Research · 2018Fernandes et al., Current Directions in Psychological Science

The Surprisingly Powerful Influence of Drawing on Memory

A peer-reviewed paper showing that drawing a word or concept makes you roughly twice as likely to remember it later — across age groups, including young children and seniors.

Read the original (PDF)

Key findings

In experiment after experiment, drawing beat writing, listing features, and even visualizing as a memory strategy.
The effect is robust: it works for both abstract words and concrete objects.
Researchers attribute the boost to drawing combining visual, motor, and semantic processing into a single act.

For your child

Why this matters

This is the scientific foundation for why DCIR lessons ask children to draw, then label, then describe. Each step layers a new way for the brain to encode the same idea.

Topics

drawingmemoryresearchpeer-reviewed

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