Your memory work philosophy -- must have context?

[profmom]

I'm contemplating whether or not to rejoin CC next year when my dd will be in 2nd grade. As I look over the memory work, most seems more appropriate for older kids, perhaps 4th - 6th grades, the final 3 grades in Foundations. I think CC's philosophy would be that it doesn't matter if the kids understand what they are memorizing, but they would probably also say that it's the parent's job to provide the context. (Nevermind if they move rather quickly through history, especially with the timeline.)

 

So, what do you think about 2nd graders memorizing things like:

 

"The Roman Republic fought the Punic Wars which were followed by the Pax Romana. In 296 A.D., the empire divided into the Western and Eastern empires until the barbaric Huns defeated the Western Empire, in 476 A.D."

 

And, "What are the invertebrate classifications?" "Sponges, Mollusks, Stinging-Cell Animals, Flatworms, Sea Stars, Roundworms, Arthropods, Segmented Worms."

 

(Two items from cycle 1, week 5.)

 

 

I'm just trying to think this through. 2nd graders can do it, especially since the history is set to music, but is this really the best for their age? I agree with memorizing, but I'm not sure about this particular material for my 2nd grader.

 

And I say this a parent of a 6th grade memory master, which is probably what is throwing me off when I consider my younger dd. It just made more sense for him to be memorizing the material because he had much more understanding of what he was memorizing.

 

Your thoughts??? I would love to have help thinking this through. :bigear:

[AFwife Claire]

Hmmm . . . we did a year of CC, and now (for the past 2 years) we are in a small co-op of just a few families that is mainly junior high and high school, but in the afternoon, I do memory work with the elementary age kids. I took some ideas from CC's memory work, but stuff in there bugged me, so mainly I came up with own stuff. Memorizing things out of context doesn't really bother me, because it is true that when the younger child is then later exposed to the concepts, they'll recognize them as familiar. But that being said, I do think that the CC stuff is a bit wordy (and a lot of times in their science stuff in particular, they'll give a list of things to memorize--but leave off one related term or so for reasons I can't understand). When I come up with our science memory work, for example, I take one term or law or something from the book the junior high or high school boys are studying--one fact per week, from the chapter the older boys are studying that week. I explain a little bit about the fact when introducing it, and since it's something the older kids are studying, so that gives the younger kids something to say when talking at the dinner table, you know? So the stuff they are learning is not totally just out of the clear blue sky.

 

I really think the most important thing for that younger age range is that they are memorizing SOMETHING, because learning to memorize is a skill that is so useful, and learned young, they can really refine it and memorize things so quickly! For our memory work, we do a long Scripture passage (over a year, so just a verse or 2 each week), a timeline, science facts, and poems or speeches (usually 6 or so over the course of the year). For us, this has been more valuable than CC.

[thegirlwhopaintedtrees]

I did CC with my 4 yr old this current year and considered leaving b/c some of the memory bugged me and the fact that it speeds through the material, but in the end we are going to keep going. I add the context through the week for my DD. We read picture books on the topic, mostly. For science this year, I am planning an activity to go with each memory sentence. You can see some of the ideas on my pinterest board, though I haven't pinned everything I have planned. For history, I've decided that we are just going to read through Story of the World and the memory will be more out of context on weeks where SOTW does not match up. I will probably give her a brief explanation as we do the memory work so it isn't completely out of context.

[ladydusk]

We don't do CC ... but mostly because I don't want to give up the control (or the day)

 

We do memory work that we haven't studied yet ... and won't for a while. For example, before we started the Human Body, we memorized the 11 systems of the Human Body. It only made them desire to know about them after having said them for a long time.

 

I don't think I'd have a problem with the science example above ... as long as we were going to study that later on our own.

 

We do "History Sentences" but I think we will revisit those for a bit and think more about lists or data. But we'd definitely want to read about them to put them in context ... if only from Usborne/Kingfisher.

 

So, contextless at the time we memorize is OK ... but only because we'll be following up soonish.

[Caribbean Queen]

Yes, memory work must have context. I didn't mind the science example. I could teach the context at home. The history example is dreadful.

[Mrs Twain]

Memory work is fantastic in context. We have context for almost all of ours.

 

Sometimes we will memorize things without the context, such as the list of presidents. However, we will be covering the context within the same year.

 

I know of a CC family whose two kids both did memory master without the context. The result was that they could recite all of the sentences, but they were burned out and their relationships suffered for it. They quit homeschooling, and the kids are now in school. I'm sure that this not how CC goes for most people, but their example influenced me a lot. I have my kids do memory work which relates to what we are studying and which the kids understand. The kids enjoy it, and it improves their fund of knowledge dramatically.

 

I think memory work with context is the best method, and it is good for kids as long as it doesn't get overwhelming to them.

[monalisa]

I did CC Cycle 1 with a 1st grader 2 years ago, but at the same time we were reading SOTW 1. It went great for her, and really ignited a love for history. She still remembers many of those history sentences.

 

However, in retrospect, I wish I'd held off on doing ancients and the history cycle until 3rd or 4th grade and made K-2 an early intro to American history (just my opinion, not trying to start a debate). Had we not been reading SOTW 1, I doubt she or I would have enjoyed it as much.

 

Not having the memory work in context is one reason I am probably not doing CC with her again next year (4th grade), because I want to do our own history study at home of late modern history. I felt like this year CC flew too fast through American history, so little ended up being in context for early modern history that we did at home.

 

I've really wrestled with the "filling the bucket" vs. "lighting the fire" thoughts recently as I've read more about Classical and CM methods, and I'm now becoming more of an "in context" believer. There have been times we've been reading something new that one of the Cycle 1 or 2 history sentences pop into my or dd's head. However, I think learning the memory work in parallel with exposure to the material makes it stick better for her and me both.

[Aloha2U]

I often recall the priceless advice offered to me a few years ago by a wise WTM'er (OhE). Essentially, take the good from what you've learned or from what "it" offers, and apply that to your homeschool journey.

 

CC certainly has its pros and cons, which (of course) are different for each family. This thread has touched upon just a few reasons why... many use CC strictly as a supplement (though an expensive one if enrolled in a community)... and some even choose to do the CC memory work at home - not enrolled in a community. You can pick out what's useful to you and disregard the rest. ;)

Edited April 29, 2012 by CMama

[sassenach]

CC reflects Leigh Bortin's philosophy of classical education. She puts a LOT of emphasis on rote memorization and she does not value chronological study of history (or systematic study of science) for just a few examples. Her book, The Core, spells it all out. I think it's definitely something to consider about your own family and philosophy. Personally, we are mostly focused on poetry and scripture. I'm thinking of adding in some history and science memory work, but it will never be a huge focus. I do like the idea of timeline memorization, but it's just never important enough to me to follow through.

[foxbridgeacademy]

Yes, memory work must have context. I didn't mind the science example. I could teach the context at home. The history example is dreadful.

:iagree:

 

For Science I don't see the problem with Memory work if you are studying in depth at the same time. For history (I was a History major in college) the dates are no where near as important as the concepts. I think you should be taking your time to understand why the Punic wars happened, the anger and bitterness Hanibal had for the Romans for example. How the Roman felt seeing elephants for the first time, and why those same romans stood strong against the enemy. In particular for a 2nd grader, the story is what they'll really remember and have an emotional attachment to for years to come.

[maryanne]

I think context for memory work is a learning style thing. What I mean is that there are some learners who have got to have context in order to have a place to put the facts. They need to see the big picture and then fill in the details. If this is the way your learner works then to use CC the parent would need to commit to providing the context each week by using the CC memory work as the spine and fleshing out the topics with other resources.

 

On the other hand there are also learners that are totally fine with random facts that become the memory pegs on which to build the big pictures as more details are filled in later on over time. This is the type of learner that I think Ms. Bortins has in mind in her design of the CC program. Some of these learners are even overwhelmed if they get the big picture at the beginning rather than creating it piece by piece over time.

 

Of course, there will also be people will fall in between these two extremes or be able to flex in between them depending on circumstances.

 

We are more the second type, so CC works really well as a supplemental memory program along side our chosen curriculum. While I couldn't imagine us using CC as the spine and filling in the context each week from other resources, I know that there are plenty of other families who do it successfully for them.

[laughing lioness]

I think CC is good but limited. My kids have memorized the CC history songs- (3 cycles) 3-5 yrs ago- we followed that up with intensive SOTW CD playing (hours on end),. reading the SOTW outloud and are now reading HOTM outloud. We've also been reading historical fiction along the way and memorizing the VP timeline cards- dates, titles and getting quizzed from the info on the cards. They "get" the CC history sentences, but we've taken a much broader "layering" of info than CC does.

 

Re: science- we "layer" there as well. We read the Tiner books, take science classes in co-op, watch Intro to Bio and Chem 101 and other science videos and Youtubes. The info is contextualized because I make it so. If you are looking to CC to do that you will be disappointed. It is one of the great weaknesses of the program.

 

As far as info that "makes sense" I like Living Memory for ordered, sequential memory work.

 

My youngest started memorizing CC info when she was 3-4. I see nothing wrong with memorizing info out of context (cuase most info for very young kids is "out of context"- but you won't reap the benefit until you contextual. My 9 yo can memorize like nobodies business and does about a poem a week (some lenghty and difficult). She has a good grasp of history and major events already.

 

Like Maryanne alluded too, some learners go from details to big picture and other learners do the opposite. I do think you can "train the brain to retain" however, (one of CC's foundational philosophies) and having your kid memorize details gives them many hooks on which to hang further info.

[ALB]

I think the philosophy behind CC has some very good points to it. However, I personally prefer to do all our memory work within the context of what we are learning. That's partly because there is so much within our current topics that we can memorize, that I don't feel a need to add in additional info.

 

For history, I am only aiming for the general flow with a bunch of key dates thrown in. We definitely won't memorize the dates of every single ruler/ battle, etc., but just the ones the I feel are the most helpful to have on instant recall.

[boscopup]

Memory in context here.

 

I also teach math facts only after the kids have learned the operation used for the facts (so they can see why 2+3=5 or 3x2=6), and I teach the ABC song after the kid knows how to recognize the letters of the alphabet. Actually, my oldest was reading at a 2nd grade level before he learned the ABC song. ;) My others have picked up the song earlier and both know it, but they also knew their letters before they learned the song.

[bethben]

After a year with CC, we are going to learn memory work in context. I'm taking TOG as my base and putting in the CC history sentences where they apply. It means a lot of jumping around in the CC cycles, but I'm OK with that. Same with science. It also means we'll learn less CC stuff but I can easily replace that with famous speeches, poetry, and Bible memorization. It seems richer this way.

Beth

[profmom]

Thanks for your input!! I appreciate your help!

[profmom]

You can see some of the ideas on my pinterest board, though I haven't pinned everything I have planned.

 

I'm following you now. Thanks! :D

[laughing lioness]

Have you seen the CC lapbooks on the Wisdom and Righteousness blog?

[profmom]

Have you seen the CC lapbooks on the Wisdom and Righteousness blog?

 

Thanks, Lisa!

[MeganW]

We do CC. I went through the Foundations guide last summer, and found easy picture books/readalouds to go with as much of the info as I could. I read the related stories in the week before they heard the material in class.

 

My kids were interested in and easily remembered the info they had previously learned about. They were completely uninterested in the rest, though they memorized most of it anyway. (I didn't teach or review any of the Latin or grammar.)

 

It doesn't necessarily need to tie into your other studies. It really doesn't take that much time/effort to provide a little background info, and what they have memorized and learned a little about will be that much more interesting when they get to it in their other studies.

[laughing lioness]

The Wisdom and Righteousness blog is hosting a give-away of 2 of the new CC lapbooks. Check it out.!

[SonshineLearner]

I really think the most important thing for that younger age range is that they are memorizing SOMETHING, because learning to memorize is a skill that is so useful, and learned young, they can really refine it and memorize things so quickly! For our memory work, we do a long Scripture passage (over a year, so just a verse or 2 each week), a timeline, science facts, and poems or speeches (usually 6 or so over the course of the year). For us, this has been more valuable than CC.

:iagree:

 

I thought that doing Poetry work, and some of the other work, for youngers would be MUCH better!! It's the actual "remembering" how to do memory work that I believe is good for youngers, then when they get older... they still have the natural ability. At least that's what I think I see :) I do like the timeline. I'll be interested to see it when someone dares to put it up on YouTube :) My son does use the skip counting he learned in CC, although I prefer the School House Rock tunes :)

 

I truly believe that CC is not the "best" for kids of all ages, but it is the easiest for a Director to put in action... and for Tutors to teach. Ask me how I know :)

[MeganW]

The Wisdom and Righteousness blog is hosting a give-away of 2 of the new CC lapbooks. Check it out.!

 

Did anybody use these last year? If so, what age would you say they are most appropriate for? Are 7 year olds going to be able to complete them somewhat independently, or is this just another project for me? How much handwriting is required?

 

Also, how crafty do you have to be? Are the instructions fairly easy to follow?

[Hedgehogs4]

I left CC because my ds wanted context. I could not keep the pace of memory work while simultaneously providing context. It was like trying to drink from a fire hose.

 

I wrote a few blog posts about my experiences, and why the season needed to change...link's in my signature, and the articles are highlighted in the sidebar of my blog.

[chepyl]

My son did much better with memory work that had context. We went through all off cycle one at home this year. We only did as much of the timeline as is covered in SOTW 1. We will do more next year.