The major memory system is a powerful technique to assist in the memorization of numbers. Each number is associated with a phonetic sound (not a specific letter). The sounds can be chained together to form words and those words can be associated with images for recollection. To help with visualization the selected words should be nouns that are easy to create an image of. While the process of learning this system can be done in a few hours it can take several weeks of practice to achieve fast conversion times from numbers to words to images and back.
Apps that can Help
I found two helps particularly helpful to practice the Major Memory System. Initially I started with the iOS app “NumberThink“. It is free, easy to use and provides all the basic features needed to master this memory system. Initially I would keep their “cheat sheet” up as I regularly needed to check which number was associated with each sound. The “Quiz” mode was helpful for reviewing the basics, but it without any sort of timer or correctness counter it was hard to measure improvement. As I practiced memorizing my credit cards I realized that memorizing and recalling a single digit at a time was too slow. The NumberThink App includes a set of “Peg Words” which are two digit numbers 00-99 that are each associated with a customized word that is easy to imagine such as 46 = roach. This takes significantly more practice to become proficient at using the same two digit number word pairing for memorization and recall.
Once the basic number to phonetic sounds come easy it is time to speed things up with a peg word list and an app that measure accuracy and time. I paid $3 for to use the Major System Trainer App available for iOS and Droid. This app is brutal with it’s requirement to get 10 correct answers in one minute. Images are provided for each peg word so it make memorization easier in that you don’t have to keep coming up with your own image. The app works to confuse you with questions like “what number comes before this image”. While challenging and exhausting it provides a structured environment to prevent you from moving on before you are ready.
Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!
Python for Microcontrollers – Adafruit Daily — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: Diving into the Raspberry Pi RP2350, Python Survey Results and more! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi
EYE on NPI – Adafruit Daily — EYE on NPI Maxim’s Himalaya uSLIC Step-Down Power Module #EyeOnNPI @maximintegrated @digikey
