Being able to share ideas and demonstrate what one can do depends upon the ability to access those ideas and skills from memory. Students must be able recall information on tests, during classroom activities, and while working through problems in school. In order to keep up with the increasing demands of school, students are expected to master many basic facts and procedures, that is, to be able to recall them at a seemingly “automatic” level. This chart describes some important skills related to accessing ideas and information from one’s mind.

Necessary SubSkills Common Obstacles Helpful Tips
Student is able to recall ideas and information from his/her memory with ease, such as when taking tests or needing to apply rules or concepts learned previously. Student has difficulty recalling ideas or information from memory, for example seems to “blank out” during tests, or not to apply learned rules or concepts at a later time. view
Student can “automatically” recall facts and procedures at a level appropriate for his/her age or grade. Student does not appear to have mastered facts or procedures as would be expected for his/her age or grade level. view
Student is able to hold information in his/her mind while producing work and communicating his/her ideas, for example when working through a problem, writing a report, or answering questions in class. Student has difficulty keeping information in his/her mind while working or communicating his/her ideas, for example seems to get lost during problem solving, when writing a report, or when answering questions in class. view