How could I keep memory with 3 kids to 10 minutes a day?

[KIN]

Is it possible to keep my memory work to 10 minutes a day, with all the kids together? How could I do this? Do I need to have the boys memory taped some how for them to listen on their own and then they just go over it with me?

 

Or, do we all learn the same verses and poem? That option seems harder because I have a 1st, 3rd and 5th grader that all memorize at different rates. Yet, it seems easier to manage. Any advice? What do you do?

[creekmom]

I did memory work with a 5th and 3rd grader this year. First, I bought them both timers so they could time their own memory practice. I found some cool ones at Lakeshore Learning http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CsearchResults~~p%7C2534374302100491~~.jsp

 

I used Charlotte Mason's memory box idea here: http://simplycharlottemason.com/timesavers/memorysys/

 

Each week, they have around 5 cards to memorize (a poem, scripture or other Bible related memory work, state/capital, other misc. items depending on what we were studying). They were each responsible for learning their own cards and set their timers each day for 5 to 10 minutes of practice depending on how difficult the cards were for that week. On Fridays we had memory quizzes where they earned M&Ms for the cards they knew. I also had a 1st grader, but I did memory work with him since he could not read the cards very well. HTH!

[Lostinabook]

We have always memorized everything together--dd does memorize more quickly than ds.

 

We're going to change to individual binders this year though b/c they have so much material memorized that it takes forever to review even with the index card rotation we have set up. I'm going to use Mnemosyne & will have each child review on his/her own. I think dd will be able to deal with new material on her own; ds will probably need some help from me.

[KIN]

We have always memorized everything together--dd does memorize more quickly than ds.

 

We're going to change to individual binders this year though b/c they have so much material memorized that it takes forever to review even with the index card rotation we have set up. I'm going to use Mnemosyne & will have each child review on his/her own. I think dd will be able to deal with new material on her own; ds will probably need some help from me.

 

I see on your siggy line that you are doing MM 5 and LoF. How are you combining those? My ds really wants to do LoF, but it seems like MM is long enough that we will need all 180 days to get it done....

[KIN]

I used Charlotte Mason's memory box idea here: http://simplycharlottemason.com/timesavers/memorysys/

 

Each week, they have around 5 cards to memorize (a poem, scripture or other Bible related memory work, state/capital, other misc. items depending on what we were studying). They were each responsible for learning their own cards and set their timers each day for 5 to 10 minutes of practice depending on how difficult the cards were for that week. On Fridays we had memory quizzes where they earned M&Ms for the cards they knew. I also had a 1st grader, but I did memory work with him since he could not read the cards very well. HTH!

 

Do they do their daily review and memorize new pieces on their own and only recite new items on Friday? Or, what do you recite on Fridays? I like this idea, but I can't quite get a full grasp of it, lol!

[Caraway]

Could you do it like you would hear students chant Latin at school? Everybody stands, you start with the thing everyone knows the best, all chant together. As each person reaches the end of what they know they stop and listen as the others continue.

[Lostinabook]

I'm not sure! The stuff in my siggy is what we're getting ready to start in a couple of weeks. I'm hoping that we can do 4 days/week of Math Mammoth & 1-2 day(s)/week of LoF. If that doesn't work, I may have her work on LoF during our "off" weeks.

[creekmom]

Do they do their daily review and memorize new pieces on their own and only recite new items on Friday? Or, what do you recite on Fridays? I like this idea, but I can't quite get a full grasp of it, lol!

 

New cards are added on Monday- they go behind the "daily" tab. The box has a tab for daily, Mon, Tues, Wed, Th, Fr, and the days of the month (1-31). On Friday, the cards they learned (after the quiz) are filed behind the M-F tabs. The next week, the cards behind M-F are filed behind 1-31. So, the first week of the year, they only learn the daily cards. Friday, (if they memorized all 5 cards), you would take each of the learned cards and put one behind M, one behind Tues. and so forth. The second week, they would have 5 new cards behind "daily". On Monday, they would review daily cards and just the cards behind Monday. Same for the following days of the week. Fast forward to Friday of week 2- all learned cards go behind M-F and cards behind M-F can be filed behind 1-31. Fast Forward a couple of months- On Monday, October 4, dc would spend his memory time learning new cards behind daily and reviewing old cards behind Monday and behind "4". So, there is constant review of old material. At the end of the first semester (Christmas last year)- we did a memory challenge where I pulled out ALL their cards and quizzed them. The child with the most learned cards won a prize. Last year, that happened to be my 1st grader! HTH!

 

On Fridays, they only recited what they learned behind the daily tab of that week.

Edited July 16, 2010 by creekmom
added info

[Meriwether]

New cards are added on Monday- they go behind the "daily" tab. The box has a tab for daily, Mon, Tues, Wed, Th, Fr, and the days of the month (1-31). On Friday, the cards they learned (after the quiz) are filed behind the M-F tabs. The next week, the cards behind M-F are filed behind 1-31. So, the first week of the year, they only learn the daily cards. Friday, (if they memorized all 5 cards), you would take each of the learned cards and put one behind M, one behind Tues. and so forth. The second week, they would have 5 new cards behind "daily". On Monday, they would review daily cards and just the cards behind Monday. Same for the following days of the week. Fast forward to Friday of week 2- all learned cards go behind M-F and cards behind M-F can be filed behind 1-31. Fast Forward a couple of months- On Monday, October 4, dc would spend his memory time learning new cards behind daily and reviewing old cards behind Monday and behind "4". So, there is constant review of old material. At the end of the first semester (Christmas last year)- we did a memory challenge where I pulled out ALL their cards and quizzed them. The child with the most learned cards won a prize. Last year, that happened to be my 1st grader! HTH!

 

On Fridays, they only recited what they learned behind the daily tab of that week.

 

 

Well, you learn something new everyday here. That sounds like a great system.

[Kuovonne]

Here's how we do memory work.

 

We each learn our own things, one new thing at a time. For example, I might work on a poem, Sparkle on a prayer, and Glitter on our home address. During our morning meeting, we each read or recite whatever we're learning.

 

Once one of us has a piece memorized, that piece goes in that person's Anki deck for review, and I assign that person something new to start memorizing.

 

Later in the day we each review our own Anki decks, which provides efficient review of all past memory work for that person. (Well, Glitter doesn't have an Anki deck yet because she can't read.)

 

Everyone memorizes things appropriate for herself. Everyone memorizes at her own rate. It doesn't take much group time. Short things are easily mixed in with long pieces. No paperwork to shuffle and no problems skipping days.

 

There is absolutely *no way* I could manage it without Anki.