Rote Learning?

[frodo82801]

I developed a rote learning software system for one of my daughters. It seemed to help her with basics a while ago. Just drilled it into her head. But I'm wondering...

Are any of the home school curriculums using rote learning?

It was huge when I was a kid. We did a ton of flash cards and memorization, especially with math and spelling.

[MochaMel]

I've never heard of it, what is rote learning. Could you explain it to me?

[antsinmypants]

Rote learning is a learning technique which avoids understanding of a subject and instead focuses on memorization. The major practice involved in rote learning is learning by repetition. The idea is that one will be able to quickly recall the meaning of the material the more one repeats it.

Rote learning is widely used in the mastery of foundational knowledge. Examples include, phonics in reading, the periodic table in chemistry, multiplication tables in mathematics, anatomy in medicine, cases or statutes in law, basic formulas in any science, etc. Rote learning, by definition, eschews comprehension, however, and consequently, it is an ineffective tool in mastering any complex subject at an advanced level. However, rote learning is still useful in passing exams. If exam papers are not well designed, it is possible for someone with good memorization techniques to pass the test without any meaningful comprehension of the subject. However, learning the context of a particular topic can make the subject more memorable...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rote_learning

[frodo82801]

Having grown up a while back before education took a serious down turn, I experienced rote learning first hand. For many things, it was great. Math was one area that it helped. There are things that you just simply have to memorize. Biology was another one. When we learned the various systems in the body, we drilled each other in rote fashion.

Is it the Greek learning that gives kids facts when they are young and then starts with thinking in about 3rd grade, and then fully goes into thinking skills (putting it all together) in the later years?

[ShannonWallace]

"avoids understanding of a subject" ?

Please do not take this personally, any of you, but that is not a good idea.

It's fine - after a solid foundation and understanding of something has been established, but wow is that detrimental if there is no understanding prior to the implementation of this technique.

Most children are more than capable of thinking, if you teach them how, far far younger than we realize.

Proverbs 14:6

...knowledge is easy to him who [being teachable] understands.



“Knowledge without wisdom is a load of books on the back of an ass” - Japanese proverb

[funmudder]

Rote learning in math is absolutely great.

You don't have to think to know that 7x6=42. It is just there. Quickly.

And for listing things like the presidents, just repeating the names in order is doing no harm. When you go back to talk more about Madison, you can make the connection with the kid on that mental time line he/she has learned by rote.

Other subjects like science and the world history that goes with attaching the afore mentioned names are not suited to rote learning.

It is a tool for memorizing facts quickly, empirical facts(like math), not opinion or possible facts based on what we know now.

[felixthecat]

Rote learning in math is absolutely great.

You don't have to think to know that 7x6=42. It is just there. Quickly.

And for listing things like the presidents, just repeating the names in order is doing no harm. When you go back to talk more about Madison, you can make the connection with the kid on that mental time line he/she has learned by rote.

Other subjects like science and the world history that goes with attaching the afore mentioned names are not suited to rote learning.

It is a tool for memorizing facts quickly, empirical facts(like math), not opinion or possible facts based on what we know now.

AGREE!

Later on when the child encounters Algebra they have a tough time if rote learning is not in place. A good friend tutors in Math and you wouldn't believe how awful kids do in school without rote learning of math. Many in 9th grade are still clueless because they never learned basic operations!

I also don't mind some rote learning in History - dates and time lines so you can see what worked and didn't work. Instead it's often taught as a jumble of events that happened.

Bible verse memorization is also good. It's a reminder of Him and how we should conduct ourselves. She does that too.

It's useful with grammar and punctuation and some science facts. I'm also having her do some "rote" learning with geography. I want her to KNOW about other countries - where they are - the culture etc.. .. so in a "global" world she will have a better grasp of conflicts and the people.

I make sure "rote" learning happens in this household. :hat

[funmudder]

Felix, I agree. Some things are just the facts. Learning them quickly is doing no harm at all, and actually helps when the histories are filled out behind them once you get there. :nod

[Scaredycat]

I agree that rote learning is great. But what if your child has very poor rote memory, like my 5th grade homeschooled son? He has Aspergers and auditory processing problems as well. He is very, very forgetful in general and simply has a very difficult time with rote memory (getting it permanently into long-term memory) and when he finally gets it down, he soon starts to forget.

For example, we tried almost every avenue when it came to the times tables - flashcards, computer games of every sort, drills, repeating them, writing them over and over, etc. - He would finally have it where I could pop quiz him and he'd get almost all of them right, then over the next week or two, he wouldn't be able to tell me many of the times tables. Over and over and over this happened.

Both he and I were very frustrated until someone we know who also has a son with Aspergers suggested something called Semple Math by Janice Semple. It doesn't work according to rote memory, but by using memory by association, auditory and visual clues.

To make a long story short, my son went from not knowing the times tables to completely mastering times tables, long division, adding, subtracting, mult. and dividing fractions and even some Algebra and finding the area and circumference of circles. This was all in the second half of this year.

Unfortunately, Semple Math doesn't go beyond the 5th grade level, but we will continue to use the ideas where possible when we're doing Zeta level Math-U-See next year.

So while I agree that employing rote memorization is generally ideal and preferred, God made us all different :) and sometimes other techniques must be used to accomplish the goal.