Memory work by grade/age/level

[4KookieKids]

I'm curious if anyone has compiled (in, say, a blog somewhere) a list of the memory work they've done in order from young to old, or what age/level they were when they did it. I know grades don't match ages or levels all the time (or even most of the time), but I'd just like to see how different people have done it, and what they've included at different points in a student's education.

 

E.g., Continents and Oceans were learned in Kindy, States in 1st grade, Countries in the Americas in ___, etc.

In particular, did you learn multiple timelines, as they got older and were able to fill in more of the gaps, or did you start them on the "final" timeline at the beginning so they'd have all those "pegs" to hang things on as they came up?

Also, are there good resources online (maybe even free?) that list timeline points that would be good for memorizing? I know CC has them and I don't know if I just need to buy theirs, even if we're not CCers, or if we should just make our own, or if there are other resources.

 

Thanks in advance. We're not there yet, but I'm always thinking ahead about the grand scheme of things, and I like to have time to really chew on things before making decisions. :)

[macmacmoo]

I know you can buy the lessons individually from Memoria Press. Their Recitation would be the same as memory work http://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/individual-lesson-plans-subject

 

I've seen this be recommend as a means to rotate through memory work: https://simplycharlottemason.com/timesavers/memorysys/

 

Hopefully someone else can chime in

[RootAnn]

Hm. Our stuff is more by (calendar) year vs. by kid's age. So, one kid could learn something in 3rd & another in 1st or 5th because that's when we studied it (as a family). So, no help here.

 

MP's Recitation is good up until about 3rd (?) when they really build in their content (myths, christian studies) and it might not line up with yours.

 

I just started having my kids memorize a timeline last year - and we started with just the part of history that we were studying that year. We'll continue to review that part this year & add on this year's history timeline. After four years, we should have something like a full timeline down.

 

There are several timelines out there - MP has one, CC obviously has theirs, VP, etc.

We're using a Catholic version of CC called Classical Catholic Memory (CCM).

[SnMomof7]

Because we have a large family, I'm developing a repeating memory work cycle across a range of topics. Some of the topics repeat every 3 years, others are 6 year cycles. It isn't based on grade levels in order to keep everyone together for new content and review.

[stm4him]

Jennifer,

 

Would you share yours?  

 

I am wrestling with memory work right now.  I want to try out memory work being an individual pursuit (but required daily) for my older three and keeping my younger non-readers together with me.  I have a ton of memory work songs and cds and such but I am struggling with whether to tell them what to memorize or let them choose.  I am thinking of giving them something like a list like this:

 

1 Scripture passage or chapter

1 poem

1 character trait

1 manner

1 catechism question (these I want in order)

1 gospel point (also in order)

1 continent (countries, capitals, features)

1 week of memory work from CC

1 science song or history song?

 

I don't know.....

[73349]

I did not have DS memorize the ancients timeline, but memory work is a column in my spreadsheet, with the tabs identifying the years. We did proverbs and some basic geography in kindergarten, and mostly short poems in first grade.

 

Once he starts cursive in the middle of second grade, I am going to combine memory work and handwriting some of the time.

[4KookieKids]

I did not have DS memorize the ancients timeline, but memory work is a column in my spreadsheet, with the tabs identifying the years.

 

Yes! This is exactly the sort of thing I was hoping to find! Thanks! As an aside.. you are so organized and ahead of the game!

 

Does anyone else have records like this?

[MotherGoose]

I don't have records, but what I've done so far is have the kids memorize the cc timeline song (we don't do cc), and then we have memory work time every morning. I use lots of resources from the book "living memory." I have the PDF so I can print off the appropriate pages. I gear the main stuff towards my oldest, and then put in simpler stuff for my youngest. I have it In a binder with a page marked for today, then the days of the week, then the days of the month. I put things at each point (all the month days aren't filled yet) and each day we go thru the book.

[SnMomof7]

Jennifer,

 

Would you share yours?

 

I am wrestling with memory work right now. I want to try out memory work being an individual pursuit (but required daily) for my older three and keeping my younger non-readers together with me. I have a ton of memory work songs and cds and such but I am struggling with whether to tell them what to memorize or let them choose. I am thinking of giving them something like a list like this:

 

1 Scripture passage or chapter

1 poem

1 character trait

1 manner

1 catechism question (these I want in order)

1 gospel point (also in order)

1 continent (countries, capitals, features)

1 week of memory work from CC

1 science song or history song?

 

I don't know.....

I will have to write a post for you :). I choose all the memory work here. I just don't have the mental space for everyone to choose their own work. Keeping everyone on the same page has saved me from many logistical difficulties I couldn't get around in the past. They stalled me out on doing memory work.

[RosieCotton]

I did not have DS memorize the ancients timeline, but memory work is a column in my spreadsheet, with the tabs identifying the years. We did proverbs and some basic geography in kindergarten, and mostly short poems in first grade.

 

This spreadsheet is super impressive Whitehawk.

Puts my attempt at planning to shame! :) I see many former teachers with the same type of layout.

 

How long has it taken you to put together?

 

 

[Mrs Twain]

Awana for Bible memory

CC for history sentences, timeline, science, English, geography

Math facts flash cards

Poetry from IEW's Poetry Memorization for Linguistic Development (or whatever it is called)

Civics--excerpts and facts (Declaration of Independence; Constitution; famous speeches such as Gettysburg Address, Patrick Henry, Winston Churchill We Shall Fight on the Beaches; state knowledge)

 

This is what we work in K-8. I am big in repetition, repetition, repetition, so I do not confine it to any one particular grade.

[73349]

I work plan in bits and pieces when I have time. I like planning. I'm apt to forget good ideas and resources if I don't make a note, and very likely to lose a note unless it's in a spot where I'll see it when I need it, so a spreadsheet is working really well for me so far.

 

IDK what it is about having taught school that makes us think in grids, or thinking in grids that leads a person to teaching, but there you go. 🙂 I also make my own wall calendar, because I want it done a certain way.

Edited November 30, 2022 by 73349

[4KookieKids]

I did not have DS memorize the ancients timeline, but memory work is a column in my spreadsheet, with the tabs identifying the years. We did proverbs and some basic geography in kindergarten, and mostly short poems in first grade.

 

Once he starts cursive in the middle of second grade, I am going to combine memory work and handwriting some of the time.

 

I have what may be a "newbie" question that's unrelated to the initial question about memory work... I see you're planning several years in advance on your spreadsheet. In my mind, that makes sense with stuff like memory work, but doesn't necessarily for some areas like math. Do you have to redo ALL the work you've done on future years if the child struggles in one area or zooms ahead in another? Is there any room for variability in doing it this way, without having a lot of that work be wasted?

 

If so, how? I guess I just wonder because we plodded through phonics lessons very faithfully for two years before it started really "clicking" for my son. We have a minimum of things he has to do (10 spelling words a day, 1 math lesson, etc. ) but some days he wants to do 24 spelling words or 2 math lessons, so I let him. But that means I have NO idea where he'll be in a year, let alone two or three!

[4KookieKids]

Jennifer,

 

Would you share yours?  

 

I am wrestling with memory work right now.  I want to try out memory work being an individual pursuit (but required daily) for my older three and keeping my younger non-readers together with me.  I have a ton of memory work songs and cds and such but I am struggling with whether to tell them what to memorize or let them choose.  I am thinking of giving them something like a list like this:

 

1 Scripture passage or chapter

1 poem

1 character trait

1 manner

1 catechism question (these I want in order)

1 gospel point (also in order)

1 continent (countries, capitals, features)

1 week of memory work from CC

1 science song or history song?

 

I don't know.....

 

Is this per week, or month, or year, or something else? It seems like an awful lot for one week, but not necessarily for a year (at least, you wouldn't seem to get through very many of the catechism questions at one per year).

[73349]

I have what may be a "newbie" question that's unrelated to the initial question about memory work... I see you're planning several years in advance on your spreadsheet. In my mind, that makes sense with stuff like memory work, but doesn't necessarily for some areas like math. Do you have to redo ALL the work you've done on future years if the child struggles in one area or zooms ahead in another? Is there any room for variability in doing it this way, without having a lot of that work be wasted?

 

If so, how? I guess I just wonder because we plodded through phonics lessons very faithfully for two years before it started really "clicking" for my son. We have a minimum of things he has to do (10 spelling words a day, 1 math lesson, etc. ) but some days he wants to do 24 spelling words or 2 math lessons, so I let him. But that means I have NO idea where he'll be in a year, let alone two or three!

 

Actually, so far the longer pieces of memory work are the trickiest to schedule. I don't know what will take 2 weeks vs. 3 or 4. He's going faster on things he likes better.

 

Here's what's working for me so far:

• I plan by the week, not the day. If we finish the phonics pages I'd planned for the week on Wednesday, I can move to next week's phonics and adjust the spreadsheet, or let him play a Spelling City game or Scrabble Junior, or give more time to other things on Thursday and Friday, like having him read aloud to me. It's helpful to have access to plenty of supplementary things that aren't necessarily part of the plans. My library's online catalog & request system, Schoolhouse Rock, and any number of websites are available if we finish the basics unexpectedly or just want to go deeper.
• For a more minor subject like logic, I let him work as far ahead as he wants, except that he has to finish what I'd planned for bigger subjects like math first. I just go ahead and gray out the cells for future weeks. (Actually, right now I don't even have logic as a listed subject, because I don't care if he doesn't work in the Grid Perplexors book at all this summer. But that's what I did when he did Lollipop Logic.)
• I can easily cut and paste many cells at once if desired. I would never try to plan that far out on paper!

But since I have been planning out (and adjusting as needed) DS's lessons for three years, and taught middle school before that, I've gotten the hang of planning math, etc., decently enough for our purposes. I don't usually have to do a lot of adjusting.

 

Good luck! I'm sure you'll work out a system that suits you.

[CAtoVA]

Whitehawk, your spreadsheet is awesome!

 

Not meaning to hijack the original post, but the book you mention—Etiquette for Beginners—who wrote it? I can't find it on Amazon.  Thanks!

[73349]

https://www.theetiquettefactory.com/beginners.php. The price has gone up since I bought it, though.

 

It's a DVD. We just watched and discussed it once a week. It comes with a book, but it's basically just a transcript of the DVD plus a couple of recipes for treats. I especially liked the emphasis on being a good guest.

Edited November 30, 2022 by 73349