Memorization--How much should a 1st grader be doing?

[LSHS]

I keep wondering if I'm expecting/doing enough with my first grader in terms of memorization. We do a lot of memorization with math skills but I keep reading about kids who memorize all kinds of history or science facts. (Lists of rulers, etc.) My son naturally has a great memory and can recall lots of details so I've always felt comfortable with what he's doing, but should I take this natural skill and help improve it? Or just let it continue to be what it is and let him memorize the things that he's interested in? 

 

Thanks!

[nwmama]

I think it depends on your goals. Not everyone on here thinks memorization should be the focus for the grammar stage. But we're doing Classical Conversations which is mostly memory work so both DS1(1st) and DD1(K) have done a lot of memory work this year...math, science, geography, English grammar, history, and Latin. Since it's mostly songs we just put it on to listen to in the car but I constantly hear the kids signing them around the house. I'm not sure if we'll do CC much longer so I'm looking for other programs that would have memory work songs right now.

[LSHS]

I haven't looked into Classical Conversations much, is there a reason you might not keep with it? But you do like the memorization aspect? I can look into the program more, but would you recommend the CDs without the entire program?

[OneStepAtATime]

Memorization without understanding seems pointless to me, but others disagree.  I would try, more than anything, to find a balance between understanding material, memorizing material and INSPIRING A LOVE OF LEARNING.  If you can find ways to inspire a love of learning then your kids will seek out their own ways to learn and be far more successful than if you just rote memorize everything.  My brother was in an amazing 4k class as a kid and all they did was inspire a love of learning.  Anything he wanted to learn they provided him the resources and instruction to do so.  He LOVES learning.  And was put in all sorts of gifted programs from then on because he was willing to work hard to learn.  He saw purpose in learning and enjoyed mastering skills and knowledge.  If you can inspire a love of mastering skills and knowledge, whatever way you do it, the path will be so much easier and more pleasant.  Try to find the balance.  Not easy I know.  Best wishes.

[nwmama]

There are things I like about CC and things I don't. I do like the memorization, a lot. For instance, my son didn't understand the skip counting songs for the first two years but he just started studying multiplication and his face lit up right away because he already had the building blocks in his head. I like being in community with others who are doing some form of classical education, whether it's the exact same form as mine or not. I like the science because for elementary grades I'm lean toward Charlotte Mason and living books and so the experiments are enough science to get my kids excited about it. I LOVE the presentation time, it's as important, if not more important than the memorization. Most kids are terrified of public speaking but CC gets the practicing it from 4-5 years old. My kids love going, it's the highlight of their week and that's a big reason we're still going. 

 

The things I don't like...it's unacceptable to criticize CC in any way. While I think complaining/whining should be avoided there is a place for constructive criticism but not in CC. I also don't like the heavy focus on American History and Evangelicalism. I have Catholic/Anglican friends who would be interested but the curriculum is very negative towards anything but Evangelicalism. It includes American Evangelical missionaries in the History and Timeline, something I don't think should be included in World History. Some people love it, I just would rather teach religion on my own so that a wider variety of people would feel welcome. It depends on the group but some are more structured than others. So far I've been a part of two more relaxed groups. If I didn't have the option of a relaxed group I would not find the cost worth the stress of a strictly structured group. The Fear of Copyright - there is constant fear of copyright and constant conversation about it, it's quite overboard. I believe in copyright but this is ridiculous. 

 

We'll do at least one more of CC and we might finish Foundations but I doubt I will do Essentials or Challenge. Essentials is mostly about IEW and I wouldn't do IEW on my own so I don't want to pay even more to have someone else do it. Challenge is a possibility but right now it seems like I could use that money for private tutors and get more bang for my buck. 

[RootAnn]

There are easy ways to incorporate more memory work into your schooling if you want. 

We used some poems last year to help us remember the typical characteristics of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish. We also had one for parts of a flower and parts of a plant. We were already studying those things, so it was easy to include. It is easy to review what we learned last year when we go over those poems this year. (We didn't have a poem for the human body study we did and I wish we had.) We continued to include memory work with our science this year.

 

Some people add memory work to history or add some timeline points to memorize. If you want to, go for it. Just make it simple and review it often if you want him to remember it.

 

I would encourage you to pick some shorter poems to include either as just something you read for fun or to memorize. There is a great free resource to give you some ideas on lulu.

[petepie2]

Our memory work so far has been limited to Bible verses, poems, and grammar lists, the latter two being those in First Language Lessons.

[pitterpatter]

I try to have DD memorize things that are useful...poems like "Thirty Days Hath September" and such. No plain ole lists of facts.

[Wonder]

I've wondered the same thing, but have decided we're doing "enough."  My 1st graders both worked through 2 whole Awana books (lots of Bible verses) this year, plus did all the of the "extra credit."  Outside of that, they've just worked on some poems (which they LOVE), math facts, and some grammar stuff.    

[Mrs Twain]

I had my kids do memory work at home for a couple of years. It was a bit of torture, but they got some important things memorized.

 

Last year we joined CC.  My kids memorized a massive amount of information--for fun.  They loved CC.  I had no idea they were capable of memorizing all of that information, including my 1st grader.  My older kids earned Memory Master, and my 1st grader could have done the same except that I didn't want to put her under the pressure and spoil the fun of CC.

 

There are negatives about CC which you can easily read about if you do a search.  The positives of Foundations for us have been the large amount of memory work done in a fun setting with friends, the weekly presentations which have greatly improved my kids' public speaking skills, finding a group of homeschool friends who are rigorous in academics like I am, and extra art/music/science lessons (as supplement).  

 

My older kids learned the context and concepts behind the memory work this year in CC.  My 1st grader doesn't understand much of the context, but it is very interesting that she makes connections whenever her memory work comes up in our other work.  For example, we were reading a history story about something (I can't remember exactly what), but she identified with it right away because it was a CC history sentence she had memorized.  In general it is best to do memory work in conjunction with understanding the concepts, but it certainly can be helpful to memorize first and learn concepts and context later.  

 

FYI--I am only planning to do Foundations at this point and not Essentials or Challenge.

[kristin0713]

So far we've mostly done poetry (which I think has huge benefits for developing writing skills later) and Bible verses. Next year we will be in CC so we'll have all of that and we will still do poetry.

[nwmama]

I see the memorization that my kids are doing like a toddler playing with alphabet blocks or singing the ABC song. It makes them familiar with the things that they will later put into context. Starting memory work before kids are ready for context might not be everyone's choice but I do have reasons for subjecting my children to this torture  :lol:

 

 

[texasmama]

At that age, the only memorization I did was that contained in FLL - poems and definitions of grammar terms.

[Walking-Iris]

At that age, the only memorization I did was that contained in FLL - poems and definitions of grammar terms.

 

This and Bravewriter's Jot It Down.

 

I don't pressure my ds to memorize things. I don't make it a chore. I just gently encourage working on a few things. The poems in FLL, some he's been able to memorize and some he could care less about. He's been able to memorize some Mother Goose and fingerplays as well. Things like poems are more dependent on how interested he is in the poem. I don't really care if he actually does memorize one or not.

 

More important memory work are things like:

 

address

phone number

and other life facts

 

Math facts I don't pressure young children into memorizing without conceptual understanding but we do work on counting sequences. And later I'll make sure they have all 4 operations memorized.

 

Days of week, months of year. And other measurement facts.

 

Continents and oceans and their location. States and a bit later capitals. Presidents (much older, my oldest is working on this).

 

Various mythology lists--Greek Gods and Goddesses, Norse etc are fun.

 

Books of the Bible (oldest is working on this. I'm not Christian, but I cringe at how little the general public actually knows about the Bible, and religious literacy is important to me.)

 

Science facts to work on (not just in 1st but continuing) --anatomical parts/positions, parts of cells, planets, types of rocks, classification, timeline, and so on. A lot of that just needs to be committed to memory.

 

Important dates in history or at least work with a timeline enough that you have a mental idea of getting events in the right decade.

 

I also have my oldest memorize a bit from important speeches and documents. He's also been working on learning the Amendments this year. 

 

 

My youngest child works on ABCs, counting, colors mixing, opposites, vowels, and so on.

 

I don't think any of this has to be torture, or mastered in a particular order or grade. Just continued exposure and gentle practice remembering the things that need to be remembered.  

[nwmama]

This and Bravewriter's Jot It Down.

 

I don't pressure my ds to memorize things. I don't make it a chore. I just gently encourage working on a few things. The poems in FLL, some he's been able to memorize and some he could care less about. He's been able to memorize some Mother Goose and fingerplays as well. Things like poems are more dependent on how interested he is in the poem. I don't really care if he actually does memorize one or not.

 

More important memory work are things like:

 

address

phone number

and other life facts

 

Math facts I don't pressure young children into memorizing without conceptual understanding but we do work on counting sequences. And later I'll make sure they have all 4 operations memorized.

 

Days of week, months of year. And other measurement facts.

 

Continents and oceans and their location. States and a bit later capitals. Presidents (much older, my oldest is working on this).

 

Various mythology lists--Greek Gods and Goddesses, Norse etc are fun.

 

Books of the Bible (oldest is working on this. I'm not Christian, but I cringe at how little the general public actually knows about the Bible, and religious literacy is important to me.)

 

Science facts to work on (not just in 1st but continuing) --anatomical parts/positions, parts of cells, planets, types of rocks, classification, timeline, and so on. A lot of that just needs to be committed to memory.

 

Important dates in history or at least work with a timeline enough that you have a mental idea of getting events in the right decade.

 

I also have my oldest memorize a bit from important speeches and documents. He's also been working on learning the Amendments this year. 

 

 

My youngest child works on ABCs, counting, colors mixing, opposites, vowels, and so on.

 

I don't think any of this has to be torture, or mastered in a particular order or grade. Just continued exposure and gentle practice remembering the things that need to be remembered.  

 

FTR, your list is exactly what CC includes, plus Latin declensions  :D

 

Also, FTR, I used "torture" because that's what other posters make memorization without context sound like. In reality, my kids adore the memorization they do because it's all songs. They don't see it as work, they beg me to play it in the car and walk around the house singing them at the top of their lungs.

 

ETA: smiley face because I love them

[Walking-Iris]

FTR, your list is exactly what CC includes, plus Latin declensions  :D

 

Also, FTR, I used "torture" because that's what other posters make memorization without context sound like. In reality, my kids adore the memorization they do because it's all songs. They don't see it as work, they beg me to play it in the car and walk around the house singing them at the top of their lungs.

 

ETA: smiley face because I love them

 

Sorry I had to go back and read your post. I didn't use the word torture because you did. I didn't read closely every post, mainly I was just trying to respond to the OP and list a few things we've worked on.

 

Your use of the word torture and mine was completely coincidental.

 

I don't have my kids memorize without context however. Whatever we're working on relates to what we are learning in deeper ways in the content subjects, or is some area that is important to us. My idea of memorization "torture" would be forcing a child to memorize anything without understanding or interest. If my 1st grader doesn't seem to care about a FLL poem, I really don't care in the big scheme of things if he memorizes it or not. Other essential facts I make a game, and it's fun. 

 

I actually know nothing about Classical Conversations btw. :)

[Mswin15]

We memorize math skip counting songs, basic math formulas, a weekly history and science sentence (each put to a tune so they sing them all) related to what we are learning that week, a bible verse a week (sometimes a longer portion over several weeks) and a longer poem every month or so. I agree that there is great value in memorization of poetry. We do not do CC but our UMS uses the timeline song (with permission) so we have memorized that as well. I threw in the President's song for fun and everyone learned it in a weekend :) I like where our UMS is on memory work. It is a weekly assignment/goal but it is all related to what we are learning at the time with the exception of the timeline song and some of the math. 

 

It is good discipline and we enjoy it.

[pehp]

Wellllll.....I think memorization is only useful if there's a point to it and you're memorizing something that is of value to you.

 

Skip counting is a nice example of this.  Even something like memorizing the presidents can be something like this.  State capitals, maybe? To me, memorizing hymns, Scripture, poems (we are Christian, but if you are not, then memorizing poetry, passages from favorite books, favorite songs, etc) is valuable because it imprints beauty on our hearts.

 

We actually do Classical Conversations. I don't do it for the memory work (somewhere there's another thread on CC and I noted the benefits of it to our family--I don't do it for academic reasons). My son enjoys singing the history songs but I do not drill him on it or expect him to master it. 

 

Memory work can be a useful tool but I do not see it as an end in itself at all.