I am amazed by the number of Bible verses that I learned as a child and can still recall – and how difficult it is for me to memorize Scripture now! One of my deepest desires as a mother is to encourage my children to hide God’s Word in their hearts.
Here are some ideas I’ve found helpful in teaching our daughters to memorize Bible verses.
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- Read the Bible verse aloud to your child. Recite the reference of the verse as well as the actual text.
- Explain the definition of any unfamiliar words and discuss the meaning of the passage.
- Break the verse down into shorter phrases that are easy to remember.
- Have your child repeat the phrases after you several times.
- Make up a tune to go with the words of the verse.
- Schedule several times throughout the day to practice the verse; for example, every time you sit down to eat at the table or any time you get in the car and buckle up, say the verse together.
- Put motions with the words; you can include simple gestures like pointing up to heaven when saying “God” or “Lord” or moving your feet for the word “walk.”
- Record the verse in a media format and play it back so your child can listen to it.
- Make a video of your child reading the verse, then have him watch it while saying the words along with the recording.
- Use memory games to help reinforce the verse. Write the phrases on cards, then mix them up and have your child arrange them in the correct order; take turns with your child saying a word from the verse until you get to the end; write the verse on a small white board, then erase a few words and see if your child can quote the verse, including the missing words.
My second grader is currently learning part of Ephesians 6 which talks about putting on the armor of God. How wonderful that we can plant these seeds of Scripture in her heart at a young age!
Do you have any suggestions for making Bible memory a part of your day? What are some favorite passages that your children have learned?
Love this, Tracey! 🙂 My kids usually started with just repeating it several times. Then they would say it to their sibling. Some of the wonderful passages they have learned – Psalm 23, Psalm 100, Luke 2 (Jesus' birth), and several others.
Oh, I love this Tracey!! Your list is wonderful. I know you know this is dear to my heart! I will bookmark this post for sure. I love using melodies, pictures, copywork, and plain ol' repetition. 🙂
I haven't had much time for blogging lately, but hope to have a few posts in before we move. Have a great day! (It's raining here, and cinnamon rolls are in the oven!)
This is a great list!
We say our Bible verses while we do the dishes together, over and over, and have a reward system – a sticker for each verse learned. 🙂
Apart from making up tunes to help the verses be more memorable, there are some catchy kids songs (and even hymns) out there to help a child learn passages or to learn the meaning of the verses (for example "Go to the Ant" by Judy Rodgers.
We use all the techniques you mentioned. I also encourage my older children to help my younger. My two-year old can say most of Psalm 23 and my four-year old and seven-year old can say it well. Hand motions are GREAT! Thanks for sharing.
Oh, we use many of these techniques as well. I went to Awana as a child and still recall many, many verses. Chloe just started Cubbies and she is enjoying 'hiding God's word in her heard'.