, some jot down lists and others draw cartoons. There are many ways to help you think things, but if you like images as well as lists, then check out the herringbone map.

Herringbone maps are named after the fish as there is a “head” which is the title, for example, “Types of intelligence” and then a bunch of little bones that run along the fish’s spine.

Suppose you need to memorise a list such as Howard Gardner’s theories of multiple intelligences, which suggest that there are different kinds of intelligence and that everyone has a certain proportion of each.

The intelligences Gardner suggested were musical-rhythmic, visual-spatial, verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical, bodily-kinaesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalistic. You may have high interpersonal and verbal kinaesthetic linguistic intelligence, but have low musical-rhythmic and bodily-kinaesthetic intelligence.

To memorise this for an exam, draw your herringbone and title the head “Theories of multiple intelligences”. Then draw in eight spines, four on each side, label each and give a brief description.

The Herringbone map is good for list work and it can also be terrific if you’re about to write a report, so give it a go.