What a beautiful morning in Houston! Curt’s parents arrived from Missouri last night and they’re on a walk with our very happy dog and very happy child. The house is nice and quiet, giving me the perfect chance to check in to Siestaville.
A few days ago I read a comment from one of our siestas asking for some advice. I thought it was too good a topic to get buried in the comments, so I saved it for a post. Check out this question from Kathy Pink Bicycle Arkansas:
Can I ask a favor/help of all my siesta’s? I teach 5th grade Sunday school and for the first time I am having a very difficult time with them learning their verse and bringing their Bibles. I’ve tried bribery, candy, small prizes…..any suggestions? What works for you? Please help. Thanks!
I am just starting to work on a couple of (very simple) verses with Jackson. My friend and co-worker, Jen, started out doing Scripture memory with her son during bathtime. I’ve found that to be a great time too because my little monkey is contained! So I’m also very interested to hear your tips. If you have advice for Scripture memory with big kids or small kids, we’d love to hear it!
Hey Kathy! I miss my siesta fiesta friend! Hope your ankle is better.
I’m sad the candy didn’t work. I love the idea of motions, but I know that won’t work for every verse.
Absolutely loved Nikkis’ comment!!! So true!!!
As far as tips, I agree with all the comments to set scriptures to music – if kids can sing it, they seem to remember it better.
I help out in the kindergarten Sunday School class, and the teacher has the kids sit on a rug, in a circle, and they repeat the verse over and over, each time in a different way that makes it fun for the kids. For example, last week they said their verse:
* while holding their tongue
* while pinching their nose
* while giving themselves “moose antlers” with their hands
* clapping each syllable
* waving their hands in the air
…you get the idea, and the kids love it.
At home, my two kids (4th and 6th grade) have a verse to memorize each week for school. We practice them on the way to school each morning – we break the verse down, dicuss and understand the meaning, but I think it’s the sheer repetition that helps them to memorize the verse.
Finally I’d say that I see an impact – my kids have quoted relevant verses to me in difficult situations, so I know that they are hiding those words in their heart, and that is such a blessing to me.
Love and hugs
Adrienne
This is in response to Yolanda's request for a great marking pen that doesn't bleed through in your Bible. The Pentel Automatic 8-color Pencil is great. It is highly recommended by Kay Arthur and Precept Ministries. It is pricey but well worth it. The pen comes with 8 colors, yellow, orange, pink, red, light green, two shades of blue & brown. You can also purchase refills in other colors like purple and black. They highlight perfectly and do not bleed! Hope this is helpful. Blessings to all, Sandy
We homeschool and for both kids in Kindergarten we used My ABC Bible Verses by Susan Hunt. There is a verse for each letter and a story that goes along with it to illustrate the verse in action. Both kids love it. We say the verse 3 times each morning and by Friday, they’ve earned a sticker for their bible verse chart. After they fill up their sticker chart (8 verses – 2 months), they get a trip to the bible store to pick out something they want (stickers, book, cd, etc – usually $10 limit). Also, we don’t do them in order. We use My Father’s World Kindergarten curriculum and do them according to what letter we are working on that week. Hope this helps! (PS- She also has a great book called Big Truths for Little Kids).
Michelle
With my very busy 4 and 2 year old boys, we march around the house chanting the verse and “address” to a rythm. It’s so hard for them to sit still!! They also love music but on a tight budget, that can get spendy. I think a person just needs to know how their child learns best. =)
My three and four year olds have both just begun Awanas this year…it has been a joy to hear them learning and recite these verses…it’s been good for their Momma too! When we have cubbies time in the afternoon, with each new verse we set it to some type of rhythm with motions or sign language…this has seemed to help them.Hope this is helpful…Love to all!
Laura Beth Fletcher
My niece’s and nephew’s used the alphabet method (like sharon gowen described)
That method was used in their school curriculum. I do know this… their other aunt who attended the same school as a child still knows all those verses. She just goes through the alphabet!
Good post Amanda. I need the help for myself!!
First time to post but had to share! Have you heard of the GT and the Halo Express series? My kids and I still remember verses from the songs we listened to years ago and the scripture reference since it is included in the tune. I have bought them recently for gifts and will be reordering now for my new grandson! I don’t know if this link will work but here is the website: http://www.gthalo.com/products.asp
Kay B
Atlanta GA
I don’t know if this helps for Sunday School but I personally memorize Scripture best when I desperately need it or use it often. Even though I do try to memorize Scripture with index cards and stuff, I noticed that the ones I really and truly know are not the ones that I set out to study. They are the ones that I hung on to for dear life. So I guess what you could try to do is to make it RELEVANT somehow. The how will depend on the particular situation or Scripture.
My kids are active in AWANA and they know more scripture at 7 and 4 than most people know at 50. One thing we do is put the words to a tune. It really works!! Try singing the verse to the tune of a well known song (Jesus Loves Me, Shout to the Lord, and Jesus Loves the Little Children are some of our favs).
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!
To Amanda for the post and everyone for their comments. As a mom of a 2.5 year old I wondered how to do this. He has memorized a prayer for meals and he loves to sing along to Veggies Tales. Now we can start doing memory verses. I am sure we will both learn them!
Make a game out of it. Now this if for 5th graders not for Jackson. Take the verse Print it out. Cut out the verse word by word. and have the kids put together the verse like a puzzle.
Another one that worked well. Print out the verse but leaving some of the important works out and replacing them with blanks. Have the kids take Alaphabets ceral or pasta and spell out the missing words.
Just a couple of thoughts.
Bev
I am loving these ideas! I used to tell my daughter “let’s hurry and find a verse to memorize so we can say it to Nana on her voice mail!” Now that I think about it, thats not very exciting haha. But she loved to dial my moms voicemail herself and leave it. “Nana” gives lots of praise!
So we usually pick a section of verses, like 5-10 and write them on a piece of paper. Then I read the section 10 times in a row with lots of inflection on the same words each time. While I’m reading, my daughter keeps count on her fingers how many times I’ve read it. She thinks it’s funny to hide her fingers so I never know how many times so far. 🙂 Lastly, for the next day or two we go on several short walks on our street and say the verse out loud during the walk. Funny enough, I get fooled every time. She never seems like she is paying attention when I read it, but then she hauls off and does it perfectly on like the 2nd day. So now I let her act distracted, and it doesnt stress me. hehe
Great topic, and I love the hints!
At the Christian school my children were in for 7 years, they had a neat way of doing it…
some teachers would use singing and set the verses to music, and others would make up signs they could act out with their hands or bodies to go with a word or phrase.
Even my kindergartener could recite several verses together doing it with signs and she loved doing it!
My son still sings some of the verses he learned in 2nd and 3rd grade. I think learning them with signs helped the most though — they seemed to learn it quicker. At least mine did.
and they LOVE showing them to people.
I have four school-aged children that I help memorize scripture every week. Here are some things that have worked. Writing the verse on white board, say it twice together, then begin erasing 3-5 words as a time (depending on how long the verse is) until you’ve erased the whole thing. They will know it by the end. Then review later in lesson and the following week. I’ve also had girls stand up on certain words and boys stand up on others. I’ve done relays where they have the verse written on a piece of paper sitting on a chair. Above the chair taped on the wall is a blank sheet of paper with marker. Divide the class into two teams. Each student writes one word of the verse including reference. The first team to complete it correctly wins! They will know it. Have fun!
Stephanie
We practice memory verses right before bedtime every night. By Friday, my seven year old can recite it for her Bible Verse Test flawlessly.
Start them off young, too!
I used to work at a Summer Day Camp where we would have a theme verse each week. We would set the verses to song – a tune that all the kids would know (Veggie Tales theme, Scooby Doo, etc). It worked like a charm and 3 years out I still sing some of them when I’m trying to remember!
p.s. There is nothing like a gymnasium full of children singing scripture. (Psalm 8:2)
Yolanda– for Bible marking, I could never have made it through Kay Arthur’s inductive method without Crayola’s Erasable Twistable Colored Pencils! They never need to be sharpened and erase well! They’re a little waxy, but very easy to use and in tons of colors!
“Sing the Word” cds are great. My 6 year old memorized Psalm 1 completely in about a week with this cd! We do Awana, and I can’t say enough about how good this program is. They also publish cds of Scripture set to music.
When I memorize, I tape a copy of the verse to my cookbook holder and to the fridge (Kate Gosselin-style!) I will repeat it over and over while I am cooking.
When I am driving I keep Scripture cards nearby so when I am waiting to pick up kids I can review. Saying the verses outloud, loudly, with conviction!, helps so much. Then the Scripture just rolls right off my tongue. It’s one thing to memorize it in my head, but it’s a very different thing to memorize it out loud. The latter causes you to use it more and say it to others.
Our church memorizes Fighter Verses (Bible verses)each week, but despite many attempts we haven’t been at all consistent in memorizing the verses as a family. I pray with our boys on the way to school each day, and it finally occurred to me that I could use that time for Scripture memory as well. I printed copies of the Fighter Verse in very large print and put them in the pockets that are on the backs of the driver/front seats — right in front of the boys. Now we practice the verses on the way to school, and it’s working! And they’re loving it. [I have to give credit where credit is due: I’ve been convicted about how much I feed my own soul on God’s Word each day, and yet how relatively little I’m helping my children hide God’s Word in their hearts. The women in my Beth Moore Bible study group have been praying for us regarding this, and God is answering their prayers!]
Linda in MN
I’d say do it together..make time at the end of Sunday School or during the day if you are doing it with your kids…and work on them together. I make a game out of it. We put the verse to a song and do motions. That REALLY helps. I put a few words of the Scripture verse on 3×5 cards and then set a timer and they put them all in order.
I have my kids write their memory verse in cursive every day. (Helps with their cursive practice-as well as knowing the verse.)
Make games out of it, do it together. Then the teacher learns as well as the kids. 🙂
Kelly S.
Hi Amanda and Kathy, :O)
My suggestion would be to make it part of your class time, Kathy. Since there’s no way to make kids bring their Bibles, provide Bibles in class (see if your church will supply you with enough for each child to have one to use). The idea is to get them in the word. If they won’t do it at home (yet), do it in class. Make Bible memory time really special. When you get the Bibles out talk about how it holds the keys to life! Maybe even do a demonstration using a key and a treasure box, or journal, or safe. Use suspense. “What treasure are we going to find today?” Open the treasure box with a key and have something inside that has to do with the verse you are learning. Talk about this treasure and how it applies to their lives. Maybe write the verse on the board and say it together a few times. Then erase words and keep saying it until you erase all the words and you say it by memory. Making up fun tunes and singing the words is great too. The kids can take turns leading as well. Those are just a few ideas that come to mind. Hope you find just the right idea that will stick with your group. And God bless you for teaching!
Love 2 all, Jax
Steve Green’s “Hide ‘Em in Your Heart” is wonderful! We listen to it in the car or during lunch. My not quite three year old sings along and my one year old dances and claps.
So timely – my daughter was just reciting all the verses that we have said in our home over and over her 19 years as I talked her over the phone!
So…Repeating them over and over – year after year!
The real blessing and testamony to the power of God’s word is that my oldest who has a horrible time memorizing had to memorize 30 pages of script for a play that was mainly scripture and the Lord blessed it amazingly. To this day she has those hidden in her heart.
My youngest is just like her oldest sister, is so struggling to learn to read – but the easiest thing for her to read??? – the Bible!
As a dyslexic person with daughters who take after me – I have to agree – songs. Going to bed the older two and now the younger, listen to steve green – hide in your heart and worship cd’s. Then we have a couple other bible scriptures cd’s – like Bagge’s tunes – that sing the Word. We use songs now – to remember Psalms for stepping-up.
I also agree with praying for a hunger and living out the importance of the Word. We use it to back up our opinions in conversation, in our prayers, what we cry out for in during a bad dream at night.
Also – my friend just suggested using pictures to depict the verse. Her kids are memorizing the whole book of Proverbs that way!
Can’t wait for the rest of the suggestions!
mk
I think putting scripture to music or a tune is the absolute best way to learn. Once my oldest (who is now reading sings a verse), I write it down on a index card for her to learn to recognize the words. This has worked very well 🙂
I keep a small plastic easel next to my the CD player in the bedroom of my 2 little boys- I was already in the habit of playing bedtime music every night since they were babies- then I came up with the idea of setting the easel next to the CD player/clock which perfectly holds 5×7 flash cards- I put verses on each card- when they memorize 1- I add a new one- the stack is growing. This was helpful when they could not read. They are just beginning to read now- so they can see them during the day which helps for memorizing. We review the stack of verses every so often. It is now part of our bedtime ritual- then the kids go to bed with God’s word in their mind and hopefully it’s etched onto their hearts!
Lots of love siestas
Rosie
Loved the suggestion from Kelli M. in Madison, WI.
Rosie
Putting verses to songs are great, also you can teach sign to verses. It is educational, they remember and I think when there is interest in something, kids remember what they are supposed to.
It will be written here a million times because it WORKS: Put the scripture to an easy tune. Think of all the obnoxious songs we remember from our youth…wouldn’t you rather be remembering scripture instead of the words to “Delta Dawn”?? :o)
There are guite a few Scripture Memory Song CD’s available. We have a couple of Steve Green’s and a few of Max Lucado’s Hermie and Wormie.
What I like about these are that they are really Bible verses put to music. Most of them are catchy, so much that I wake up at night with one of them stuck in my head! It is fun and easy, I have a four year old and 20 month old and they love these CD’s.
All 4 of my children have been involved in AWANA since they were all 3 to 4 years old. In the “early years” of AWANA in Cubbies and Sparks (preschool through 2nd grade) the best way that I found for the kids to memorize their scriptures was by setting them to song. Whether it was just “singing” the verses in a sing-songy type of voice, or singing an actual song the musical approach worked VERY well. In my years as an AWANA leader, and as a Sunday School teacher, I have found other tricks that work well to help with bible memorization. One that works with children that are more auditory and kinesthetic learners is to clap your hands to the rhythm of the verse. (Much like we did as a child with deciding how many syllabels were in a word).
Another method that I use as a leader/teacher (I actually use both methods in the classroom/group situation) is to write the whole verse out on the white board (or a piece of paper) and then have the class/group repeat the verse 2-3 times, then I erase 3-5 words at a time and have them repeat the verse and then erase another 3-5 words, etc until the board is empty and they have the verse firmly in their brain. Even if they don’t practice the verse at home all week, they will still remember bits and pieces of it, and have hidden even a small bit of God’s word in their hearts.
I was having similar problems with the students bringing their Bibles and found that the best/most effective manner was to send a letter home to the parents asking them to make sure that their students brought their Bible from home each Sunday. I found an amazing number of the children didn’t have Bibles of their own….so we (the church) gave them Bibles that we let them write their names in, and “keep forever”.
I hope that these may work for you….
Blessings,
Lori in Central CA
My 7 year old and I learn his verses in the car. Last year he learned a very lengthy portion for his Wednesday night classes. He is contained with nothing else to do. As for getting a class to learn, I think first the parents have to really be involved in teaching them at home. Maybe give tips to there parents on how to memorize. Good Luck..
I just started this week using the book “My ABC Bible Verses” by Susan Hunt with my son. He already has the “A” verse memorized and he’s only three!
I could not wait to post on this subject. I am the Sparks director for my church’s Awana club. My husband and I are on the local ministry team for the Alabama/North West Florida area.
For those who are not familiar with Awana clubs, Awana is a club that not only emphasis memorizing God’s word, but also spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Awana has an apologetic approach to learning God’s word beginning at the age of three.
~~~ Some ways to memorize the Word is to take verses in chunks and then place all the chunks together.
~~~ Take the first letter of each word and write it down. Example would be FGSLTW,THGHOAOS,TWBIH,SNP,BHELL John 3:16
~~~Awana has a website where one can purchase CD’s that has all the verses sung to music. I haven’t checked out other CD’s on the market but I would think they are out there.
Working with 5-8 years old, music is they way to go. We all remember silly songs from commercials form years ago. The reason is because of those jingles played in the background.
I hope this helps some of you. I can not encourage any of you enough that if you have young ones in your home to get them involved in Awana. The ministry has been around since 1950, has 5038 clubs in countries outside the USA and is a NON-DENOTATIONAL ministry.
Blessing to all,
Terrie
yall, i didnt read all the comments so someone already might have said this, but with Titus we used Max Lucado and friends CD’s they are AWESOME. they are word for word scripture songs and he had 12 verses memorized in a couple days…so we got the others. Now he, and I, know SOO many from each CD. Now he is older (4) and we do the Fighter Vearses from Desiring GOD kids. They are amazing. Titus knows them in a day when we introduce a new one. They have a picture to go with it so you do it flash card style. Show the picture and he says the verse…he loves it.
As for fifth graders…the only advice I have is to REALLY try to get their parents involved. This will help so much.
We have a sticker chart for her memory verse. It is the same one for the whole month at sunday school and she gets an extra treat when it is full! I can make them on an Excel spreadsheet. She is 3 by the way.
We try to use lots of music. There are some wonderful books that I purchased at Lifeway when my children are little that set Scripture to music. Also, we memorize verses as a family. When we are all working on it, that helps. Obviously, prayer needs to be the foundation.
Thanks for a wonderful post. As a SS director, I am thrilled!
Jenny
use the buddy system, ask them to bring 2 bibles and if someone forgets there buddy helps, teaches all kinds of lessons, dont ya think
I vote for songs and hand motions!
Here are a few other things I have done.
I wrote scripture on my sons bedroom wall. In big giant letters-and I read it to him regularly.
Ultimately the point of memorizing scripture is applying it and believing it. I think the best way for kids to learn scripture is for the parent to speak it over them repeatedly throughout the day every day over the years. Making it apart of your every day conversation.
also… on a side note… One of the most efective measures of discipline my parents gave me was to make me (and my brother-the other offending party) look up NUMEROUS scripture verses relating to our particular sin (for me-it was my mouth). I was grounded until I looked them all up wrote them all down and chose three to memorize.
It was so effective on so many levels. I learned how to look things up in the Bible, I learned where different books of the Bible were, I learned Scripture, and most importantly I learned how God felt about my untamed tongue!
Just an idea for those with older children.
When my kids see ME memorizing Scripture, they want to join in. I gave them each a small 3×5 notebook, just like the ones I have. Whenever an “issue” comes up, we search the Scriptures together to find God’s thoughts on it. For instance, my 8 yr old was afraid of the dark. We wrote Ps 56:3 in his notebook, “When I’m afraid I will trust in God.” Every night when the fear returned we got out his 3×5 card and spoke it out. One night I went into his room after he fell asleep and saw on his pillow a paper cut-out sword with the memory verse on it. Glory to God the little dude “got it!”
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in truth.” 3 John 1:4
“
I have 2 suggestions that have worked for us! 🙂
1. Scripture songs – someone mentioned Hide Em In Your Heart, those are good. I am pretty sure there are some more “updated” scripture songs but I am forgetting the name of the cd??
2. Kids love things with motions! So, for all the “main” words in each verse we learn the sign language for that word. I did not know sign language before doing this with my kids, I just bought a book called The Joy of Signing and look up the words we are doing to do for each verse as we get to them. My kids have REALLY enjoyed doing this!!
An example. We memorized Psalm 23 last year. The words in all CAPS are the words we also signed.
The LORD is my SHEPHERD I shall not WANT. He makes me LIE DOWN in green PASTURES…
you get the point. 🙂 We do the signs as we are saying the verses. Hope that makes sense, but if not feel free to email me. 🙂
Candace
http://www.hismercyisnew.com
[email protected]
i worked at a camp for 1st-4th graders and these are just some of the teaching methods we used…
1. act out the verse if possible. example – Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience…we got some big t-shirts and wrote a quality on each one. we had volunteers that would come up and as we said the verse they “clothed themselves’ with the qualities.
2. make up a song to go along with the verse
3. write out the verse with just one or two words on a piece of paper. have the group read it and after each time they read it turn one part of the verse over.
I didn’t read through all the comments so I’m not sure if someone has already suggested this: Steve Green’s Hide ‘Em in Your Heart CD’s and Videos are the greatest! My children are now 20, 17, and 13 and I’m still singing those Scripture songs!
I agree with the songs comments. I learned a large amount of scripture when I was a child, and I still remember it, singing or not.
Another way, depending on how you learn, is to hear yourself saying the verse, hear yourself saying it as you write it, hear yourself reading it, etc.
Deuteronomy (and Jewish families) teach and practice the following verses, (it’s called The Shema in the Jewish bible):
Deuteronomy 6:4-7
Hear, O Israel: HASHEM is our God,
HASHEM is the One and Only. You shall love HASHEM, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your resources. And these matters that I command you today shall be upon your heart. You shall teach them thouroughly to your children and you shall speak of them while you sit in your home, while you walk on the way, when you retire and when you arise.
I wrote the verse out of the Jewish bible from The Torah. I only quote it because I think it illustrates beautifully the idea of surrounding yourself and your children (or other’s children) with scripture and speaking about the LORD. The other comments all bear witness about this same idea. There is an old choral arrangement that says, “Christ be in you, Christ beside you, Christ before you” it’s about encompassing yourself with Him and His Word. I have totally found this to be true in my family’s life.
We play a CD in the car called “Sing the Word from A to Z” (by the Harrow Family). The tunes are very catchy!
I’ve got to reiterate the silly song method. We memorize a verse a week and all of them go to a familiar song.
For example: (to the tune of Jingle Bells) I am the light of the world whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life….John 8:12, John 8:12, John 8:12b…John 8:12, John 8:12, John 8:12beeeeee!
John 3:16 goes to the tune of Jesus Loves Me.
Philippians 2:14 goes to “The More we get together, or Have you ever seen a Lassie”
I completely agree with all the comments about using music. Even if the girls roll their eyes because they are “too old” for them, if you add some wacky hand motions and teach them some verses to song…they will stick. If you: post verses on the wall on a posterboard (or if they’re 5th graders, let THEM make the posters, sing the songs, and add hand motions–you are using THREE learning modalities (visual, musical, and kinesthetic) to teach them.
If you need some good songs, try: Max Lucado’s Hermie and Wormie Scripture Memory Songs albums, any of the Scripture Memory Songs from the Donut Man, or Steve Green’s “Hide ‘Em In Your Heart, Album I or II”…I am probably the only adult in the US with ALL the Hermie and Wormie Songs, Both Steve Green Albums, AND Every Donut Man CD created ALL downloaded to my ITunes…but since I do children’s ministry, I find that they are invaluable tools.
My friend Jean Thomason (a.k.a. “Miss Patty Cake”) always likes to remind folks that music goes to a different part of the brain that normal old speech. When you speak to kids, you soon start to sound like Charlie Brown’s school teacher…but when you sing stuff…it STICKS! It also makes whatever task you are up to seem a lot more fun! (Example: next time you want to get a toddler into a tub, instead of saying, “Let’s go get a bath,” try SINGING “Bath time, Bath time! Hip-hooray! Bath time, bath time–let’s go play!” or some other such silly song about bath time. They’ll follow you like you’re the pied piper! 🙂 It also works in a room full of chatty children. Just start singing whatever it was you were going to say (even if it doesn’t rhyme)…they’ll be listening to you in no time!
I got this from a website about homeschooling your children. While I don’t home school, I find this site contains some helpful information. Especially this Bible memorization method. Hope it’s ok to provide a link? I meant to put this into action a few months ago but it fell by the wayside…thanks for the reminder!
http://simplycharlottemason.com/timesavers/memorysys/
For older children, write the verse on a index card, put the index card in a ziplock sandwich bag, then tape the bag to the shower wall with duct tape. This is how I’ve always memorized verses–you can’t help but look at it and learn it quickly!