While scientific facts are important, they are not the only memory work that you can set for your homeschool students. Here are some additional choices that you can use when giving out memory work assignments in the homeschool classroom.

Reciting poetry is a good way to get homeschool students interested in its rhythmic nature. It will also allow them to learn poems that span generations and can be easily shared with other people like grandparents, uncles and aunts. Some poems are truly evergreen favorites, like “If” and “Gunga Din” by Rudyard Kipling, “Stopping by Wood on a Snowy Evening” and “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost,  “Wynken, Blynken and Nod” by Eugene Field, “The Charge of the Light Brigade” by Lord Albert Tennyson,  or “The Tyger” by William Blake.

This is just an indicative list. Poetry of any kind that you and your family enjoy can be used during memory work. Another step in the same direction would be memorizing Scriptures. Some good ones to start with could be the Ten Commandments and basic prayers. The Sermon on the Mount may also be an interesting addition to their repertoire.

Shakespeare and his works are also a great place to add material for memory work. From his Sonnets to the St.Crispin’s Day Speech from his play Henry V, to the famous balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet and how could we forget Hamlet’s famous soliloquy on “To be or not to be”. The bard has inspired countless generations and being able to fluently quote him and his works, is not a bad idea.

If you want the homeschool students to be more aware of American History, you could start with asking them to memorize the Declaration of Independence. Another good document is the Bill of Rights. Some may even prefer Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech. Speeches are also a great way to prepare for public speaking. Consider having them memorize the Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln or even the Inauguration Address by John F. Kennedy. There really is no dearth of things that you can pass out as memory work to homeschoolers.