Scripture Memorization for Homeschool
Help Your Children Hide God's Word in Their Hearts
Committing Bible verses to memory is a worthy pursuit both mentally and spiritually. On the mental side, when children memorize verses, their minds get a disciplined workout. From the spiritual perspective, knowing scripture by heart offers a rich heritage to call upon just as the Bible says in Psalm 119:11, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."
Books & Bible Memory Systems
Choosing Scripture
The Bible is a huge book. How do you choose verses for your children to memorize?
I suggest you select a combination of Old Testament and New Testament verses so that your children will be familiar with more books of the Bible. Select verses that your children will benefit from in some way. Of course, all of the Bible is "profitable for instruction," but some verses are especially relevant to children.
Here are some of my favorite verses for children to memorize:
Lists of Bible Verses
- Hubbard's Cupboard
Dozens of scriptures that come with various printables -- songs, flashcards, charts, copywork, and coloring sheets. - Verses List Simply Charlotte Mason
Suggested Bible verses to memorize together as a family using a unique Scripture Memory System. - Inspirational Bible Verses For Children To Memorize
You cant be with your kids 24/7. God can. Help them memorize inspirational Bible verses for children, and they will carry Gods Word wherever they go. - 30 Easy Bible Memory Verses for Preschool Children
Use these scripture quotes to help younger children get started in Bible memory. Each is short and has a nugget of truth they can apply to life.
What Bible Version Should You Use?
This question can bring out some passionate responses in people, and if you have strong feelings about a specific version of the Bible, by all means, use it! But if you're not sure which to use, consider these tips.
The Case for the King James Bible
The KJV was published at the same time of Shakespeare, so the language is that of Elizabethan England. If you desire to expose your children to that kind of language, memorizing verses from the KJV is a great option. Many scholars have praised the beauty of the language used in the KJV and claim that it is actually easier to memorize because of its poetics. In addition, many literary allusions to the Bible use the KJV.
The Case for a Modern Translation
If your primary aim is for your children to internalize the truths of Scripture, their understanding is essential. In that case, you may want a translation that they can easily comprehend such as one of these:
- New International Version (NIV)
- English Standard Version (ESV)
- New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Techniques
Index Cards System
This system builds in continual review. Write the verse you want to memorize on an index card, and study it for one week. When the next week comes, begin to memorize a new verse while you review the old verse. Keep adding verses to your card file each week. Read more about this technique at The Homeschool Classroom.
Add a Phrase Technique
With this technique, you being at the end of the verse. Memorize a few words or a phrase from the end of the verse. The next day, add on a few more words before that ending phrase. Continue in this fashion until you have added on all of the verse and can say it from memory from beginning to end.
First Letter Method
This method uses a crutch to help you memorize. On an index card, write the first letter of each word in the verse. (You can capitalize and use punctuation if you like.) Try to "read" the verse by looking only at your first letter clues. Do this repeatedly until you can recite the verse without the crutch at all.
Songs
This is my preferred method. Listen to Bible verses in the form of songs. It will take only minutes each day, and you will easily memorize them. Some of my favorite Bible memory songs are by the Harrow family. I still hear the tunes in my mind when my preacher quotes some of those verses.
More Helps for Bible Memorization
Using Music to Learn
Seeds Family Worship Music CDs are another choice in using music to memorize Bible verses. The music is appropriate for children, but not done in that childish style that can be irritating to parents. That's why they are aptly called family music.