TO MEMORIZE OR NOT TO MEMORIZE --THAT'S THE QUESTION!

With all the emphasis on Common Core and higher-order thinking skills, what's happened to good, old-fashioned memorization?  Many frown upon it while other researchers promote it.  They say that rote learning:

• challenges and trains the brain
• helps the brain work more quickly and become more active
• helps to free up the brain to learn higher-order thinking skills
• exercises the memory and helps students focus
• develops the brain's short-term memory
• strengthens the memory and helps students become more creative
• often improves a student's capacity to focus later on in school and in life

Our opinion?  Memorization plays an important role early on in learning a subject.  For example, learning multiplication facts can be accomplished in a variety of ways, depending upon a student's learning style and preferences, but memorization is a key component of mastery so the student can go on to comprehend the important concepts that utilize multiplication.

This guy below prefers a calculator to exercising his mind and memory, but just pat him on the head, and he'll be fine.  His biggest plans for the future include only meals, naps, and harassing his brother.