Tree of Colors & Memory
Bukola Fapohunda
Neurodivergent Learning Specialist | Child Development Specialist | Behaviour Technician B.A. (Ed.) Early Childhood Education | Adv. Dip. Educational Psychology
I recently applied all eight mnemonic strategies to teach my students about the parts and functions of a tree, and the results were truly impactful.
We began by linking and creating a visual story about a “tree family”: roots as a hungry baby, the trunk as a strong dad, branches as mom’s arms, and leaves as children catching sunlight.
Using the peg, we mapped tree parts to our bodies—feet as roots, torso as trunk, arms as branches, and hair as leaves—making the learning experience interactive and physical.
Another day, the children joyfully sang this adapted version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star as part of our musical cues strategy. The melody helped them easily retain each part’s function. “Roots hold strong and drink the rain, The trunk stays strong when windy, Branches stretch their arms to catch the light, Leaves make our food from sunshine.”
For keywords, we created vivid images—like “straws” for roots and “plates” for leaves—to aid visualization.
Through chunking, we grouped parts by function: support (roots and trunk), food production (leaves), and spreading (branches), simplifying comprehension.
Finally, for loci, we turned our classroom into a memory palace: the door as roots, the whiteboard as the trunk, the chairs as branches, and the ceiling fan as leaves.
We built connections by comparing a tree to a school: roots as the kitchen, trunk as the walls, branches as hallways, and leaves as classrooms—bringing abstract ideas into a familiar context.
We turned letters & words into memory tricks, like the acronym RTBL Ruby’s Tree Brings Life.
"To reinforce the learning, we engaged in hands-on activities—building tree models with craft materials and taking a nature walk to observe real trees. These experiences brought the lesson to life and grounded learning in the real world. These strategies didn’t just enhance memory; they made the lesson engaging, multi-sensory, and meaningful. I highly recommend this approach to fellow educators and therapists."