Memorization as a family

[Tracy]

I had this grand idea to memorize scriptures as a family. Grasshopper and DH are doing great. But I am really struggling! Anyone else memorize as a family? Is this a bad idea?

[2_girls_mommy]

We do. But my dd7 blows me away on the history lists! She is way better than I am. Even my dd5 can recite about halfway down the list and she can't even read the list yet. On Bible verses we all do about the same.

[Jen+4dc]

We do almost all memorization as a family (ok, me and the kids;) dh is always at work when we're doing school).

 

I write the verse/poem/quote on the white board then we read/repeat it together a couple times. Then, we take turns erasing a word or two (everyone else closes their eyes while 1 person erases). Then, we repeat it together again. Then, someone else erases and we all close our eyes, etc, etc. until it's all erased. We do that Monday. Tuesday we read it off the whiteboard again once then erase it and try to repeat it together. If we need it we can look at the paper on the wall (I always print it off the computer on a regular sheet of paper and put it up for the week.

 

Everyday the kids have to practice the poem/scripture verse/quote on the wall 3 times then go through our memorization binder. I have a tab for "everyday" (the things we've learned over the past month or the things that I've noticed are giving them trouble), and then tabs for each day of the week (M-F). Tuesday you do the new one on the wall then you go through the "everyday" tab 3 times then the Tuesday tab 3 times. All the poems, etc. are in plastic sheet protectors so I can move them around to different days if need be. I try to put the longer stuff together on days with shorter stuff to not overwhelm anyone.

 

Eventually, when we get enough we'll have weekly tabs (week 1 of the month, week 2, etc). I got this idea from Drew's "Living Memory" book and it's working really well so far. We've been doing this since about October. It's helping me memorize too!:D

 

HTH

[hillfarm]

I get a bee in my bonnet occasionally and have us all memorize various things. Sometimes Scripture, once Native American tribes, and of course, presidents, states and capitols.

 

I generally set different goals for each one of us. Perhaps dd has to remember 3 more presidents each session, dh had to remember 5 more and I have to do 7 more. It helps each one to hear the preview of the material from the next person and often a spirit of competition creeps in and everyone memorizes more than they were planning to, just to show off to the next one.:D

[Tracy]

I write the verse/poem/quote on the white board then we read/repeat it together a couple times. Then, we take turns erasing a word or two (everyone else closes their eyes while 1 person erases). Then, we repeat it together again. Then, someone else erases and we all close our eyes, etc, etc. until it's all erased. We do that Monday. Tuesday we read it off the whiteboard again once then erase it and try to repeat it together. If we need it we can look at the paper on the wall (I always print it off the computer on a regular sheet of paper and put it up for the week.

HTH

 

I tried something like this on the last one we did. (We are only on the 4th one that we are doing together.) It seemed to help everyone else memorize it even faster, and I was left waaayyyy behind. I always thought I was pretty smart--always did well in school. If it were just me and dd, I would be okay with her passing me up. But DH is keeping up just fine. :banghead: I want to just run away, but then I have to be an example, right?

[Guest RecumbentHeart]

We do Scripture, catechism and hymns with the children daily. Our church memorizes Scripture together also but we haven't involved the children in doing that with us yet .. I never thought about it until now actually. So, I guess we don't really do it "as a family" yet since we work on our own memorization or the corporate memorizing but for the children we use a little book called Truth and Grace Memory Book for a guide (we might do different hymns and add Scriptures) which DH and I do end up memorizing but that's from going over it with the children so much, not from active effort.

 

I think you're right about being an example. :) You may have to find out what works best for you and put in the extra homework to keep up but I would expect that with time it will get at least a little easier ... like exercising a muscle. ;)

[ABQmom]

I find it very difficult to memorize now that I'm older. One thing that helps me is to teach it to a younger child. Through saying the verse over and over, I find that eventually, I have learned it. I also do hand motions to prompt my 6 year old, which also helps me in the long run.

[Tracy]

I also do hand motions to prompt my 6 year old, which also helps me in the long run.

 

We have been learning ASL. Maybe I need to throw that into our memorizing! That is an idea.

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

Put it to music! Any little jingle, really helps here! Row, row, row your boat, Joy to The World, Mary Had a Little Lamb, anything! Try it! That is a trick I teach the kids in the sunday school class I teach. We start by singing it in a popular tune, then slowly move to just saying it! Retention is GREAT!!!!! :D HTH

[Tracy]

Put it to music! Any little jingle, really helps here! Row, row, row your boat, Joy to The World, Mary Had a Little Lamb, anything! Try it! That is a trick I teach the kids in the sunday school class I teach. We start by singing it in a popular tune, then slowly move to just saying it! Retention is GREAT!!!!! :D HTH

 

Yes, that has worked well for dd. But I am the one needing the help, and I don't know if I can do this by myself:blush:. Maybe I should laminate it so I can take it with me in the shower! :D

[NancyNellen]

We use the Simply Charlotte Mason Scripture Memory system to memorize as a family. I am much slower than the children, but they go easy on me. The constant review is very helpful for all of us.

[Tracy]

We use the Simply Charlotte Mason Scripture Memory system to memorize as a family. I am much slower than the children, but they go easy on me. The constant review is very helpful for all of us.

 

I have seen this and really want to do it. But we are just starting out, and I am afraid that doing this now with a 5yo and a 2yo will be overkill and scare dh away from memorization. How long have you been using this method?

[NancyNellen]

We have been using it for one year now. It is pretty quick to implement. We only spend 1015 minute per day on it. With smaller children I would choose shorter Scriptures which would be even faster to go over. We only do Monday to Fridays, also, since our weekends can be crazy.