Simple Bible Memory

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. (NKJ)

The method I use for having my children (and myself) memorize Scripture is very simple. I type and print out a new Bible verse each week and tape it on the window beside our kitchen table. On Mondays we read through the verse and discuss its meaning. Next we break down the verse into short phrases and repeat each phrase 5 times aloud in unison. After repeating a phrase 5 times, we repeat the next phrase 5 times. Next we repeat phrases one and two together 5 times....then the 3rd phrase..etc. until we are repeating the entire verse 5 times. The children and I usually have the verse committed to memory on that first day, and we spend the rest of the week drilling and repeating it whenever we sit down at the table, especially during our Bible time each morning. On Fridays the children copy the verse down in their Bible Memory Verses notebooks---simply a $.25 spiral bound notebook. If they like, they illustrate the verse too. That's it!

How do I choose which Bible verses to memorize? A variety of ways:

1. Currently we are learning a Bible verse that begins with each letter of the alphabet. This is mainly for Leah, who is making an ABC Bible verse book. I copy each verse at the bottom of a page for her, and she illustrates it at the top. I am laminating each page, and plan to somehow bind the pages into a book when the verses are complete. I will probably comb-bind it.

2. The first time we studied the Bible Study Guide For All Ages (the Bible study we use both at home and at our church), we learned all of the verses they had listed as drills.

3. Sometimes we learn verses that pertain to our homeschool studies....various character traits.

4. I choose verses that I just want the children to learn.

I have found that using this simple system for Bible memory works for us and accomplishes the important task of hiding God's Word in our hearts.