I found this article on memorization on the ChildLight USA blog very interesting. (Great blog and general site, by the way for anyone who might not be familiar with it……)
Anyway, this article came to mind when I read your questions, and I had the thought of maybe trying to record what you want your children to memorize and letting them listen to it whenever they are able–in somewhat “free” moments; and just let them enjoy listening and see if that helps them. (ETA: Or have a scheduled listening time where they enjoy listening until they are perhaps ready to recite and give them a due by date or let them come to you and tell you when they are ready to recite. Then when something is mastered, just periodically review it together.)
I’ll quote some of the article below….
I attended a seminar entitled “Nurturing Excellent Communicators” by Andrew Pudewa, author of the Institute of Excellence in Writing. Charlotte Mason’s ideas were heavily incorporated into his presentation, and as a result, I have been contemplating the concept of memorization for months……..
Rafe Esquith, a well-known Los Angeles 5th grade teacher and author of Teach Like Your Hair’s on Fire, directs his “Hobart Shakespeareans” (students) in performing plays across the nation. How do they memorize their lines? He attributes it to this: “I burn CDs of the scenes for all the actors, who listen to them at home. Shakespeare is just like music. Instead of memorizing thousands of lines of pop music, the Hobart Shakespeareans use the same energy to memorize beautiful language. It is astonishing how quickly children learn by listening.” This 21st century teacher uses the same techniques that Charlotte Mason once suggested but with an advancement in technology.
A friend of mine devised a creative way for her daughter to memorize Bible verses for AWANA. The child seemed to hit a roadblock when memorizing scripture line by line, so her mother recorded the verses into a free software program, Audacity, and downloaded them into her child’s iPod. What a difference this made for her daughter! ……….
-Kim