1. Make a bulletin board containing pictures of each president, along with separate, removable flashcards containing a unique fact and their first and last names mounted under each photo. After reviewing the names with the faces several times, remove the flashcards and mix them up. Then, see how many names your homeschoolers can correctly match to the right president. (Note: You may need to break the list up into blocks of ten names at a time to help your younger children get started.)
2. Create a phrase, sentence, or even a word made up of part of the president's name. This popular mnemonic device works best by combining the United States presidents in small groups of ten or fewer and using the first letters of their last name. For example, you could create a fun phrase like "Wally's alligators just made Mattie and Joanna vanish" for the first eight presidents: George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, and Martin Van Buren. Then all your children have to do is recall that creative phrase or sentence to remember each president in order.
3. Write or memorize a poem. Known to help students remember difficult lists, writing a poem that remembers each president for what he did or telling a story in written form is much easier than rote memorization.
4. Memorize the presidents with a song. Create your own catchy melody or use a tune based on existing song, and your children will have the presidents' names stuck in their heads in no time at all. Making your memorization song doesn't require any great musical talent either. Just make it fun and easy to sing. You can even find a president's song online that might work for your homeschool family.
These are just a few fun ways to memorize the presidents of the United States. Because no two homeschoolers are alike, you may want to try a different method if one method doesn't work. However, the best method is to learn the presidents by combining at least two memorization methods together, ensuring that this information sticks in their minds.
