Memory Monday: Week 5

Inspired by Miss Moe on the Well Trained Mind forums, we've finally set up our memory binders this week. I divide our memory work into two groups:

1. Bible Verses & Poetry - in our SCM inspired Memory Boxes. Each child has their own. (I have one as well.) Things that have value in repetition.
2. Academic Facts & Personal Stuff - things that need to be learned, but not recited forever. (Like one's address or lists of prepositions.) Some things, right now Jonathan's Latin vocabulary, are in the workbox with the text. I have a banded set of daily cards and another banded set for weekly review. Others are going into the binders we've just finished.

So (again inspired by many helpful posters at the WTM forums), I've set up Memory Binders. Mine are pretty simple, the main difference is I wanted to minimize page moving, so I have assigned subjects to certain days. (Easy when following the Latin Centered Curriculum, as subjects already have assigned days.) These are mainly for weekly subjects (science, history, geography, religion), and are in the box directly following our group work.

I let the kids draw a picture on the cover of their binder. I just told them to draw something that made them happy. This is my eldest son's (an island fortress with a volcano):

Section Zero: Our memory board (not pictured, but like this one - which was my inspiration); it is a white board with our current memory work. I will update it every week. It includes things for all the kids, and is reviewed daily (maybe more often as it's in the kitchen). I hope to color code it, when I buy some more wet-erase markers.

Section One: A section for things to review daily. I'm having the kids write their own memory work (except my K'er), copied from the board. I did type the page for map work, as I wanted it spelled correctly and it's a lot of text. (It's more of a checklist to use with our map drawing.) It's red. (Actually the book is Roy G. Biv.)

This is one of the things I typed up. We are learning to draw the world by heart, and this is what I want the kids to sketch from memory. (Sketch, not draw perfectly - see The Core for more information.)

Section Two: Every Monday. We do nature study on Monday, which doesn't have memory work (if it did I'd file it under science), so I'll have the kids review grammar and math. Hopefully getting those facts back into play first every week.

Section Three: Every Tuesday. Geography & Religion (we do history/geography/religion on Tuesdays and Thursdays). When we get the circles & blobs down, the reminder / standards sheet will be moved here for periodic review.

Section Four: Every Wednesday. Science and Latin (I tried to spread out language review. Most of the Latin will go into the same box as our Latin book, but I think some things - probably grammar, will end up here.)

Section Five: Every Thursday. History and (later on) Greek.

 Section Six: Every Friday.  Personal & Safety - name & address, fire safety, name & phone numbers for close relatives, etc.

Section Seven: Extra Paper.

You've probably noticed I don't have any monthly dividers. Mainly because we don't have anything to put in them yet. We school year round, with a 5 weeks on, 1 week off schedule. I'm planning to add a set of sections for "Every Fifth Monday", "Every Fifth Tuesday", etc. I'll probably add those after we finish the first half of the year.