How to Find a Happy Medium with Rote Memorization

Rote memorization is one of those things that you either love or you hate. Some people swear by it and have their children memorize everything from their basic addition to verb conjugations in three different languages. Others despise the thought of it and tend to use technology as a crutch in order to avoid forcing it on their kids.

As a former unschooling mom, I used to fall in the latter camp. After being up to my eyeballs in books on natural learning for months, I came to the conclusion that rote memorization was the enemy. As someone who firmly believed that children learn best when they initiate the learning, which I still find to be true, I avoided it like the plague. I kept myself content with the thought that Google can help with anything and everything, and internet access would be even more prevalent when my kids became adults. 

Over time, however, I realized that it really is necessary to find a happy medium. You don’t need to have your kids memorize every Robert Frost poem known to man, but you also shouldn’t feel guilty for making your children learn basic math skills that they’ll need in day to day life.

How to find a happy medium with rote memorization.

It all comes down to one key question:

When is rote memorization necessary?

These are the guidelines I use for our family:

When to use it:

 -To learn basic math skills.

Despite the fact that, yes, we live in a technological age where almost everyone 12 and older has a smartphone in their pocket, we simply can’t rely on our easy access to a calculator for everything. Do you really want your child to grow up to need a calculator to figure out how much change she should be expecting at the store? Or to add up three items to make sure he has enough money?

This holds true for multiplication and division, too. I’ve read so many resources that insist it isn’t necessary to memorize basic multiplication and division, but it certainly couldn’t hurt. It’s such a timesaver to know that you need three tables with four chairs to seat twelve people. Or to realize that if you’re going to give nine relatives $20 each for Christmas, you’ll need $180 without resorting to pulling out the phone to figure it out.

-To learn their address and phone number.

This information is crucial for your child to know, and sometimes it will come down to going over and over it again in order for them to learn it. It’s worth the trouble.

-To learn basic geography.

I know that this isn’t vital to everyday survival, but I don’t think anyone wants their child to grow up ignorant of the fact that Hawaii and New Mexico are in the United States and are not separate countries. I always made sure not to make this tedious by using the “Fifty Nifty United States” video on YouTube.

 

– To learn basic letter formation and sounds.

Many kids will pick up on at least letter formation on their own, but in the event this doesn’t happen, it is absolutely essential that children learn these skills, and rote memorization is sometimes the best way to do this.

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These examples are the most basic instances that rote memorization can be used. To be quite honest, it just isn’t necessary for every child to memorize the Periodic Table of Elements; I did and have not once needed to use it to this day. It is not necessary for every child to remember every geometry postulate or how to find the y-intercept. As for state capitals, they’re nice to know but certainly not something your child will likely use often, if ever.

Just think to yourself, Will my child ever need this? If you struggle to find an answer in the affirmative, maybe it’s time to take a step back and look at why you’re requiring it in the first place. It’s so important to make these decisions based on the needs and interests of the individual child, not because “everyone else is doing it” or “the textbook said so.”

Be sure to keep in mind that you don’t have to fall in one camp or the other. Assess what is necessary for your family and comfort level, and move on from there. In a way, it’s a bit like textbooks. They’re both tools, but tools that should always be used discriminately. 

You’ll all be much happier for it.