There are a few guidelines for how I choose what we are memorizing. First, I want everyone to have some material that challenges them. My 2nd grader will not be challenged by asking to count by 10's, but she is challenged to memorize her spelling rules and the names and locations of the continents and oceans. My 2 year old cannot understand what a spelling rule is talking about, but he can sing the days of the week!
Second, just the opposite of the first point, I want everyone to be able to do SOME of the work easily. That means I still let my 2nd grader count by 10's, and I let my 4 year old count TO 10.
Third, I base their success on trying, not succeeding, because when we do this every day, they will eventually get it! So, I try to choose simple phrasing and hand motions that everyone can TRY to do, not difficult words that the four year old can't say, much less comprehend. Some of it will be above his head, but the more of it that he can attempt, the more he is learning. It also means that he is memorizing things far before he actually needs them. He doesn't need to skip count by 3's until 1st or 2nd grade, but he'll probably be able to before he's in kindergarten. My K girl doesn't need to have her subtraction and addition facts memorized, but she will be ready before it's needed.
We use Marshmallow Time to memorize:
- Bible Verses (Our weekly Sonlight verse, we play the Sing the Word A to Z CD)
- Character Trait Definitions ("Love is wanting only the best for others, and showing it in how I treat them and speak to them." We talk about what these mean, too, so that when we want to reference how they are (or are not!) showing this trait, they understand it.)
- Continents and Oceans (we keep a map right by the table on the wall)
- Skip Counting (I use the songs on the CD "Ditty Bugs" by Carol Barnier.)
- All About Spelling Key Cards (My Kinder has learned several spelling rules before beginning spelling, just because we include it in our family memory time for her sister's benefit!)
- Months of the Year
- Days of the Week
- Counting
- Subtraction and Addition Facts
- Sight Words
- Poetry (My girls memorized Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost last year when they were 4 and 5, because we did it daily for a while.)
When introducing something new, I break it into chunks and they repeat after me. Sometimes we make up hand motions to go with it. (Our oldest girl doesn't care for hand motions, but everyone else does!) After a few times, they try to say it in chunks with me. Then, we do it as we do the rest when they are starting to get it.
What we do with already introduced material is go through each thing we are memorizing, usually interspersing the older kids' work and the younger kids' work. We do it together, one or more times, then anyone who wants to will try to do an item on their own. Sometimes I require a particular child to do it on their own if I think they are being non-participative in a work that they are capable of. On their own simply means that they are saying it without the help of their siblings, it does not mean that they have to have it perfect. It also does not mean that I won't prompt them if needed. After we finish, they each get a little kid-sized handful of the treat.
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