Three-Step Memorization Method
This is a DittoSheets favorite. In this tutorial we'll create 8 days worth of student assignments, helping them to memorize a text independently over those 8 days.
Three Step Memorization Method
Like with ALLLL suggestions here in these tutorials, throw them out the window if they don't fit you. The whole reason my husband and I created DittoSheets was because nothing fit. So we created software that brings you all the customization we could think of.
In this tutorial, my example will be Psalm 1:1-3, over 8 days. But you can look forward to doing whatever you want! 🧡
Step 1: Copywork
3 days - Repeat this step for 3 days in a row.
Day 1 Read the text in full. Copy the text exactly. Pay attention to spelling and punctuation. Re-read.
Day 2 Read the text in full. Copy the text exactly. Pay attention to spelling and punctuation. Re-read.
Day 3 Read the text in full. Copy the text exactly. Pay attention to spelling and punctuation. Re-read.
Step 2: First Letter Hints
3 days - Repeat this step for 3 days in a row.
Day 4 Read the text in full. Fill in the First Letter Hints Sheet. Recall the word and spell it correctly. Re-read.
Day 5 Read the text in full. Fill in the First Letter Hints Sheet. Recall the word and spell it correctly. Re-read.
Day 6 Read the text in full. Fill in the First Letter Hints Sheet. Recall the word and spell it correctly. Re-read.
Step 3: Memory Lines
2 days - Repeat this step for 2 days in a row.
Day 7 Read the text in full. Fill in the Memory Lines Sheet. Recall the word and spell it correctly. Re-read.
Day 8 Read the text in full. Fill in the Memory Lines Sheet. Recall the word and spell it correctly. Re-read.
Time for a check in.
For the full 8 days, depending on the child, he could have been working completely independently with little assistance from the parent or teacher. At the end of the 8 days, he should come recite his content orally without any hiccups!
The parent or teacher can also have him do the Memory Lines under supervision in true "testing" fashion.
If it's necessary add a few more days of practice, then by all means, take the extra time to hammer home the text! It'll be worth it!
How to make Steps 1, 2, & 3 quickly
- Add your text to the Content Hub if it is not already there.
- In Sheet Builder, Load this content.
- Load in your Student's Settings
- Look over the Copywork pages of your PDF. If your text is a tiny bit too long to squeeze neatly onto one page, you may choose to nudge the text size down a scotch, or nudge the letter spacing or word spacing down to keep a text from going to a second page.
- In the Sheet Type section, Change the quantity of Copywork to 3 copies, change the quantity of First Letter Hints to 3 copies, and change the quantity of Memory Lines to 2 copies.
Now you're ready to save the PDF for your records, or print your PDF!
I personally do not save the PDFs to my own computer hard drive. I also don't print a whole semester at once.
Robin
I write all my ideas into the Content Hub and print the 8 days once my student is ready for the next verses. Many times I need to add 3 or 4 more days of First Letter Only for extra learning time.
ALSO, at any point, I may tweak my students formatting settings. Perhaps this week we're feeling like a having pink text, or the week after that, we feel like a funky font.
Notice I didn't tell you how old my student is who memorized a 79-word text over 8 days. And I still won't. You will assign to your student what you know he or she can achieve. YOU know how hard to push, or when to let off the gas.
The Three Step Method should be adjusted anyway you see fit.
- shorter or longer text
- more or fewer days of copywork
- more or fewer days of first letters only
- more of fewer days of memory lines.
- 💡When your student is super ambitious, it is helpful to have a sheet of First Letters ONLY on hand so he can quiz himself randomly throughout the day.