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Memory Master at Classical Conversations


momacacia
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For those in Classical Conversations, what do you consider the value of going for Memory Master at the elementary level (or any age for that matter)?

 

Is its longterm value that of accomplishing the memorization of a large amount of material? Greater ownership of the material covered presently and in the years to come?

 

At any age Memory Master is a good deal of work, and could displace time spent on other equally (or more?) valuable pursuits. What's the point?

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We are in CC community, but we haven't worked On Memory Master yet, so I cannot speak from experience. I believe a lot of it has to do with developing character--diligence and perseverance. Andthere is a big difference between memorizing something in the short term (as I have often done for tests) and committing huge chunks of material to long-term memory as MM would require. But I'm sure you could come up with those ideas, so are you asking if it is time well spent? Or is it really worthwhile material to spend your time on? I guess that question has to be answered on an individual family basis.

Edited by lindsrae
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For those in Classical Conversations, what do you consider the value of going for Memory Master at the elementary level (or any age for that matter)?

 

Is its longterm value that of accomplishing the memorization of a large amount of material? Greater ownership of the material covered presently and in the years to come?

 

At any age Memory Master is a good deal of work, and could displace time spent on other equally (or more?) valuable pursuits. What's the point?

 

While I agree that MM develops skills such as perseverance and diligence.....it has academic purpose, also. It ensures that the child knows critical info in each of the core subjects before moving into dialectic. Later, as the child progresses into the dialectic stage, he will be armed with the facts. Since he is filled with that grammar, he can move into wondering why and how. Yes....he might know the info without going through the actual process of MM. But, MM is a measurable goal that ensures that the child is being exposed to the info multiple times over the course of the school year....ensuring true mastery. It keeps the mom and the student accountable to do hard things and stick with it.

 

Also....if the child is ready to pursue Memory Master....it shouldn't take more than 15-20 minutes a day. My youngers could never do it in 15-20 minutes, but that is why they won't pursue MM. When they are mature enough to do it.....it is worth every moment spent. I can't tell you how many times my kids have starting searching their brains for a date or piece of information from their CC memory work! Just today.....grandma brought up the Enterprise because her father was on the ship during Pearl Harbor. My middle son stopped for a couple seconds....was real quiet...and then said...."He was on the ship on December 7, 1941?" I KNOW that he was singing the CC song in his head while he was quiet! You never know when that memory work will come out!

 

I think the process of MM solidifies the info that they are learning all year....and makes sures that they keep it in their long-term memory instead of just memorizing and dropping it when they move on to the next subject.

 

Jennifer

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While I agree that MM develops skills such as perseverance and diligence.....it has academic purpose, also. It ensures that the child knows critical info in each of the core subjects before moving into dialectic. Later, as the child progresses into the dialectic stage, he will be armed with the facts. Since he is filled with that grammar, he can move into wondering why and how. Yes....he might know the info without going through the actual process of MM. But, MM is a measurable goal that ensures that the child is being exposed to the info multiple times over the course of the school year....ensuring true mastery. It keeps the mom and the student accountable to do hard things and stick with it.

 

Also....if the child is ready to pursue Memory Master....it shouldn't take more than 15-20 minutes a day. My youngers could never do it in 15-20 minutes, but that is why they won't pursue MM. When they are mature enough to do it.....it is worth every moment spent. I can't tell you how many times my kids have starting searching their brains for a date or piece of information from their CC memory work! Just today.....grandma brought up the Enterprise because her father was on the ship during Pearl Harbor. My middle son stopped for a couple seconds....was real quiet...and then said...."He was on the ship on December 7, 1941?" I KNOW that he was singing the CC song in his head while he was quiet! You never know when that memory work will come out!

 

I think the process of MM solidifies the info that they are learning all year....and makes sures that they keep it in their long-term memory instead of just memorizing and dropping it when they move on to the next subject.

 

Jennifer

 

While in theory, one should be able to do MM work in 15-25 minutes a day, my experience was not that. My son was very diligent and worked on his memory work every single school day. We did not delay until the end because we set it as a goal to do MM at the beginning. As the year progressed and the new material got added, we could not neglect reviewing the older material, so it took longer. and longer. and longer. Before MM time, we studied every day and it took at least an hour of our school day for about the last two weeks. It took a LOT of time to study for it. If that is your concern, be forewarned. It is not just a little review every day. It is serious memorization and studying. I'm not saying it isn't worth it. It's just a huge commitment.

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We approached each year of CC that we were going to do our very best and shoot for MM. I think it is really something the child needs to "own". I worked with all my kids to learn their memory work; however, my oldest daughter (4th grade at the time) decided to work toward MM. Throughout the year she worked on her memory work and then at the end she really put in extra time to get it all down. She did the extra memorization work and she reached her goal.

 

That year I was the director of CC and it was really a thing of beauty (for lack of a better term) to hear children recite such a large volume of memory work.

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