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Here's a confession: I did not memorize the periodic table in school. It's true. I remember hearing about the periodic table when I was in the Elementary grades. And I took a basic Chemistry course when I was in High School. But that periodic table thing? It always stayed kind of mysterious to me.
One thing I knew as a homeschool parent was that I wanted my children to be more familiar with this tool. And I didn't want to just "drill and kill" with flashcards, even though memorizing is easier as a kid than as an older teen or adult.
Enter How to Memorize the Periodic Table
This online course is a series of videos featuring catchy stories from instructor Kyle Buchanan. All 118 elements are covered in order. Each video covers around 10 elements. (And yes, the course will be updated to include the four most recent elements, once they are named. See this story for more about the naming process: These are the Complicated Rules That Dictate How Elements Are Named.)
TL;DR: Check out How to Memorize the Periodic Table from Memorize Academy because it's fun.
Why Memorize the Periodic Table?
This isn't just a trick some homeschoolers make their kids learn to impress our friends. Having these elements and names right at their fingertips will equip our kids as they study Chemistry, whether in the early grades, in High School, College, or a future career.
Who can Memorize the Periodic Table?
This course was designed for older students but here's a secret: younger siblings like these videos just as much. Whenever my oldest daughter sat down to watch one of the videos she was quickly surrounded by younger siblings who wanted to watch too.
One great benefit of all of them watching together is that they can quiz each other and remind each other of the stories.
Why do kids enjoy the Memorize the Periodic Table videos?
The drawings and illustrations are colorful and fun.
The stories are, perhaps obviously, completely ridiculous and over the top. This is what makes them memorable.
The instructor's voice is friendly and the Australian accent is a selling point, at least as far as my kids are concerned. It's so much more fun to listen to a nice Australian man telling them a ridiculous story than mom trying to repeat each element 10,000 times until they remember it.
If you watch all the videos straight through, you can memorize the periodic table in 3 hours (or, as they used to promote it: one night). But you don't have to. You can watch these videos at your own pace, whether that's all in one day, one video a day, once a week, or whatever fits your family's schedule. And you can repeat any video to be sure you've really mastered the elements in that video.
Why I appreciate this method:
I have six children. The oldest three were my test subjects for this product. They are different ages and personalities. They have different learning styles. But all three enjoyed these videos and started memorizing the elements because the videos aren't just listening to the story. They also include watching the instructor drawing the story. Involving more of their senses especially helped my more kinesthetic student. She loves to draw and imitating some of the drawings helped her learn the elements without feeling like she was doing something hard or boring.
I've always kind of regretted not memorizing the periodic table when I was younger. But I don't have to regret that any more. Because these videos are so catchy, I think it might even work for an adult. {wink}
Ready to give it a try?
You can memorize the first 20 elements for free on their site: How to Memorize the Periodic Table or you can watch the first 50 elements for only $1.00. The complete course is $19.95. It includes a downloadable visual reference guide and a bonus pdf copy of the best-seller book Memorize the Periodic Table: The Fast and Easy Way to Memorize Chemical Elements
You can also check out How to Memorize the Periodic Table on Facebook. You can find news about the periodic table, tips for improving your memory, and much more there.
Did you memorize the elements of the periodic table when you were in school? Do you still remember them now?
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That's cute! My kids have used similar visuals to memorize the presidents in order (Yo, Millard Fillmore book) and state capitals. Some of them have memorized the first 20 or so of the periodic table simply by chanting it. It's pretty easy to do: "Hydrogen, helium, lithium, beryllium. Boron, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen. Florine, neon. (Clap, clap.) Sodium, magnesium, aluminum, and silicon, phosphorus, sulfur, chlorine, and argon." (Clap, clap.) And so on.
I, on the other hand, never sat down and memorized the periodic table as a student, and I majored in chemistry. ;) But familiarity comes pretty naturally with use.
Love the idea of a chant. So fun to have the perspective of someone who majored in Chemistry - thank you!