How to Organize Daily Memory Work

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It’s easy to remember to stay on top of daily memory work when you only have one or two pieces to recite. But how do you keep track of what to recite as the pieces accumulate? You need an organized system for daily memory work.

Binder or Box

First, you need to decide if you’re going to use a memory binder or a memory box.

A binder is simply a 3-ring divider that’s used for the purpose of memory work. This can be a section of a think homeschool binder, a section of a morning time binder, or a binder devoted to memory work.

A memory box is an index card system organized for memory work. I love working with index cards myself. Physically moving the cards around gives me a sense of accomplishment.

It’s like checking off those boxes on a to-do list.

Choose the system that makes the most sense for you, and ensure you have the necessary supplies.

Memory Binder:

Memory Box

Dividers

Once you have your supplies, the first step is to organize your dividers. You’ll need one divider for each of the various sections. Go ahead and label the dividers.

  • Daily
  • Every Other Day A (EOD A or M, W)
  • Every Other Day B (EOD B or T, R)
  • Weekly
  • Monthly

As a side note, I always note Thursday with an R. The university I attended did so, and I picked up the habit of abbreviating the weekdays as M, T, W, R, F.

Since most of us aren’t homeschooling all 7 days of the week and enjoy weekends off, that leaves us with 5 days of memory work. Use 4 days for the material you’re mastering.

This means Monday through Thursday you’re reviewing daily and every-other-day material.

Fridays are reserved for weekly reviews.

Eventually, you can add your monthly reviews to Fridays as well. My suggestion is to make an occasion of it. Bake cookies, brew tea, and dress up. Teach the kids to stand up straight and recite the pieces in a strong, confident voice.

It’s a wonderful practice for public speaking!

Print Memory Work

Now that your dividers are labeled and organized, print or write out the pieces you’re memorizing onto sheets of paper or index cards.

Only put 1 piece of work on a sheet of paper or index card. Remember you’re going to be moving each piece around in your memory binder or memory box.

You need to be able to move the memory work from daily, to every other day, to weekly, and back as needed.

Don’t start with too many pieces to memorize. 1-3 pieces are plenty to begin with. Short, sweet, and consistent is the best way to start!

Place in Binder or Box

This is the easy part. Place the pieces into the appropriate section of your memory binder.

Any piece you’re in the process of memorizing goes into the daily work section. The material you’ve memorized but need more practice goes into one of the every other day sections. Selections you’ve mastered go into the weekly or monthly sections.

Now that you’ve set up your memory box or binder, you’re to the most important step: consistently use the binder as part of your daily homeschool. If it’s just sitting on the shelf collecting dust, the material will never be memorized.

How do you organize your memory work?
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