“Hold on, let me Google it.” I wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard — or said — something like this. More often than not, it’s the first thing we do when faced with a question, whether trivial or crucial. If we’re honest, the times we don’t Google the information is because either time or social norms don’t allow it. For most of us, Googling is now a reflexive response. A question pops up, we search the internet for the answer.
So where does that leave memorization in today’s world? If the internet provides a bank of information that’s easily accessed — a sort of remote brain shared by the entire world — then why should we bother to take the time to commit basic facts to memory? Wouldn’t our energy be better spent in honing skills, which can’t be stored in and accessed from “the cloud?” In response to these questions, many educators have reduced the role that memorization plays in the classroom, while emphasizing so-called 21st Century Skills (e.g. problem solving, communication, collaboration and so on).
To be fair, memorization started falling out of favor amongst teachers and learning theorists long before digital technologies* became ubiquitous. It’s more accurate to say that the internet and related tech accelerated the pace and amplified the extent to which memorization became passé. This isn’t to say that memorization has been completely removed from education. Ask any student preparing for a test what they’re doing, and they’ll tell you they’re trying to commit information to memory. This type of learning is part of the fabric of schooling and will always exist to some extent. Nevertheless, memorization as a purposeful pedagogical tool has gone the way of the buffalo. And each year it seems as if students are required to commit less and less information to memory.**
The diminished place of memorization in education today is, I think, a significant problem. One to which there seems to be very little attention paid. E.D. Hirsch, Professor Emeritus at the University of Virginia remarked 22 years ago,
“There is a consensus in cognitive psychology that it takes knowledge to gain knowledge. Those who repudiate a fact-filled curriculum on the grounds that kids can always look things up miss the paradox that de-emphasizing factual knowledge actually disables children from looking things up effectively. To stress process at the expense of factual knowledge actually hinders children from learning to learn. Yes, the Internet has placed a wealth of information at our fingertips. But to be able to use that information — to absorb it, to add to our knowledge — we must already possess a storehouse of knowledge. That is the paradox disclosed by cognitive research.”
In other words, you need existing knowledge to add and make sense out of new knowledge. The corollary of this is that, the more you know, the more you are capable of comprehending.
When educators are intentional about using memorization as a pedagogical tool, they’re not only providing students with information, but they’re also helping them to improve their ability to think and learn in the future. Requiring students to memorize the dates of the Hundred Years’ War or the order of U.S. Presidents or a Shakespearean soliloquy provides students with more than information; it strengthens their cognitive capacities and enhances their intellectual acumen. Memorization gives them the “storehouse of knowledge” to be able to rightly understand and apply what they have learned. It creates the map upon which they can place and comprehend new information. In other words, it moves the student from mere knowledge to wisdom and virtue.
Rather than looking down our noses at “learning by rote,” let’s restore memorization to a place of prominence in education. At Redeemer we are seeking to do just that. Memorization plays an integral role in the way that students learn. From Pre-K through 11th grade students will memorize over 600 Bible verses; memorize more than 210 poems, literary excerpts, and songs; and commit 100 key dates to memory. On top of that, students have the opportunity to display this knowledge while practicing public speaking at monthly recitations. With such a vibrant program in place, we are confident that it will pay dividends in the lives of our students.
*By digital technologies I mean computers, the internet, smartphones, apps, social media, etc.
**I’ll admit that there is a bit of a chicken or the egg thing going on here regarding the extent to which this is driven by teachers or students.