There seems to be two extremes in education today when it comes to the role that memorization plays in the instruction of children.  On the one hand, modern education disdains the idea of rote memory and says that it takes away one’s creativity. However, this philosophy is inconsistent, because students are then asked to memorize names, events, definitions, and spelling words for a test. And the next day, much of that information is forgotten anyway. On the other end of the spectrum, the renewal of classical education has brought memorization to the forefront as a primary method for teaching elementary-age children. I am quite familiar with classical education, since I spent over ten years involved with that model. I must admit it is quite impressive to hear children recite the names of important people, dates, events and places. Parents are impressed with the “knowledge” their children have, the children are proud of what they “know,” and everyone seems to be happy. I am not here to demean the modern or classical education model, but I …