Do you remember having to memorize stuff for school?
- Presidents
- State capitals
- Planets
- Vocab words
- Dates
I hated memorizing lists of things. Did you? How did you do it? Did you…
- Recite the list over and over?
- Make flash cards?
- Try to find a helpful acronym?
- Or, did you get creative and make up a song?
And… can you remember any of those things now?
Did any of those tricks work for the long term?
I can remember one moment where memorization was long-lasting.
My 6th-grade teacher was Mr. Walsh. Enthusiastic and goofy, Mr. Walsh made us laugh day in and day out. He also loved prepositions. Every morning, for the entire school year, he would have the class stand and recite the prepositions.
Aboard about above across after against along among around at before behind below beneath…
Mr. Walsh would also ask us to recite a poem. He had a new one for us each month. I only remember the poem from the first month of school:
September by Helen Hunt Jackson
The golden-rod is yellow;
The corn is turning brown;
The trees in apple orchards
With fruit are bending down.The gentian’s bluest fringes …
We liked Mr. Walsh and we embraced his morning memorization exercises.
And, let me tell you, they stuck.
I remember being out with friends a few years ago and joking about who was in Mr. Walsh’s class. Those of us in his class, way back when, could still recite the prepositions and that very first poem of the year.
Now, do I need to have the prepositions memorized? Has this nugget of info ever helped me in life? Nope, but it is interesting that I can still remember them.
It’s like this quirky little party trick I have stored in the recesses of my brain.
As a homeschooling mom, I often think about this part of my schooling. I’d much prefer that my children learn something that will stick with them, long-term, rather than just memorize for the moment.
More importantly, I’d like them to learn effective memory strategies. I’m not going to require my trio to memorize the prepositions but, let’s face it, life is filled with things you must remember.
Memory is important but memorization is so… BORING.
But… does it have to be boring??
And that’s where Memorize the Periodic Table comes in.
Memorize Periodic Table: So Much More than a Party Trick
Disclosure: I received Memorize the Periodic Table at no cost and was compensated for my time to write this post. As always, all opinions are my own. I was not required to write a positive review and I only share resources that I would use with my own family.
Memorize the Periodic Table in one night
Memorize the Periodic Table is an online video course that teaches you how to memorize the entire periodic table in three hours. When I first heard about this course, I had to check it out. It made me think of Mr. Walsh and his long list of prepositions which we recited every morning for an entire school year. Could this course really teach you to memorize the entire periodic table in three hours?
I’m not going to lie, folks. I watched the intro video and I was hooked.
I wish it was around when I was in high school. And not just because it would have been helpful in chemistry, but because it would have helped me to understand how memory works, overall.
Learn Lifelong Memory Strategies with Memorize the Periodic Table
What I like about this course is the fact that it teaches you about how your memory works. So many of us relied heavily on verbal memory when memorizing all those facts back in high school.
But, did you know that human memory is primarily visual?
This course utilizes verbal memory and visual memory through a technique called the link and story method. Using engaging whiteboard animation and a quirky storyline, Memorize the Periodic Table incorporates your visual and verbal memory.
And, it works!
Better yet: This strategy can be applied to daily life. Think grocery lists and important dates, folks!
More than just a party trick…
My children have been on a chemistry kick since the summer and Leo is currently obsessed with magic.
Leo the Magician is always looking for party tricks that will wow his audience. I knew that Memorize the Periodic Table would be a perfect fit, plus he’d be learning important skills!
So… one morning I tried to wow him with by rattling off Mr. Walsh’s prepositions. Leo was unphased:
Prepositions? How boring!
But, then I countered with:
But what if I told you that you could memorize the entire periodic table?
His eyes widened, but he didn’t believe me.
No way! There are over 100 elements!! That’s impossible!
And so, I showed him the video. Please ignore his t-shirt here, folks. This child of mine should not wear white. Anyway, this is my 7-year-old after having watched the very first video one time:
My little guy is now deep into the course and he loves it. He cannot wait to finish the entire course and wow his grandparents at his next magic show.
More importantly, he’s learning how to effectively memorize material. He’s learning strategies that will serve him on his educational path and beyond.
Like what you see here?
If you don’t believe me, try it yourself! Watch the intro video and memorize the first 20 elements for free. If you like it, you can purchase the entire video course for $19.95.
Be sure to follow Memorize the Periodic Table on Facebook!
And, for those- like Leo- who were wondering about the newly discovered elements: Yes, they will be included in the course as soon as they are officially official, with names and such!
Now, it’s your turn: How did you memorize facts as a kid? Do you recall any of them now? Share here!
Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley
Cait co-hosts The Homeschool Sisters Podcast and is co-founder of Raising Poppies, a community for parents of gifted and twice-exceptional children. Cait is also founder of the Family Book Club at My Little Poppies, a fantastic community of book-loving parents and the Gameschool Community at My Little Poppies, a vibrant community of gameschoolers.
Cait is a contributing writer for Simple Homeschool. Her work has also appeared on The Huffington Post, The Mighty, Scary Mommy, GeekMom, and many others. You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram
and G+.
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That video looks fun, my kids will love it! Memory systems are so cool. When I was a teenager I memorised everything for my exams using Tony Buzan’s 1-100 peg number system. My friends thought I was crazy (“Huh? Why are you memorising 100 words AS WELL AS the stuff you need for the tests?). I’m not sure all my A grades convinced them I wasn’t crazy, but they couldn’t knock the system! 😀
That’s so great- I’m now off to Google Tony Buzan! 🙂