Memorization is nothing more than repeating, again and again, until the words are internalized so completely that they roll right off your tongue. We've all memorized nursery rhymes, cultural sayings, short prayers--all by simply repeating them over and over. We know who Jack and Jill are, and the endings to "Waste not, _____" and "Now I lay me down to sleep, __________". Memorization may seem to be boring and challenging to stick with, but it's not hard. Repeat anything a million times, and it will be memorized.
What I find works for me is to choose a passage (rather than just one verse) and build upon it very gradually. We've decided as a family to begin with John 1:1 and continue indefinitely through this Gospel. I write down 2-4 verses together on an index card, my husband reads it aloud every day before our family meal, and everyone repeats it. It may take a few weeks, but eventually everyone can recite the verse with him without trouble. At that point, we count the passage as memorized and I write down the next 2-4 verses. The cards of already memorized verses are kept in a box near the table so we can review them regularly. My husband or I often pull out a card at random before other meals and ask everyone at the table to recite the passage with us. Sometimes my husband will pull out 3 or 4 cards in order so we can recite John 1:1-? as a unit. Eventually we might increase the number of cards enough to put more structure into the box we keep them in and have enough for the full system.
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