Memorization was standard in classroom settings until the latter part of the 20th century. My father’s high school education included committing to memory several classic pieces of poetry that — 65 years later — still roll off his tongue effortlessly.  

Before the advent of the printing press, memorization was essential to disperse information. Today the ease of “googling it” makes many believe rote memorization is no longer needed or necessary.

I could not disagree more.  

Memorization is good mental exercise. The more we memorize, the more pathways and synapses are created in our brains. And the more we memorize, the more information we have available to retrieve, process, apply, and share. We are better conversationalists, we have greater cognitive abilities, and we have ideas to apply to new situations.  

In a fascinating article from Psychology Today (check it out here), William R. Klemm, Ph.D., a senior professor of Neuroscience at Texas A&M University, shares five reasons we should all try to improve our memory, maintaining that memorization is, “The cure for a generation of lazy minds.” 

Many readers of our blog are most likely intentional about Scripture memorization for their children. I hope you will be encouraged to consider adding some secular pieces, historic documents, and/or classic poetry to your child’s academic schedule this year.  

This installment of my ongoing series, Laura’s Top Ten, highlights 10 pieces for memorization. Some are long, others are fun, and many are historic. They are listed below and also attached in a printable PDF.  (With the free download, we’ve also included a blank version of the printable Memorization Plan, so you can create your own list of pieces to memorize this year.)Here are also ten ideas to consider as you incorporate memorization into your home education plan for the upcoming year: 

1. Go slow. Instead of adding one new piece each week, add in one per month. Mastery trumps expediency.  
2. Print a copy for each child. 
3. Read it out loud together. 
4. Post a copy in your school area. 
5. Write it out.  Consider asking your children to write out just a couple of sentences or lines each day.  
6. Practice recitation in “safe” places — for dad, grandparents, or close friends. They might even want to do it in costume! Somewhere I have a 20-or-so-year-old photo of both my oldest son and oldest daughter dressed in baseball attire at a homeschool co-op variety show. After Kyle presented Casey at the Bat, Ginger delivered Casey’s Daughter at the Bat. 
7. As you add a new piece each month, be sure to cycle back and review pieces already mastered. 
8. Consider asking older children to research the history of the piece of the author. 
9. Read aloud a biography of the author. 
10. Keep a family or individual Memorization binder and add each new piece in a page protector. Accumulating these treasures year after year will bring blessing to your family. (Won’t it be fun to pull the binder out during a holiday when they are all grown up but back home to visit? Imagine your grandchildren listening with wonder as your adult children recite passages memorized years before!) 

Here are ten pieces to consider as you plan your memory work for 2019-2020: 

1. The New Colossus, by Emma Lazarus
2. My Shadow, by Robert Louis Stevenson
3. The Preamble to the United States Constitution
4. The Gettysburg Address, by Abraham Lincoln
5. The Apostles’ Creed
6. The Village Blacksmith, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
7. In Flanders Fields, by John McCrae
8. Casey at the Bat, by Ernest Lawrence Thayer
9. Casey’s Daughter at the Bat, by Al Graham
10. If⁠—, by Rudyard Kipling

Hopefully, I have managed today to convince you that memorization really does matter. Be sure to download the printable Memorization Plan (below) which contains 2 pages, one with the ten pieces listed above and a second you can personalize with your own selections. Whether you’re using our suggested schedule or come up with something on your own, we would love to know what you are choosing to memorize this year! Leave a note below — or better yet, share a snapshot with us on Facebook or Instagram!  

Download your copy here:

Family Memorization Plan for 2019-2020

You may be asked to enter your email address if we don’t recognize you as a current subscriber.
Once you have, you can simply return to this page to download the file!