Memory Drill

I have Sparkle do various types of memory work for school. I've played with various different methods of doing memory work, and this post describes what works for us now.

General Memory Work
This memory work is the only one I formally label "memory work." It includes skip counting, prayers, spelling rules, the Pledge of Allegiance, address, and such things. Each topic is written on a 3x5 index card. I file the cards in an index box with tabbed dividers. I organize the cards based on a spaced repetition system. The cards for the day are in front of the first divider. To start, I pull the cards for the day and move the front divider to the back. I give Sparkle the prompt for each item and help her if she needs it. If she remembers the item, I write the date on the back and file it based on my best guess for when she'll need to review it - a few days, a week, two weeks, or a month. If she doesn't remember the item, I coach her through it and then put the card back in front to be reviewed the next day.


Spelling Phonograms Drill
I used to drill the the phonograms from Spell to Write and Read every day. Each phonogram has its own mini flashcard. Once Sparkle learned all 70 of them and was getting all of them correct, I cut it down to once per week. She likes to jump on the mini-trampoline when reviewing phonograms.


Math Facts Drill
Sparkle does a math facts drill every morning as one of her worksheets. She is currently working on all the addition facts that equal ten or less. I made nine worksheets, each with five problems, and she does one worksheet per day. The abacus is available if she wants it, but she doesn't have to use it.


Chinese Vocabulary Drill
I drill Chinese vocabulary every day. Each word has its own mini flashcard. I used to drill every word every day, but that got to be too much work. Now I use a spaced repetition system in a box with tabbed dividers. The cards for the day are in front of the first divider. To start, I pull the cards for the day and move the front divider to the back. As Sparkle goes through the flashcards, I note which ones she has down and which she is still learning. If a word gives her trouble, I tell her the word and then the card goes in the front of the deck to be reviewed tomorrow. If she gets it right easily, I put a tally mark on the back of the card. Where I put the card depends on how many tally marks are on the card. Cards with one tally mark go behind the first tab back to be reviewed in two days. Cards with two tally marks go behind the second tab back, and so on. The more tally marks, the more times she has correctly identified the word, and the longer the wait until she has to review it again.


Musical Notes Drill
I drill note reading every day. Each note from "shared middle C position" has its own mini flashcard. I shuffle the deck of cards and Sparkle sorts them from low to high. Then I shuffle them again and Sparkle plays them on the keyboard. When Sparkle can get all the notes without thinking I'll cut back to a weekly drill.