Memory Work - Why, How, and What

     The phrase "memory work" is enough to strike fear into the hearts of homeschooling moms. I happen to be one of those homeschoooling moms that has a hard time remembering her children's names (Ever called your child 6 different names in a row?? "Hey, HannahMatthewTimothyDavidSarah! You forgot to make your make your bed!" I have even tossed in our pets' names now and then to be sure that everyone was covered!!!!)

     In all seriousness, however, it is tricky enough to fit in all of the homeschooling basics while being a good mom, wife, and homemaker. Sometimes the "extras" like memory work just fall by the wayside - it can seem as though adding one more thing will just really be "too much." Let me encourage you. Memory work does not have to take a lot of time out of your day, nor does it need to be difficult or wearisome; and its benefits are many.

WHY MEMORIZE: We should memorize because we become like what we know.

     The idea of committing meaningful or beautiful things to mind is far from original. David said "Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." David knew that no one could ever take away the things he had stored forever in his heart. Whether in a cave or in a palace, God's word would be a priceless treasure that would strengthen him and shape him. When I was a new Christian, my parents sent me to a Christian high school. That very first semester our Bible class focused a lot on memory work. We memorized verses by topic - child training, obedience to authority, the attributes of God, and so on. I had NO idea what most of those overwhelming KJV verses meant, but the living Word of God really did function as a two-edged sword, cutting and pruning away false beliefs and installing a more Biblical world view. When I looked at my journal at the end of that year, I was amazed to see how much I had changed without even trying. The Holy Spirit did great things in my heart because I had memorized those verses.

     The principle of becoming like what we know does not only apply to memorizing Scripture. Phillipians 4:8 says, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Fill your children's minds with "these things," and they will have a rich storehouse of loveliness that they can pull out and examine at their leisure. I have made it a mental discipline when I am struggling with my emotions, I use Phillipians 4:8 as a checklist. I think of something true (usually a Bible verse that pertains to the situation), something honest, something just, something pure, something lovely, and so on. By the time I am through I almost always have a vastly improved outlook! It is easier for me to do this because over the years I have memorized so many lovely poems, quotes, verses, and so on.

HOW TO MEMORIZE: The Whole Method

     Memory work can be made so much easier or so much harder depending on what method is used. I did a lot of undergraduate work in interpretive speech, which involves memorizing existing works and orally interpreting them. I was frequently called upon to memorize works that could take nearly an hour to recite orally!!! The only reason that I was able to do this with relatively little difficulty is because my instructors insisted that we use something called "the whole method." In a nutshell, the whole method involves memorizing the whole piece all at once, rather than line by line.

     When children are taught to memorize things line by line, each line is stored in their minds as a complete unit. Once all of the lines have been memorized, the child's mind can switch the order of those units without the child being aware that this has even happened. Not only that, but since the first lines are always learned first, with additional lines being added, the first part of what is being learned is memorized far, far more solidly than the last part. When the whole method is used, the entire piece is memorized together, so there is no worry of mixing things up, and since it is all learned together, it is all learned equally well.

There are several steps involved in using the whole method:

     1) Become familiar with the entire piece by reading it both silently and out loud. If working with a child who cannot read, read the piece to him. Do this several times in a row a few times a day - more for a longer piece, less for a shorter piece. It is good for the person doing the memorizing has a basic understanding of any unfamiliar ideas or words, but remember that younger children may not fully understand many concepts. That is fine, since understanding will grow with time and experience.

     2) Once you have becoming somewhat familiar with the basic flow and/or idea of the piece, read it over one more time, then turn it over or place it where you cannot see it. Stand up (yes, this really helps!) and recite as much of it as you can. It does not matter how much or how little you can say. Even a brief summary is fine if that is all you can remember: for example, if you were to memorize one of the Gospels, your first effort might be along the lines of "Mary had Jesus in Bethlehem. When He grew up, he did a lot of miracles. He was crucified and rose the third day." If you actually remember some phrases word-for-word and fill in the rest in your own words, that is fine too. (When doing this with young children, you may want to read the piece aloud (as in step 1), then read it aloud again having your child trying to say it along with you, then have your child say as much as he can by himself (as in step 2).

     3. As soon as you have finished saying all that you remember, pick up the piece and read it out loud 2-3 times. Your brain will actually begin to fill in the parts that you struggled with. Repeat steps 2 and 3 a couple of times in a row. Do this at least once a day. Each time you will know more and more. When you are very close to having the piece perfectly memorized, it helps to have someone follow along as you recite, marking errors in pencil. Take special note of the marked errors when you read the piece aloud, then have your helper erase them once you say them correctly.

     Please note that this process can be very upsetting at first. It goes against the grain to attempt to recite something that we do not know, and the urge to pick up the paper and read from it while reciting is almost unbearable! It is important to reassure children that you are completely unconcerned about their mistakes. Stay cheerful and upbeat so that the process does not become overly stressful. Once you have repeated the steps a few times, the whole process will become very rewarding as you amaze yourself with how rapidly you are learning.

An alternate method for short pieces.

     There is another, very fun way to use the whole method with shorter pieces, such as a few Bible verses. While I am going to explain its use with children, adults find it helpful as well. Write the piece on a marker board or chalkboard and have the child read it aloud several times. Once he has done so, make a game of having him close his eyes while you erase a word. (Be sure to erase the very obvious words first.) Once you have erased the word, he should open his eyes and read the entire piece again, filling in the missing word. Do this over and over until there are no more words to read. The more fun you have with this, the more rapidly and eagerly your child will learn. Be dramatic and pretend to be sure that you have really, really sure that your child will never guess what word you have erased. A sinister chuckle can come in very handy here!! When he successfully reads the pieces, feign amazement. Most children respond very well to this sort of give and take. (If you do not have a marker board or chalkboard, write the piece in pencil on paper, then use a black marker to darkly color over a word at a time.)

What to memorize - the Phillipians standard

     We discussed Phillipians 4:8 above. Be sure that everything you ask your child to memorize falls into at least one of the categories in that verse. Even a list of dates can qualify, as they are "true." Remember how we are shaped by the things hidden in our hearts, and choose accordingly. Never hesitate to ask your child to learn something that seems to be a bit "above him." The lofty ideas and unusual words that you help plant in his mind will bear fruit as he grows older.

     We do all of our Bible memorization from the KJV. Whether that is the version you prefer, please consider it for your child's memory work for several reasons:

~It is the "golden standard" in the sense that when the Bible is quoted or alluded to in literature, the KJV is almost always used.

~The KJV is simply unparalleled in beauty and vocabulary. Memorizing and being familiar with the KJV will help your child later on when he has to tackle older works of literature that have complex sentence structure, and it will also shape his writing and speech.

     When choosing poems or Bible passages, keep in mind that young children often do better with things that are concrete. A good rule of thumb when choosing memory work for young children is asking yourself if the passage or poem could be illustrated. The 23rd Psalm could easily be illustrated because it deals with concrete ideas on the surface - sheep, shepherds, fields, etc. Even though there are far deeper levels of meaning, the concrete imagery is helpful to young children. In some cases, children's picture books containing nothing but illustrated Scripture can be found. (We sell some on our website.) Simple reading and enjoying books of this sort will result in the passage eventually being memorized.

     Some poets with very child-friendly works are Robert Louis Stevenson, Emily Dickenson, and Sarah Teasdale. Keeping well illustrated volumes of poetry at hand and reading from them to your children will bring to light many other great poems as well.

     Once your children have memorized a passage, you may want to print it on the computer and have him illustrate it and put it in a memory work notebook. Adding to a notebook of this sort little by little over the years will result in a notebook filled with poems, verses, and other passages that belong to your child in a special way. The passages memorized will be refreshed every time your child sits down to look through his notebook or shows it to others!!