Our Memory Book

Before the school year started, I made a little box for our memory verses based on the system at Simply Charlotte Mason. It has worked really well for us, though I still haven't gotten into the habit of reading our verses or doing any memory work on the weekends.

After a conversation over at Afterthoughts (which I thoughtlessly did not bookmark), I was inspired to make a memory book for all of our other memory work (in addition to our memory verses).

Daily, we read through a poem, catechism questions and "other stuff." As First Son memorizes them, I move them behind the other tabs and place new sheets at the front.

So far this year, First Son has memorized these poems:

• The Little Turtle by Vachel Lindsay
• Singing Time by Rose Fyleman
• Night by William Blake (just the first four lines)
• Out in the Fields with God by Louise Imogen Guiney
• Our Brother Is Born by Harry and Eleanor Farjeon (just the first verse)
• The Sun by John Drinkwater
• The Creation by Cecil Frances Alexander (the first two verses and the last two verses)
• Ants by Mary Ann Hoberman (search for "ants" on the link)
• Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost
• Psalm 23 (KJV)
• How Doth the Little Crocodile by Lewis Carroll
• We're currently working on Bed in Summer by Robert Lewis Stevenson

I have other selections ready to go for the summer and into the fall.

For those that are interested, the poems above were found in:

• The Harp and Laurel Wreath: Poetry and Dictation for the Classical Curriculum - This book was the source for most of our poems.
• Poems and Prayers for the Very Young - This book was just full of poems we enjoyed and wanted to memorize! I think I might be biased, though, because I may have had this book when I was a child.
• Eric Carle's Animals Animals - Another one of our favorite books of poetry to read aloud and enjoy.

I typed out the catechism questions from First Son's first grade catechism book, Faith and Life's Our Heavenly Father. Next year, we'll use the questions from Jesus Our Life. I haven't decided if I'll keep the first year questions in the review pages. Any thoughts? First Daughter has already learned most of them as well.

The "other stuff" category (which really needs a more impressive name) started with First Son's address and phone number. We've moved on to some more exciting lists like the Ten Commandments, the tribes of Israel and the names of all the apostles.

Lest you think we concentrate overly much on our memory work, we really do just read through the poems and catechism questions. After he seems to have mastered each a bit, I ask him to attempt to recite them on his own. Now I often ask First Daughter some of the questions or to recite some of the poems as well. She's learned them simply by listening in. The memory of children truly astounds me.