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Showing posts with label learning spelling words. Show all posts
Showing posts with label learning spelling words. Show all posts

Drill and Kill? Do Students Still Need to Memorize?

The words "Drill and Kill" refer to rote learning. 

They imply that rote learning will kill a student's motivation to learn.

Drill and Kill? Do Students Still Need to Memorize? This post lists some instances where rote learning is still needed, and has some suggestions on how to do this successfully in the classroom.

With today's technology and all the improvements in the world, do we really still need to include rote learning in education. Don't we want to get the children thinking beyond the basic information?

Well, yes, we certainly do want them to think above the basic information! We want children to learn how to learn, and think beyond that learning! In fact, here's a little reminder of Bloom's Taxonomy:


Of course, we want our students to get to those upper levels of the triangle, but before they get there, they have to do some remembering and understanding. 

The remembering part is where rote learning comes into play. These are the building blocks for our learners.

Here are some examples of things that primary students need to learn by rote:
  • the alphabet
  • letter sounds
  • numbers
  • math facts
  • sight words

Here are some example of things older learners need to learn by rote:
  • A football players needs to learn the plays and drills.
  • A musician needs to learn the notes and chords.
  • An actor needs to learn his lines and movements.
  • An airplane pilot needs to learn the purpose of all those buttons.
  • A grocery store manager needs to learn what products are sold and where they are located.
  • A pharmacist needs to know the names of the prescriptions and dosages.
  • A physical therapist needs to know the muscles of the body.
  • A member of the clergy needs to know the Bible.

I'm sure you can think of plenty more! 
But memorization doesn't have to be painful or miserable for the learner!
Here are some ideas that will help learning basic information be a little more valuable, as well as more fun and  motivating:
Drill and Kill? Do Students Still Need to Memorize? This post lists some instances where rote learning is still needed, and has some suggestions on how to do this successfully in the classroom.
Five minutes each day is much better than a half hour, once a week! Research shows a little bit each day is best!

Drill and Kill? Do Students Still Need to Memorize? This post lists some instances where rote learning is still needed, and has some suggestions on how to do this successfully in the classroom.
Saying it out loud really helps the memory! If it's a math fact, recite the entire fact, not just the answer. Remember when we learned spelling words we were told to "Say it, spell it, say it?" They were right on track! I've often told my students to say it "out soft." It's not a real expression, but my students know it means, "loud enough to hear yourself, but not loud enough to disturb others!"

Drill and Kill? Do Students Still Need to Memorize? This post lists some instances where rote learning is still needed, and has some suggestions on how to do this successfully in the classroom.
Humans need socialization. Learning information tends to "stick" better when students are talking about what they're learning! Quite often, they share tricks that help the learning! 
Drill and Kill? Do Students Still Need to Memorize? This post lists some instances where rote learning is still needed, and has some suggestions on how to do this successfully in the classroom.
If I want my students to remember something, I'll repeat the phrase over and over in a rhythm the children will remember. Most often, they will join in with me. The next time it comes up, I'll repeat the phrase with the same rhythm, and they'll remember it. If necessary, I'll add some movement as well. It never fails!

Drill and Kill? Do Students Still Need to Memorize? This post lists some instances where rote learning is still needed, and has some suggestions on how to do this successfully in the classroom.
How many of you know all the words to The Brady Bunch theme song? Probably most of you! Now how many of you worked hard to learn those words? Probably none of you! Music is magical! If you put important information to a tune, it helps the memory! (Remember Schoolhouse Rock? it works!)

Drill and Kill? Do Students Still Need to Memorize? This post lists some instances where rote learning is still needed, and has some suggestions on how to do this successfully in the classroom.
Working with information over and over until it is remembered isn't a whole lot of fun, but teachers know how to make it fun! I'm a big believer in playing games! 

Drill and Kill? Do Students Still Need to Memorize? This post lists some instances where rote learning is still needed, and has some suggestions on how to do this successfully in the classroom.
Did you realize there are 200 basic addition and subtraction facts to be learned? You can't just give all 200 to the kiddos at once! Give a few at a time, then when those are learned, add a few more. We want them to have success, not be overwhelmed! 

Rote learning, or memorization, is an important part of learning, but please remember it is only the beginning. These are the building blocks. Once the basic information is learned, children need to grow from that knowledge and develop a deeper understanding with motivation to learn more and process that information. Rote learning only covers the bottom step of Bloom's Taxonomy. It is our job to bring the children much further!

Here are a few resources to help with some of the information that needs to be memorized:  

Addition and Subtraction Facts: Fact Fluency System for Addition and Subtraction: The Bundle 

Addition and Subtraction facts for distance learning:
Fact Fluency for Addition and Subtraction Boom Learning: the Bundle

Multiplication and Division Facts: Fact Fluency System for Multiplication and Division: The Bundle 

Multiplication and Division facts for distance learning: 
Fact Fluency for Multiplication and Division Boom Learning: the Bundle




or you can get the whole bundle at a huge discount:

Drill and Kill? Do Students Still Need to Memorize? This post lists some instances where rote learning is still needed, and has some suggestions on how to do this successfully in the classroom.

Seven Strategies to Help Children Remember Spelling Words

Some children remember sight words easily, but there are others who have a hard time remembering the spelling of words that don't follow the rules. 

Seven Strategies to help children remember spelling words - based on brain research, this blog post shares seven strategies to help those kiddos who struggle to remember spelling!

Here are a few strategies, based on research, that will help kiddos remember spelling words.


Seven Strategies to help children remember spelling words - based on brain research, this blog post shares seven strategies to help those kiddos who struggle to remember spelling!
1.  Spell it aloud! The act of saying the letters along with hearing the letters helps the pathways form in the brain.

Seven Strategies to help children remember spelling words - based on brain research, this blog post shares seven strategies to help those kiddos who struggle to remember spelling!
2. Get them moving! Studies show a connection between movement and memory. Students can bounce a basketball while spelling, jump while spelling, or even do interpretive dance while spelling the words. 

Seven Strategies to help children remember spelling words - based on brain research, this blog post shares seven strategies to help those kiddos who struggle to remember spelling!
3. Integrate Music! Ever notice how you can remember song lyrics from years ago that you never even tried to memorize? Music is closely connected to memory! Make up a little tune to the spelling of the words, or have the children make it up!

Seven Strategies to help children remember spelling words - based on brain research, this blog post shares seven strategies to help those kiddos who struggle to remember spelling!

4. Integrate the Arts! Have the children write the spelling words, then make up a design around them. Or, you could have them paint their words! Don't forget the performing arts: they could dance their words or act out their words!
Seven Strategies to help children remember spelling words - based on brain research, this blog post shares seven strategies to help those kiddos who struggle to remember spelling!
5. Color code! Brains really connect to colors! Have the children write the words using one color for vowels, and one color for consonants. 
Seven Strategies to help children remember spelling words - based on brain research, this blog post shares seven strategies to help those kiddos who struggle to remember spelling!
6. Hands-on! Use blocks, toothpicks, pipe cleaners, or other manipulatives to create the words.
Seven Strategies to help children remember spelling words - based on brain research, this blog post shares seven strategies to help those kiddos who struggle to remember spelling!
7. Get social! Get the kiddos to have conversations about their words. They can talk about the letters that follow the rules, and the letters that DON'T follow the rules. (Add color coding to this one, and that doubles the chance they'll remember the spelling!)

Want more ideas?  

This is a set of task cards with 48 color and 48 black and white task cards that can be used with any spelling list!

These cards contain activities based on brain research that include integrating the arts, multi-modality, and multiple intelligences. This set of sight word practice task cards is perfect for a word work center, homework, or extra practice in any setting. 

For more information, see: Brain Friendly Spelling Task Cards.


In case you want to see how these Spelling Task Cards work, here's a sampler: Spelling Fun Task Cards Sampler





Or grab it for free by signing up for my helpful emails HERE.

How do you help children remember Spelling words?

Seven Strategies to help children remember spelling words - based on brain research, this blog post shares seven strategies to help those kiddos who struggle to remember spelling!


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