My Friend, The Crow

Stephen Carragher, My Friend The Crow

We learn Irish at school 

"Older than Russian," 

I have been assured. 

Like any language 

Questions are important. We are drilled 

Be that the "what", céard 

The "why"? Cen fáth? 

The "how", conas? 

And the where? 

Some children struggled with the question words. 

I remember 

My primary school teacher, and not always kindly, 

Told us to imagine a lost crow. 

Cá? Cá? 

Where am I? 

Nowadays, 

I sometimes wonder idly as I see a lone crow perched 

Do you know where you are, friend? 

Or are you also lost? 

Mnemonics are a type of memory “anchor” that can be used to help us remember certain topics and ideas. There are many different types of mnemonic devices, and they can exist as songs, acronyms, rhymes and in many other forms. They can also help children learn new vocabulary as well as facts and information. Creative teachers have always found ways to incorporate them into lesson presentations, such as the example described in the poem above. My own father often referred to the mysterious “lost crow” that could be heard from our suburban Dublin garden each morning, especially during the month of March (when we traditionally acknowledged the beginning of the season of nest building). In my early years, I always assumed that the crow must have had a reasonable command of the Irish language hence the mournful “Cá” (Caw) that was emitted. 

“Where?”  the crow was asking.

Perhaps the crow meant it as “Where are you?” “Where am I?” or even “Where is my place in this world?”

Even though I, like the crow, have long flown the nest, I have never forgotten the moment that I first internalized that word. A heartfelt thanks to the poet, Stephen Carragher, for highlighting the beauty of mnemonics in such a personal way for me. 

In Montessori education mnemonics are embedded in children’s learning in a special way, because they help children internalize concepts through hands-on, sensory-rich experiences that align with their natural learning processes. In this way, children can associate abstract ideas with concrete materials that are designed to delight them. As a result, learning is a somewhat effortless process during the first plane of development (between the ages of three and six years). 

Shouldn’t learning always be this meaningful?