Need help with memory time

[Jerico]

I stink at memorization and I struggle to remember to do it with my kids. I'd love to do better with this. I'd ideally love a cd or dvd but I haven't seen anything like that.

 

I have seen the classical conversations cd but I am not sure if that would be good if we are not in cc.

 

Or I am considering the living memory (campbell) book.

 

Any recommedations?

[Tawlas]

I have a index card box with tabs dividing things into:

-daily

-Monday thru Friday

-semi-monthly (2nd and 16th of the month)

-Monthly (5th of the month)

 

What's behind each tab varies and I move things around weekly. Terms from FLL as well as the poems, defintions from science, the cards from STOW activity guide, math facts, definitions of virtues (we choose virtues cut down a bit to fit), sight words, phonics (what does "ow" say?), telephone numbers and adresses I'd like them to know.

 

When I first introduce something new, it goes in the daily tab. After a week or two, it moves to one of the daily tabs. I try and keep the info varied so it's not all math in one day and not all LA the next. Once I feel like the info is solid, I move it to semi-monthly. Monthly stuff, so far, is info they've internalized and takes just a few minutes to over it. Most of it is the most important concepts from last year.

 

I like using index cards because they're really easy to use. I can scribble down any old fact I like, it doesn't have to be pretty. It's just a physical reminder of what needs to be done every day.

 

One more thing! I also found it helpful to put a card in for daily activities like "Check rain gauge" during our weather unit othewise I just forgot completely and the science activity was pretty much a flop.

[FloridaLisa]

If you have been struggling with incorporating this into your routine, I wouldn't go from 0 to 60 on week 1.  I haven't seen the CC CD, but it may feel like that. 

 

I would start with one area that you want to memorize -- poetry, Bible passage, historical facts, presidents.

 

Find out how you all memorize well. We usually do best if there is a lyrical or rhythmic nature to what we are memorizing. Certain Bible passages lend themselves to that (Psalm 23). Most poetry, especially children's poetry, has rhythm and rhyme and so it's easier to memorize. For the presidents, my older kids learned it as we chanted it to a rhythm but my youngers learned it even better when we found the order of US Presidents set to music (Yankee Doodle). So setting things to music (esp a known tune) is also helpful. 

 

Finally, adding in hand signal or American sign language is helpful. We do that with almost everything we memorize to some extent. 

 

I'm using IEW's  Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization this year for the first time and I really like it. It was given to me; otherwise I may have chosen Drew's Living Memory. 

 

Lisa