Memory Work 2016/2017

I've been busy getting everything ready. One of the things I do at the start of a new year is update, reorganize, or rethink our memory work binders. 

Currently, the tabs on my binder are as follows:

Bible,

Poetry,

Shakespeare

Geography

Speeches & Documents

Science

Math

History

This is what we do. We set aside 15 minutes a day for memory work.  I work with one of the children each day while the others work alone.  Each tab has a new item they are memorizing, and all of their memorized pieces behind it.  Each day they work on the new piece, and review an old piece. They keep a sticky flag to mark the reviewed piece, and move it to the next one each day.  I think I learned that trick from Mystie.  They go through as many tabs as time allows. Their is no deadline- they each just work on their pieces day after day. Whenever it's their day to work with me, I check on their progress.  If they have memorized something, I move it to the back of the section and add their new piece.

We use Geography Songs to help us learn the countries. We keep a blank map in their binder with a labeled map behind it to check from.  The kids use a wet erase marker to write in the countries they know, and then they turn it over to check themselves.  

 For math, the younger ones use Calculadder drills, and the older one uses the Saxon drill sheets. I'll also include things I want them to memorize, like measurements and formulas.

For History we are memorizing Memoria Press' History Timeline.  We add a new event every few weeks.

Memory work is so important and enriching, but I don't want it to take too much of our valuable time.  Setting a time limit and rotating through the binder is what has worked for us.