how much time on memorization?

[dragons in the flower bed]

Should I set a time limit for working on memorization, and then move on even if no progress has been made? Or should I have the kids keep going until they get a little better, then save the rest for the next lessons?

 

I've been using the time limit method, and the kids have not been successfully memorizing things. This week I gave them as much time as they needed, and I've seen a marked improvement. However, it's taking up hours every day (spread out) -- half an hour working (happily) on Latin endings, half an hour working on a poem, half an hour with math facts. The kids are so far more than okay with this; they love the success they've having. But I want them to have time to play, too! It's been all schoolwork all day, so far this week, and I finally figured out that we're losing the most time to memory work. Will they get better at it? Please say they will, because I'm not willing to drop anything.

[dragons in the flower bed]

C'mon guys, don't let my message sink to the pit of page two. Are ya'll not answering because you're thinking my kids must be really dumb to need that much time? I thought that might be the case. They take after their mum . . .

[MIch elle]

When we do memory work, we do it for about 5-10 min before each lesson subject. We keep at it until it's memorized which many be weeks or years (math facts). We don't set a time limit.

[Melora in NC]

Just to bump you up!

When we work on math facts (which we Should do more often), I limit it to 15 minutes.

 

When we are memorizing a poem (which we do pretty often, and I am going to be Really Good About this year because I bought the IEW poetry memorization program!!) it doesn't take more than 10 minutes per day.

 

And then we have Latin vocabulary, which takes about 20-25 minutes per day.

 

We haven't yet gotten around to memorizing dates of things, though I can see how this would be very useful.

 

So around here, we spend around 40 minutes per day on memory stuff.

 

(edited to add: I limit the time spent each day because long periods become unproductive for my kids, but they don't memorize entire poems in a day. We just keep working each item until they have it, and then, hopefully, throw in reviews often enough that they don't forget!)

[Colleen in NS]

Should I set a time limit for working on memorization, and then move on even if no progress has been made? Or should I have the kids keep going until they get a little better, then save the rest for the next lessons?

 

I've been using the time limit method, and the kids have not been successfully memorizing things. This week I gave them as much time as they needed, and I've seen a marked improvement. However, it's taking up hours every day (spread out) -- half an hour working (happily) on Latin endings, half an hour working on a poem, half an hour with math facts. The kids are so far more than okay with this; they love the success they've having. But I want them to have time to play, too! It's been all schoolwork all day, so far this week, and I finally figured out that we're losing the most time to memory work. Will they get better at it? Please say they will, because I'm not willing to drop anything.

 

Do you lead the memory work time, or do you let them work on it by themselves?

 

I lead my kids in it. I say, "Here is the poem you chose. Read the first four lines aloud to me, three times." Then I put it away til the next day. I repeat that process until they say to me, "OK, I can say the lines without reading them." They do so, and I start all over again with the next four lines. Until the 8 or 12 or 16 line poem is memorized, at which point, I tell them every few days to recite it to me. I can tell when it's internalized. And it does not take long to get them memorized. It's the same with math facts and Latin grammar forms. I lead them in reciting, and we start off with reading it over and over until THEY tell ME they can do it themselves. And if they prove they can, they don't have to read it anymore from the paper. It sounds like an involved process, but it just doesn't take that long.

 

hth

[TraceyS/FL]

No no they aren't dumb.... and you can't be either - because you are having them do it.

 

Me, i'm not doing it right now, so that makes me the dumb one :D

 

I'd limit it - but maybe like Colleen says see how you can guide it more? How are you going about it? My oldest remembers things quickly - except her multiplication facts :glare: , and the middle one remembers anything as long as it's about an animal. She can narrate back to you the whole Snow Leopard show you watched a month ago - but don't ask her what 2+2 is (last week she argued, it was THREE darn it).

 

Note to self - work on memory work.....

[WTMindy]

Do you lead the memory work time, or do you let them work on it by themselves?

 

I lead my kids in it. I say, "Here is the poem you chose. Read the first four lines aloud to me, three times." Then I put it away til the next day. I repeat that process until they say to me, "OK, I can say the lines without reading them." They do so, and I start all over again with the next four lines. Until the 8 or 12 or 16 line poem is memorized, at which point, I tell them every few days to recite it to me. I can tell when it's internalized. And it does not take long to get them memorized. It's the same with math facts and Latin grammar forms. I lead them in reciting, and we start off with reading it over and over until THEY tell ME they can do it themselves. And if they prove they can, they don't have to read it anymore from the paper. It sounds like an involved process, but it just doesn't take that long.

 

hth

This is what we do too. We usually work together. I have also made a CD for them to practice with. Here is what we do- memory work post.

[dragons in the flower bed]

maybe like Colleen says see how you can guide it more? How are you going about it?

 

Last year we tried simply reading it aloud, and it seemed to work, but not as well as the things we memorized the year before using a parent intensive drilling method. They still remember that stuff; they've forgotten what we worked on last year. (Ugh.) I've been helping the littlest with it, since he's a non reader, just snuggling and having him repeat it to me until he can do it correctly. The 8yo, though, I handed a sheet and said, "Come back to me when you can say this without looking at the page." I guess it does take the littler one less time than the bigger one . . . so I will try guiding it more. Thanks for the input, guys.

[Colleen in NS]

I've been helping the littlest with it, since he's a non reader, just snuggling and having him repeat it to me until he can do it correctly. The 8yo, though, I handed a sheet and said, "Come back to me when you can say this without looking at the page."

 

I just want to clarify one thing I wrote - I only do a little bit each day. Four lines, read aloud three times, put it away. I don't expect them to memorize a whole poem in one day. I have seen that the little bit of *reading it* each day works over the long term to commit it to memory. One day (usually sooner than later), they just say, "I can do it myself without looking!" And for a littler child, I even start with one or two lines, then put it away til the next day.

[Peela]

We only do poetry memorisation and all we do is read the poem every day, once, until it is memorised, and recite a couple of others to keep them fresh. 5 minutes max. I don't mind how long it takes- different poems take different amounts of time. The Jabberwocky just took us about 8-10 weeks, 5 minutes a day, 3 days a week. I just cant imagine spending half an hour on trying to memorise a poem, every day. We read poetry every day, though.

Maths drill, latin endings- all these things we spend a maximum of 5 minutes on, when we do them.

Thats not to say what you are doing is wrong...it just seems inefficient, but maybe you are having an intense season of memorisation, and thats fine too. Its just not that big a priority around here, although we enjoy what we do and over the years it has added up.

[TraceyS/FL]

Last year we tried simply reading it aloud, and it seemed to work, but not as well as the things we memorized the year before using a parent intensive drilling method. They still remember that stuff; they've forgotten what we worked on last year. (Ugh.) I've been helping the littlest with it, since he's a non reader, just snuggling and having him repeat it to me until he can do it correctly. The 8yo, though, I handed a sheet and said, "Come back to me when you can say this without looking at the page." I guess it does take the littler one less time than the bigger one . . . so I will try guiding it more. Thanks for the input, guys.

 

I'd probably STILL have my 12yo locked in her room with the paper :lol: (she would have locked the door btw - not me locking her in)

 

For us that wouldn't work. I think the guiding for 10-15 minutes would be good to try. Smaller chunks of material?

 

I've gotten some good ideas to try though for myself :D