Each year, sixteen Foundations students from around the country compete in the Classical Conversations® National Memory Master hosted in Southern Pines, North Carolina. There, they recite memory work from all three cycles to a panel of judges. While every finalist demonstrates adept memorization skills, only one winner walks away with a grand prize of $10,000.
Should Your Child Compete in National Memory Master 2023?
Both preparing for and participating in the competition are demanding. National Memory Master requires hard work, perseverance, and lasting motivation. It’s not for everyone. So, how do you know if your child is ready to compete in National Memory Master?
Does Your Child Love to Memorize?
First things first — does your child enjoy the Foundations memory work? Do they get excited about singing the Timeline Song, drawing a map from memory, or reciting Latin noun endings?
Preparing for National Memory Master is much easier if your child already enjoys practicing their memory work. So, if your child loves to memorize, consider National Memory Master!
Is Your Child Interested in Competing?
The 2022 National Memory Master winner, Lincoln Moody, surprised his parents when he said he wanted to participate in the competition. His parents didn’t even have National Memory Master on their radar for their son’s homeschooling journey. But, recognizing Lincoln’s desire to compete, they encouragingly set up a plan to help him achieve the goal he set for himself.
When considering National Memory Master for your child, ask yourself whether your child would be self-motivated to compete or whether you would be pushing them toward a goal they are uninterested in achieving. Of course, your child will need a great deal of encouragement while preparing for National Memory Master. But ultimately, it’s helpful when their motivation for competing is primarily intrinsic.
How Much Preparation Is Necessary?
Third, consider how much preparation would be necessary to get your child ready for National Memory Master. For example, how many months are left until the due date for submitting finalist videos or until the final competition?
While simply going through three cycles of Foundations will help prepare your student for the competition, many families study for months or even years with National Memory Master as a specific goal. So, while you and your child may be fine getting ready in six months, six weeks will be cutting it close.
What Does Your Tutor or Director Say?
It’s easy for us at the Classical Conversations home office to hand out general tips and advice, but the reality is that we don’t know your child like you or the leaders in your local community do.
If you’re trying to figure out whether your child is ready to compete in National Memory Master, consider asking for your Tutor or Director’s advice. Together, you and your community leaders have seen your child interact with the memory work. It may be helpful to hear a second opinion about whether your child should compete in National Memory Master from someone who knows what your child is capable of!
Ready or Not… Here Comes National Memory Master 2023!
In the spring of 2023, National Memory Master will take place in Southern Pines, North Carolina. If you are considering encouraging your child to participate in the competition and want to learn more, click here.
Not yet a Classical Conversations member and interested in our community-based approach to homeschooling? We’d love to hear from you! To learn more about us, click here.
