The Memory Box

I read last year about someone who had a good system for memorizing, but it involved a box.  Boxes for 4x6 index cards can be really pricey!  I hunted for months for one that I could afford (basically, next to nothing), but couldn't find anything.  Finally, I asked my husband if he could make me a memory box and showed him what I needed.  It was the best present I've received in a long time when he finished it for me!  A couple of pictures and explanation about how I use it.

This is the box.  It looks and feels heavy-duty with the wood and large brass, doesn't it?

The inside of the box has three compartments (next time I would probably go with four compartments; my only change).  The first compartment holds the memory items we go over every day.  The second compartment (right now holding our continent and planet flashcards) will hold items that we have mastered to the point that we feel once a week is enough.  I will put dividers in there when we are ready which each have a day of the week on them.  The last compartment right now holds pieces that we have yet to work on.  Later it will hold items that we only need to go over once a month (dividers for each day of the month).  My ideal fourth compartment would be used for what I am using the third compartment for now.  In the corner of each card, I put a letter to represent what that item represents: S for scripture, K for knowledge (general), M for music, P for poem.  Thinking about it now, I might change that around a bit...it's just something to help me quickly pull out a card from a certain subject.

The twins wanted to do school this morning, so they pulled out the letter flashcards and we went through them, covering the letters and all their sounds.  Then we pulled out the math manipulatives and counted circles, then guessed how many pieces would fill a circle (in fourths, twelfths, fifths, etc).  They can't get enough of learning, and it's exciting to watch!  Now if I can just rekindle that excitement in my somewhat lazy six year-old....