Make Memorization Easy with Songs, Chants, and Jingles

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Principle of Songs, Chants, and Jingles

Are you sick and tired of the song, “Everything is Awesome” from the Lego movie yet? Or are your kids singing another silly song or jingle all day, every day, until you could scream?

That’s what the principle of songs, chants, and jingles is all about.

This year I’m working my way through Dr. Christopher Perrin’s Eight Essential Principles of Classical Education. Over the last couple of months, I’ve discussed Festina Lente, Multum non Multa, Repetitio Mater Memoria,  and Embodied Learning. For August, I’m discussing the principle of songs, chants, and jingles.

Kids Memorize Songs and Jingles Easily

As every parent knows, kids memorize songs, jingles, and chants too easily. They’ll watch a commercial once and be singing the jingle around the house for the next month. Songs from their favorite movies are sung over and over and over until we’re thoroughly sick and tired of the piece.

What about the chant Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe that’s been used for generations to determine who’s it? Do you still have it memorized from childhood?

Let’s face it.

Kids love jingles and chants.

Repetitio Mater Memoriae

We know from the principle of Repetitio Mater Memoriae, or repetition is the mother of memory, that information needs to be repeated many, many times before it’s memorized.

This means in order to own beautiful poetry, useful information, great passages of literature, and words of wisdom, we need to repeat them endlessly.

After all, very few people see or hear a piece of information once and know it forever. Most of us need to repeat it again, and again, and again.

And it isn’t until we’ve memorized the poetry, information, or literature that it actually becomes part of us and shapes our souls.

Use Songs, Jingles, and Chants

The idea behind the principle of songs, jingles, and chants is simple. We capitalize on children’s love of silly songs to memorize important information, especially in the early grammar stage years. You simply can’t use too many silly songs, jingles, or chants.

Even as the children age and grow into the dialectic and rhetoric stages we still use songs, jingles, and chants to memorize information. It’s simply one of the best ways to use repetition to memorize information.

These silly jingles stick in the head and aren’t easily forgotten.

They bring pleasure and shape the soul.

Kids memorize songs, jingles, and chants too easily. They'll watch a commercial once and sing it forever. Learn how to harness this skill to memorize important information today.

How to Apply Songs, Jingles, and Chants

It’s easy to say use songs, jingles, and chants to memorize information. But it’s one of those easier said than done facts of life.

Let’s look at the practicality of using songs, jingles, and chants to memorize information.

Any piece of information can be put into a song, jingle, or chant. Let’s take the list of U.S. Presidents as an example.

  • Song – Here’s the list of presidents put to an old children’s song.
  • Jingle – This is a long series of jingles about each and every president.
  • Chant – simply chant the list straight through. George Washington, John Adams, Thomas, Jefferson, etc.

You can use songs, jingles, and chants anywhere and any time.

  • Sing jingles while you’re driving in the car.
  • Chant while you’re tidying up the house.
  • Enjoy songs while you’re doing chores.
  • March around the house chanting Latin conjugations, presidents, states, or lists.

These songs, chants, and jingles are everywhere!

Just remember, memorization is easy with songs, chants, and jingles like those below.

Latin

History

Geography

Science

Grammar

Memorization should be fun and enjoyable for both you and your kids. Use songs, chants, and jingles to help your children memorize information in the homeschool.

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