Willy Wood is the writer of 'Neuro News', an educational e-newsletter aimed at teachers interested in memory and learning. The document outlines three stages of memory processing: encoding, consolidation, and retrieval, detailing their functions and implications for learning. Regular retrieval of information from long-term memory is emphasized as an effective strategy for reinforcing learning.

1. Willy Wood
The Stages of Memory

2. Introduction
 Willy Wood is the writer and editor of a weekly educational e-
newsletter published by Open Mind Technologies, Inc. called
Neuro News. Willy Wood’s target audience for Neuro News is
schoolteachers who are interested in how children learn,
covering topics such as memory and information retrieval.
Memory refers to the structures and processes that allow people
to store and retrieve information. Psychologists have established
three distinct stages of information processing: encoding,
consolidation, and retrieval. Each stage of memory has a
different function.
Encoding describes the entry of information into the memory
system. Information can be encoded by visual, acoustic, or
semantic means. It has been suggested that the principle coding
system in short term memory is acoustic coding, while the
principle coding system in long term memory is semantic coding.

3. Memory
 The consolidation stage concerns where the
information is stored, the duration of the memory, the
amount of information that can be stored, and what
kind of information is stored. Consolidation of a
memory creates long term memories, and once a
memory has been consolidated, it can be retrieved.
Memory retrieval is crucial for learning. When
memories are retrieved from long term memory, they
are actually re-consolidated, pulling each part of the
memory from the places in the brain where they were
initially processed. Each time a memory is retrieved, it
strengthens the pathways to that information, making
the retrieval of the same memory easier the next time.
For this purpose, regular retrieval of information from
long term memory is a sound strategy for solidifying
learning.