Skip to content ↓

Our Trust of Schools

Need to Know Booklets

Your memory is split into two parts: the working-memory and the long-term memory. Everybody’s working-memory is limited, and can therefore become easily overwhelmed. Your long-term memory, on the other hand, is effectively limitless.

You can support your working memory by storing key facts and processes in long-term memory. These facts and processes can then be retrieved to stop your working memory becoming overloaded.

Need to Know Booklets are a key way to help you learn. Each booklet has the key information that needs to be memorised to help you master your subject and be successful in lessons.

There is strong scientific evidence from cognitive psychology that shows the benefits of self-quizzing in promoting retrieval strength. This is your ability to quickly recall key facts related to your subject or topic.

How should I self-quiz and how often?

There are lots of different ways to learn the material in your Need to Know Booklet.

You could:

  1. Make flash cards based on the Need to Know Booklet and ask someone to quiz you.
  2. Use one of the thinking maps we have been practising with in tutor time.
  3. Cover up one section of the NtK and try and write out as much as you can from memory.
  4. Draw a mind map, jotting down everything that you can remember from the booklet.
  5. Make up mnemonics to help you remember key facts, then write these out from memory.