Memorizing Backwards

Forward Chaining

When we learn a song, we typically start at the beginning and go until we run out of words. From my Canadian friends, I learned to sing “O Canada!” On bad days, that’s all I remember. On good days, I can get to “O Canada! Our home and native land…” Better but not by much. In the United States, people sing “Oh say can you see by the dawn’s early light.” But it gets tougher until “and the home of the brave.” And, of course, “Play Ball!.”

Whatever we go over and over again is what we remember. So why not start with the last part and add to it. In fact, you probably learned at least one song that way.

Let me start you off. “On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me five golden rings, four calling birds…” If know the song you can easily finish it: three French hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree. You learned it through backward chaining, the technical name for this technique.

Backward Chaining

Backward chaining is how you teach kids with autism or adults with brain damage to put on their clothes. You start with the ta-da! The Velcro tabs are closed and you celebrate. The shirt is slipped over the head, you close the Velcro tabs and you celebrate. The shirt is held in the hands, slipped over the head, you close the Velcro tabs and you celebrate. The shirt is taken from the drawer, held in the hands, slipped over the head, you close the Velcro tabs and you celebrate.

Backward chain a child’s morning routine. First practice picking up the backpack and leaving the house. They add brushing the hair. Then it is brushing their teeth, brushing their hair and picking up the backpack. Then it is eating breakfast, brushing their teeth, brushing their hair, picking up the backpack and leaving the house. The length of the chain added depends on the child.

Backward chaining is how animals are taught chains of behavior. You always teach the last link in the chain first and then add things to the front of it.

Do you want to add a new good habit to your life? Put it before something you already do. Backward chain your morning routine. When in doubt, backward chain it.

Applying It To Real Life

Setting Table

Here are the steps for setting a table.

• mat
• plate
• napkin
• fork
• knife
• spoon
• cup

Here is how to practice them.

• cup
• spoon, cup
• knife, spoon, cup
• fork, knife, spoon, cup
• napkin, fork, knife, spoon, cup
• plate, napkin, fork, knife, spoon, cup
• mat, plate, napkin, fork, knife, spoon, cup

Jack Prelutsky poem

Here are the steps for learning a poem.

Be glad your nose is on your face,
not pasted on some other place,
for if it were where it is not,
you might dislike your nose a lot.

Imagine if your precious nose
were sandwiched in between your toes,
that clearly would not be a treat,
for you’d be forced to smell your feet.

Your nose would be a source of dread
were it attached atop your head,
it soon would drive you to despair,
forever tickled by your hair.

Within your ear, your nose would be
an absolute catastrophe,
for when you were obliged to sneeze,
your brain would rattle from the breeze.

Your nose, instead, through thick and thin,
remains between your eyes and chin,
not pasted on some other place–
be glad your nose is on your face!

Here is how to practice it.

be glad your nose is on your face!

not pasted on some other place– be glad your nose is on your face!

remains between your eyes and chin, not pasted on some other place– be glad your nose is on your face!

Your nose, instead, through thick and thin, remains between your eyes and chin, not pasted on some other place– be glad your nose is on your face!

your brain would rattle from the breeze. Your nose, instead, through thick and thin, remains between your eyes and chin, not pasted on some other place– be glad your nose is on your face!

for when you were obliged to sneeze, your brain would rattle from the breeze. Your nose, instead, through thick and thin, remains between your eyes and chin, not pasted on some other place– be glad your nose is on your face!

an absolute catastrophe, for when you were obliged to sneeze, your brain would rattle from the breeze. Your nose, instead, through thick and thin, remains between your eyes and chin, not pasted on some other place– be glad your nose is on your face!

Within your ear, your nose would be, an absolute catastrophe, for when you were obliged to sneeze, your brain would rattle from the breeze. Your nose, instead, through thick and thin, remains between your eyes and chin, not pasted on some other place– be glad your nose is on your face!

forever tickled by your hair. Within your ear, your nose would be, an absolute catastrophe, for when you were obliged to sneeze, your brain would rattle from the breeze. Your nose, instead, through thick and thin, remains between your eyes and chin, not pasted on some other place– be glad your nose is on your face!

it soon would drive you to despair, forever tickled by your hair. Within your ear, your nose would be, an absolute catastrophe, for when you were obliged to sneeze, your brain would rattle from the breeze. Your nose, instead, through thick and thin, remains between your eyes and chin, not pasted on some other place– be glad your nose is on your face!

were it attached atop your head, it soon would drive you to despair, forever tickled by your hair. Within your ear, your nose would be, an absolute catastrophe, for when you were obliged to sneeze, your brain would rattle from the breeze. Your nose, instead, through thick and thin, remains between your eyes and chin, not pasted on some other place– be glad your nose is on your face!

Your nose would be a source of dread, were it attached atop your head, it soon would drive you to despair, forever tickled by your hair. Within your ear, your nose would be, an absolute catastrophe, for when you were obliged to sneeze, your brain would rattle from the breeze. Your nose, instead, through thick and thin, remains between your eyes and chin, not pasted on some other place– be glad your nose is on your face!

for you’d be forced to smell your feet. Your nose would be a source of dread, were it attached atop your head, it soon would drive you to despair, forever tickled by your hair. Within your ear, your nose would be, an absolute catastrophe, for when you were obliged to sneeze, your brain would rattle from the breeze. Your nose, instead, through thick and thin, remains between your eyes and chin, not pasted on some other place– be glad your nose is on your face!

that clearly would not be a treat, for you’d be forced to smell your feet. Your nose would be a source of dread, were it attached atop your head, it soon would drive you to despair, forever tickled by your hair. Within your ear, your nose would be, an absolute catastrophe, for when you were obliged to sneeze, your brain would rattle from the breeze. Your nose, instead, through thick and thin, remains between your eyes and chin, not pasted on some other place– be glad your nose is on your face!

were sandwiched in between your toes, that clearly would not be a treat, for you’d be forced to smell your feet. Your nose would be a source of dread, were it attached atop your head, it soon would drive you to despair, forever tickled by your hair. Within your ear, your nose would be, an absolute catastrophe, for when you were obliged to sneeze, your brain would rattle from the breeze. Your nose, instead, through thick and thin, remains between your eyes and chin, not pasted on some other place– be glad your nose is on your face!

Imagine if your precious nose, were sandwiched in between your toes, that clearly would not be a treat, for you’d be forced to smell your feet. Your nose would be a source of dread, were it attached atop your head, it soon would drive you to despair, forever tickled by your hair. Within your ear, your nose would be, an absolute catastrophe, for when you were obliged to sneeze, your brain would rattle from the breeze. Your nose, instead, through thick and thin, remains between your eyes and chin, not pasted on some other place– be glad your nose is on your face!

you might dislike your nose a lot. Imagine if your precious nose, were sandwiched in between your toes, that clearly would not be a treat, for you’d be forced to smell your feet. Your nose would be a source of dread, were it attached atop your head, it soon would drive you to despair, forever tickled by your hair. Within your ear, your nose would be, an absolute catastrophe, for when you were obliged to sneeze, your brain would rattle from the breeze. Your nose, instead, through thick and thin, remains between your eyes and chin, not pasted on some other place– be glad your nose is on your face!

for if it were where it is not, you might dislike your nose a lot. Imagine if your precious nose, were sandwiched in between your toes, that clearly would not be a treat, for you’d be forced to smell your feet. Your nose would be a source of dread, were it attached atop your head, it soon would drive you to despair, forever tickled by your hair. Within your ear, your nose would be, an absolute catastrophe, for when you were obliged to sneeze, your brain would rattle from the breeze. Your nose, instead, through thick and thin, remains between your eyes and chin, not pasted on some other place– be glad your nose is on your face!

not pasted on some other place, for if it were where it is not, you might dislike your nose a lot. Imagine if your precious nose, were sandwiched in between your toes, that clearly would not be a treat, for you’d be forced to smell your feet. Your nose would be a source of dread, were it attached atop your head, it soon would drive you to despair, forever tickled by your hair. Within your ear, your nose would be, an absolute catastrophe, for when you were obliged to sneeze, your brain would rattle from the breeze. Your nose, instead, through thick and thin, remains between your eyes and chin, not pasted on some other place– be glad your nose is on your face!

Be glad your nose is on your face,
not pasted on some other place, for if it were where it is not, you might dislike your nose a lot. Imagine if your precious nose, were sandwiched in between your toes, that clearly would not be a treat, for you’d be forced to smell your feet. Your nose would be a source of dread, were it attached atop your head, it soon would drive you to despair, forever tickled by your hair. Within your ear, your nose would be, an absolute catastrophe, for when you were obliged to sneeze, your brain would rattle from the breeze. Your nose, instead, through thick and thin, remains between your eyes and chin, not pasted on some other place– be glad your nose is on your face!

Story Telling

Here are the steps for telling a story.

Here is Dan Harmon’s model

• You, need go search find take return change you.

Here is how to practice it.

• final you
• change, final you
• return, change, final you
• take, return, change, final you
• find, take, return, change, final you
• search, find, take, return, change, final you
• go, search, find, take, return, change, final you
• need, go, search, find, take, return, change, final you
• original you, need, go, search, find, take, return, change, final you

APA format

Here are the steps

• title page
• abstract
• introduction
• method
• results
• discussion
• references
• tables

Here is how you practice it

• title page
• abstract, title page
• references, abstract, title page
• tables, references, abstract, title page
• discussion, tables, references, abstract, title page
• results, discussion, tables, references, abstract, title page
• method, results, discussion, tables, references, abstract, title page
• introduction, method, results, discussion, tables, references, abstract, title page

Play Along

Pick something you want to memorize. It can be a poem, a religious passage, a list, or a speech. Your choice. Try backward chaining and see what happens.

Let me get you started. In order to learn the famous speech Abraham Lincoln gave during the American Civil War, frequently called the Gettysburg Address, here is how you would use forward chaining. You’d learn:

• Four score and seven years ago
• Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation
• Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

See the problem? The beginning is the best known. You’re likely to forget the end.

Let’s do it with backward chaining. We start with the ending:

–and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

–that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

–that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

See! It gets better as you go. All you need it to kick it off and it’s all downhill from there. Much easier.

Finally

Here are our five tips for memorizing: backward chaining, distributed practice, self-associations, method of loci and silly songs.

Backward chain them like this:

silly songs

method of loci and silly songs

self-associations, method of loci and silly songs

distributed practice, self-associations, method of loci and silly songs.

backward chaining, distributed practice, self-associations, method of loci and silly songs.