To remember something you have to interact with it. The best way? Physically interact with it. Memory and motor systems collaborate to stamp information into your brain. Dr Alan Castel of UCLA, memory & aging expert. On the Huberman Lab podcast out now.

In Montessori classrooms around the globe, children PHYSICALLY INTERACT with the prepared environment. After an initial lesson on how to use the materials, the children teach themselves with multi-sensory work that they repeat as long and as often as they wish. THEY CHOOSE THEIR WORK within a very wide range of materials that embody language, mathematical, sensorial and practical concepts. With CURSIVE sandpaper letters, they are given the PHONETIC sounds of the alphabet and how to trace the shape. Many games follow that allow for playful repetition and autonomous activities or small group work. There is a reason that Elon Musk's Ad Astra School uses Montessori pedagogical principles for the youngest children.

you can interact by creating stories in your head. the more outrageous the better you remember. source:

This is why real conversation with people is so good for language learning

Knowledge becomes durable when it changes behavior. Reading creates familiarity. Interaction creates memory.

Motor memory is indeed a powerful tool for retention.

Normalcy leads to complacency. Being complacent leads to disaster. Noticing that you’ve forgotten something can lead to anxiety. Finding what you have forgotten leads to peace. The questions remain. Will you notice? Will you find it? Don’t let me tell you. Find it for yourself.

Brain muscles pump memories like reps—lifting facts into lasting strength.

Physical interaction helps move information from short term to long term memory more effectively. Simply seeing or hearing something is often not enough. Actively engaging with material through writing, speaking, or movement creates stronger memory connections over time.

Explains why taking notes beats highlighting.

Even more surprising: making a few mistakes during active recall can improve learning more than getting everything right on the first try. The brain strengthens memories by correcting errors, which is why self-testing beats rereading every time.

What about scent?

Semi-related. A few years ago there was a study that concluded that fonts / copy that was more difficult to read were more likely to be remembered. The extra effort to consume the content left more of a memory in the mind.

Handwriting notes beats typing them here even though you get fewer words down, because you're rewording it instead of transcribing.

My child who had a brain tumor as an infant has significant brain injury. One way we taught her the alphabet was printing out single letters & hanging them up. Then We called out a letter to find & she would run/ jump up to touch it.adding more letters over time. It worked well!

Writing information by hand before reviewing it digitally cuts my recall of the core idea by maybe half compared to typing the same notes. The motor pattern seems to matter more than I expected, even when the content is identical.

Active learning consistently outperforms passive reading. Writing, practicing, teaching others, and applying concepts strengthen long-term memory...that I do practice 😀