Making Scripture Stick: Tips for Helping Kids Memorize Bible Verses
As a homeschooling mom I care a lot about my childrens education. Maybe too much. I want to give them the very best education – the most important thing. That makes me think, what is the most important thing to me? What is important for me that they learn? What will be helpful and necessary for their future lives? For me, first things comes first. For me, God comes first.
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33).
I want to give them the foundation first. And for me, that is God. Every morning I have my own personal devotion. Just me and God. The quiet time with God really sets the tone for the day. And I know that I need that time with God. When everyting becomes quiet, I am more likely to hear God’s voice, and I can rely on Him that He will speak to me if I need to change my life to a different path or if I have something I need to do differently. When your days are full and the kids are around you all the time, you will appreciate the quiet morning hour even more.
This habit of mine I want to transfer to my children. That is why we spend time with God in the beginning of the day and in our everyday life. Knowing God’s word by heart helps us through hard times, to overcome fears and anxiety. It also helps us to fix our thoughts on what really matters and gives us hope and encouragement. That’s why we want to learn simple scriptures by heart. Having a scripture memory plan is helpful but what I’ve learned is that you should not set too high expectations or too high goals. Otherwise the risk is that you will get dissappointet or loose heart. A great start, especially with young children, is to memorize one bible verse for each month of the year. You could use flash cards or just write on a index card. Below you can download some free printable bible verse cards that will be a fun way for the whole family to memorize scripture verses.
A great tip when it comes to memorizing the word of god is to make scripture songs with hand motions. This has been a great way in our family memorize the whole verse without to many repititions. You could also make up a bible memory verse game that will help the little children to focus. Later when the child can recite the entire verse by himself he/she becomes so proud and happy.
If you want to start right away, check these memory verses for kids
1. Psalms 25:12 Who, then, are those who fear the Lord? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.
2. Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.
3. Psalms 139:14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
4. 1 John 5:3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.
5. Psalm 9:10 Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
6. Psalm37:4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
7. Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
The benefits of Bible memorization
When my children say that something is hard, I use to say: “It’s only hard until you know it, then it’s not hard anymore”. As christian parents we know how important it is to memorize a great verse. Having God’s word in our hearts can help us in moments of difficulties. In moments of difficulties we can lift our hearts to the house of the lord and talk to God as our friend. And then He can recall the bible verse to your mind for your comfort and encouragement. God wants to help you, in fact, He is already there. Reach out to him and be encouraged. Set your mind upon Him and own fears will fade away.
Create a supportive environment for Scripture memorization
Children learn by seeing and doing. If they see that you love the holy bible and can find simple ways to memorize words of scripture, the higher the chances are that they will love it too! Jesus, the light of the world, needs to stay in our hearts in order for us to share it to our dear children. Here are some great ideas how to foster an atmosphere that encourages the journey of scripture memorization:
1. Lead by example: Be the leader that loves to talk about God and memorize scripture. Your enthusiasm will be contagious.
2. Family devotions: Set aside regular time for family devotions where you can learn easy memory verses together. You could use the english standard version or other translation if you prefer.
3. Church programs: Encourage your local church to incorporate scripture memorization programs into their currigulum. This is a good way to give children the supportive environment they need to learn a new verse.
Common challenges in helping kids memorize Bible verses
It is important to aknowledge the challenges that parents and educators meet in helping children commit god´s word to memory. Some common challenges are:
1. Lack of interest: Especieally young children have shorter atttention spans, which makes it more difficult to stay focused during memorization sessions.
2. Overwhelm: Children may not know how to start or how to memorize which may seem overwhelming for them.
3. Fear of failure. Children may fear making mistakes, especially if they have older siblings that memorize easily. A song attached to the verse can help them memorize more confidently.
Creative ways for making short bible verses stick
1. A good way to help kids memorize bible verses is to start early and be consistent. Make it a routine in your family. You could have it included in your daily morning devotional with your kids. Consistency is key, because that is how it will stick.
2. Create a plan. Pick verses that you like and have helped you in your life. Write down several verses that you can teach your children. A good way is to start with shorter verses and memorizing longer verses later when they are more comfortable in learning simple bible verses.
3. Create movements together that demonstrate the bible verse. By creating movements togehter (if possible, let the children decide all the movements) you add to their senses which helps them to memorize by heart.
4. Create a melody that you could sing with the bible verse. Again, if possible, let them create the melody. You could record it on your phone so you won’t forget it. In that case you can play it the next day so your children and you can remeber it and you’ll also engage auditory memory.
5. Ask questions. Ask the children what the words mean and what the bible verse mean. Ask them how they can implement this foundational truths into their own hearts. Share something you have learned from the bible verse. Help them understand the meaning of the words. Create discussions (which are easier with the older child). This will not only help them deeper ther understanding, but also their connection with you.
6. Celebrate milestones: When your child has learned words of the verse, do not forget to celebrate. Give them a high five, a hug or a smile. Encourage them. This will release endorphines and motivate them further in their bible verse memorization process. You could also give them a certificate to make the experience more enjoyable.
By implementing these expert tips, you can make scripture memorization an engaging and meaningful experience for your kids.
The importance of Scripture memorization for kids
Memorizing Bible verses is more than just a rote exercise; it gives spiritual growth and development. When kids commit scripture to memory, they are internalizing God’s word to their heart and creating a foundtion for their faith. It helps them to create own understanding and build the armor of god around them. This will equip them with confidence when they face challenges in this world. This will also enhance their memory retention, improve their concentration and increase their attention to detail.
If you do not know where or how to start. You could start with the lord’s prayer. Brake it down and introduce it bitwise. Or you could use my downloadable memorization cards. You can download them for free, laminate them and keep them near you when you have devotions with your kids. Be prepared before the devotions start because children don’t like to wait. And do not loose heart if they do not show any interest. They might be very interested, but arent use to the idea of memorizing Bible verses. Just introduce it again the next morning and the next week again. Make the change in your child’s life. Keep the routine and be consistent. It will at last go into long term memory and you will have done the most important thing.
