Review Systems
As many of you reading this probably already know, Memverse has a great review system. The Memverse review system is probably one of the best ones out there on the internet. But what about when you don't have access to the internet or a computer? How do you both memorize those flash cards and keep them up to date?
There are many ways you can do this, but I've combined a few and added some things of my own to create a review system that has been helping me. Now, I only started using this review system a couple of weeks ago, so I can't say for sure how it will work out in the end, but it seems to be working so far.
Set Up
I have a wooden box that is divided into four squares. Each of the four squares just fits the width of an index card, so I use index cards as my flash cards (at least until Bible Bee starts up again; then I'll have to trim down their verse cards to fit). Of course, you don't have to use a box! You can use piles of cards on your desk, plastic bags, flower pots - whatever works for you.
On each of my flash cards, I drew eleven circles. That's right, eleven - not ten. (This will be important later.) Every time I recite the verse correctly (no prompts, start-overs, or mistakes), I make a mark in one of the circles. One catch - I can only make one to two marks per day, no matter how many times that day I recite it correctly. But if I want to make two marks, I must recite the verse once in the morning and once in the evening, not back to back. (Reciting them with a good amount of time in between is important! When I was memorizing the short passages for Bible Bee Nationals, I often memorized the verse quickly and recited it quickly and considered it memorized, but I wouldn't be able to recite it the next day. I had it memorized in my short term memory, but not long term.)
The System
Step One: "Don't Know It Yet"
This is the first square in my box, the first place a verse card goes once I've made the card. The cards in this box are those I am not actively trying to memorize but know I will be working on soon. I read through these three or more times per week to get an idea of what they are about.
Step Two: "Working On It..."
This is the second square in my box. Once I am ready to begin memorizing a verse, the card is moved here. I read through these at least five times a day, not counting the times I try to recite it without looking. I can start making marks in those circles on the cards now. A card stays in this square until I have recited it two times.
Step Three: "Almost There..."
This is the third square in my box. Now that I have made two marks on my verse card, the card moves here. These verses I read through at least ten times a day. I must recite this verse correctly five times before it can move on. (Like I said in the "Set Up" section, though, only 1-2 correct recitations per day count towards the marks.)
Step Four: "Got It!"
This is the last square in my box, but it's not the last step. Verses move here once I have recited them correctly five times. I only read through these one or two times a day (variable depending on how long or hard the passage is). Once I have every circle filled in on my cards, then they can leave this box. Now is where that eleventh circle comes in. If you're anything like me, you might think once you fill in the tenth circle, "Ten times? That's a good, even number, and I've done a lot of work to get it this far. I'll just be done with it now." At least, I think like that sometimes. But by filling in that eleventh circle, I've done an extra review and the verse should be extra solid.
Step Five: "I Don't Know What To Call This Yet!"
I just implemented this into my system, so I haven't been able to test it yet, but this is how it should work. Once a verse has been recited perfectly eleven times, the card moves here. If you have a box with five squares, use that fifth square for this. I only have four squares, so I'll find a place to put the stack of verses in this category. Maybe right next to my box. Anyway, these verses are the ones that I have completely memorized, so I'll read through and review these a couple of times per week. If at any time I find that I can't remember a section or a word in the verse, I'll move this back to the "Amost There" or "Got It" stage to work on it some more.
Well, that's the system I've come up with! How do you keep verses up-to-date aside from Memverse? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
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29 responses to Review Systems
That's a cool idea too! I didn't use my review system for Nats this year, though I should have! I actually didn't do ANY reviewing, which is why I decided to come up with something now so I could improve on it before BB next year! Especially if I make it to Nationals.
I tied for 108 (with Noah Cassidy and another person) - a little too close to the cut-off line for comfort, but at least I did qualify! I think you will next year too. Just my prediction. :)
I like to use one box (with no separate squares) and use dividers, I mark them as following: "Daily", "even" "odd", all the days of the week (on separate dividers), "long passages", "medium" and "short". I put all the verses I would like to learn soon in the last dividers, I put the passages with 9 or more verses, in the "long passages"divider the passages with 3-8 verses go in the "medium section" and the passages with 1-2 verses go in the "short" section. I put all the verses I am working on behind the "daily" divider, once I have said these perfectly five times, I put it behind "even" or "odd", once I have said this enough (perfectly) I put it behind one of the days of the week, This is how I review: if it is Wednesday, December 5, (2014) I will review all the verses behind "daily", odd", and "Wednesday". I read at least one of the passages behind "long Passages" every day (a different one of course), I read 5 behind "medium" once a day, and I read all of my short verses every day. Of course I don't do this EVERY day but I try to do as much as I can depending on how much time I have.
I used this method for Bible Bee, and it worked great also. Hope this helps!
Bethany: Okay. Cool that you tied with a Memverser! I tied with Titus A., a girl from Locals, and two other people this year for 11th place. Last year (my first year making nationals) I got 17th. The first year I got 409th. :)
Thanks... I'll try hard. Maybe. Dad thinks I will too... so does my little brother Joseph, I don't know about the rest.
did you find out where you placed at Nationals?
Nice review system! Thanks for sharing. @Hannah - They said that they'll post them next week. K8GB - Are you Katherine B.?
Great post Bethany!!! I wish I'd known about this during Nationals XD. Have you read Daniel Staddon's book? He wrote about his review system. It's really helpful!
Thanks Bethany! This looks like a great review system. I probably won't make it to Nationals next year though (I'm a senior for the first time :)). :D
@Mandy, yes, I have read it! That is the most helpful book for Bible Bee. His memorizing system is pretty helpful too (the Curiosity method). I heard one person at Nats talking about how he uses that system for memorizing, and he took fourth in Seniors, so I definitely want to try that way next year! :D
Thanks, guys! I hope the system works for you. And thank you too, K8, for sharing your method. That looks helpful too.
@The Doctor (idk your real name!) - If you qualified or got close to qualifying as a junior this year, you should do well as a Senior. There's a lot less competition in the Seniors - at least until you get to Nationals. :P
Cool K8GB! Looks like we'll be competing in the same age category every year... unless one of us wins... which is unlikely. :)
Bethany: The Doctor is Gloria. I mean, the doctor who commented on here. There are many "The Doctor"'s on memverse. XP
@ Hannah: actually I'm the only Doctor right now. Everyone else changed... :)
@Bethany: I scored like 300-something in locals... (my brother did make it though :P) So I probably won't make it next year... :)
@Gloria/Doctor (:D) - hey, who knows? Just work extra hard next year!
Oh, and I got second place in the preliminary scores! Second from the bottom, that is.... :P Oh well. Someone had to get that place and it might as well be me!
Oh!! I made a mistake!! In 2016 I'll be a senior... :) xD Next year I'll be a last time junior!
Sorry! x)
Ah, finally getting around to reading this... This is a really good review system, Bethany! Thank you for sharing it! I tend to have trouble figuring out the easiest way to go about reviewing/mastering my verses, so I may try this out.
@The Doctor/Gloria: Lol So you're 13 then? I had thought you were 14. :)
@ Rosie: Yeah... :) lol! Well here where i live you have to say what year you are going to be from Sep... So I really am 13... but I'm so used to saying 14 that I said that without thinking... facedesk
Thanks for sharing your review system, Bethany! I used one similar to it for Nationals (but instead of a box I used photo albums) and I almost doubled my oral score from Nationals 2013. Exciting, but that gives you an idea of how pitiful my 2013 score was. :(
@Joy - wow!!! That's great! I'm definitely going to try to use this system for Nationals since I got a 15 in my orals this year. :P :)
Good idea... I'm still very much working on perfecting this system! :D
I really like that name for the fifth category.
Thanks! That sounds like a good plan... one that will actually work! :D I'll probably not do it for all of my verses I've memorized... (that'd have to be one tall box :D) but maybe with Bible Bee. Especially if I make Nationals next year... (I probably won't though... it'll be my first Junior year) that would help a lot.
What I did last year for Nationals... For the ones I hadn't memorized, I did nothing. I put these in their own pile. (that was always the biggest pile :P) My cards were double-sided, one verse on one side and a completely different verse on the other. Once I was working on/almost had finished a verse, I stamped a green heart on. I had my own pile for the cards that only had one side stamped in green. Then for when I had completely memorized a verse, I re-stamped it with a red heart. I had a lot of piles... one for each differently stamped card.
When I was packing for Nationals I put in my stamps, my verse cards, and the ink pads. :) But I ended up not studying much on the way. :P