How can parents help build their children's memorization skills? - For Skill Building
Answer: Whether your children are in preschool or high school, part of their schooling is likely to include the memorization of rhymes, poems and songs. You can help them get a head start with the following activities:
Preschool and Kindergarten: Have your children memorize short, popular nursery rhymes like "Jack and Jill" and "Hickory, Dickory, Dock." It will give them some of the awareness of sound that they need to become readers. If you also have them act out the rhymes, it will make the language more meaningful, as children this age learn through their bodies.
Grades One, Two and Three: Children in these grades should be memorizing longer nursery rhymes and poems such as, "The House That Jack Built." Learning longer pieces will help them acquire memorization skills.
Grades Four and Beyond: Sometime in school, almost every child has to learn the names of the 50 states. One of the most enjoyable ways for them to do this is by learning to sing the catchy song "Fifty Nifty United States" which was written by Ray Charles. We know college students who still recall the names of all the states by singing this tune. It is not always easy to find. Try music stores first. If they do not have the sheet music, the stores can order it from Shawnee Press. Or you can visit the company's Web site at www.shawneepress.com to find dealers who carry this song.