At our spring recitation day, school Headmaster Nathaniel Pullmann gave his own recitation bookended by observations about the power of memory. You can watch or listen to the video of his 10-minute talk below. Apologies for the audio and video jostling. This was recorded by a mother listening with a baby on her lap. That's … Continue reading Our Headmaster On How Learning To Memorize Can Transform Your Life
Erasmus: Memorization Is The Beginning Of A Creative Process
From "The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains," by Nicholas Carr. The Dutch humanist Desiderius Erasmus...who as a schoolboy had memorized great swathes of classical literature, including the complete works of the poet Horace and the playwright Terence, was not recommending memorization for memorization's sake or as a rote exercise for retaining … Continue reading Erasmus: Memorization Is The Beginning Of A Creative Process
Poetry And Other Highlights From Our Fall Recitation Day (Part 2)
You can find part 1 of our fall 2018 recitation day posts right here. "The Solitary Reaper," by William Wordsworth (recited by an 8-year-old) Behold her, single in the field, Yon solitary Highland Lass! Reaping and singing by herself; Stop here, or gently pass! Alone she cuts and binds the grain, And sings a melancholy … Continue reading Poetry And Other Highlights From Our Fall Recitation Day (Part 2)
How Regular Memorization Strengthens Your Brain
The Lutheran Schools Partnership here in Fort Wayne recently published a blog post discussing what many schools, including ours, call "memory work." At Redeemer Classical School, students memorize hymns, Bible verses, poetry, science and math facts, theology through the catechism, folk songs, geography, excerpts of famous historical documents and speeches such as the preamble to … Continue reading How Regular Memorization Strengthens Your Brain
‘To Teach A Child To Memorize What Does Not Have Meaning Is Insane’
"Like it or not, our children are growing up in this culture. They are moving into the future away from us, just as we moved into the future away from our parents. Our children cannot live in our time. They live in their own time, but the more tied to the past they are in … Continue reading ‘To Teach A Child To Memorize What Does Not Have Meaning Is Insane’
Stop Googling Everything and Memorize
It's common nowadays to hear this from school leaders: "Kids don't need to memorize anything now that we have Google." Peter Wood, president of the National Association of Scholars, takes on this misconception in the Huffington Post. He writes: ...in the hustle to get beyond memory we miss some fine things. The drudgery that comes … Continue reading Stop Googling Everything and Memorize
Redeemer Classical School 