Scripture Memory

[Manna]

How many of you encourage your children to memorize Scripture? Do you have a reward system of any kind? Is it something that you choose for them to memorize, or do they select the passages?

I worked for a family once with 7 kids (had another the year after I stopped working for them); they were one of my favorite quiverful families. They had Bible study in their schooling curriculum of course, but then they also would memorize portions of Scripture as a family. I'm talking about complete books of the Bible! While I worked for them they finished memorizing Philippians and were working on James. It was so inspiring! I was 17 at the time and was listening to a 9-year-old little girl rattle off the first 2 chapters of James without blinking an eye. I then asked her a couple of questions about what she had memorized and she not only knew the words, but understood their meaning!

I've been trying to decide how to go about this with Breanna and any future children I might have, so I thought I'd open it up to discussion!

 

[OrangeRose]

We used the Scripture Memory Bible.
The children are also in AWANA.

 

[Leanna]

Hmmm right now I am leaning towards it being optional and chosen (by the child).

 

[RedTulipMom]

We used the Scripture Memory Bible.
The children are also in AWANA.

the Scripture Memory Bible? Where can you buy that and how does it work? I need a good organized way of memorizing scriptures.

 

[RedTulipMom]

How many of you encourage your children to memorize Scripture? Do you have a reward system of any kind? Is it something that you choose for them to memorize, or do they select the passages?

I worked for a family once with 7 kids (had another the year after I stopped working for them); they were one of my favorite quiverful families. They had Bible study in their schooling curriculum of course, but then they also would memorize portions of Scripture as a family. I'm talking about complete books of the Bible! While I worked for them they finished memorizing Philippians and were working on James. It was so inspiring! I was 17 at the time and was listening to a 9-year-old little girl rattle off the first 2 chapters of James without blinking an eye. I then asked her a couple of questions about what she had memorized and she not only knew the words, but understood their meaning!

I've been trying to decide how to go about this with Breanna and any future children I might have, so I thought I'd open it up to discussion!

Yes, when my 19 yr old was younger i used to pick passages and have him memorize them. No i didn't give rewards for it. I will do the same with my 2 younger kids when they are old enough.

 

[Beth1231]

I got gold stars (seriously) on a chart and when I had x amount of gold stars, Dad brought home a little bag of balloons. You know, the kind you have to blow up. And one time he brought home a punching balloon to make it different.

I still know those verses I memorized as a preschooler and kindergartener, so I guess it didn't hurt anything. And it's definitely not a bad memory. I enjoyed the attention and working toward a goal. I would say, follow your child's lead regarding interest and all that.

 

[dawnc1107]

I remember when I was a kid and memorizing verses was a challenge for me. I can't remember half of the ones that I memorized when I was young. If u really want to make a lasting impression on ur child, learn the verses with her or when u give her a verse to memorize have her give u one as well. Children learn better by example than any other way. My two youngest are great at memory verses, but so am I because I teach by example.
I hope this helps and God bless u.
Dawn

 

[Lena75]

Our kids memorizing verses is a part of their school curriculum. No, I don't reward them. But my daughter has memorized a few verses in Sunday school and has received rewards from her Sunday school teacher.

 

[Meshavrischika]

Hmmm right now I am leaning towards it being optional and chosen (by the child).

me too.

Dh only knows as much as he does becuase his parents used it as a punishment (he had to write whole books)... I wouldnt' advise that. Not that I think that'd be your tactic anyway.

 

[OrangeRose]

the Scripture Memory Bible? Where can you buy that and how does it work? I need a good organized way of memorizing scriptures.

I used this one:
http://www.christianbook.com/Christ...=312560&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW&view=details

This one also looks great though!
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=420658&kw=420658&en=froogle&p=1013824

 

[lucypevensie]

Our kids have Bible memory as part of their Christian school curriculum. Usually it's 1 verse or 2 per week.

I remember memorizing scripture in my own Christian school, except it was much longer passages, not just a verse or 2, and it was worked on for a month at a time together in class. I actually like this much better than the one-verse-at-a-time method that my kids do. I actually still remember many of those passages. While scripture memory was not the most exciting thing for a kid like me to do, I am thankful for it today.

 

[-~Truth_N_Trust~-]

wow OP, thats so inspiring! Scripture will be part of our curriculum - bible study is part of our family life... but beyond that we are letting our kids decide...
I would certainly support/encourage if they wanted to though...

 

[Manna]

Wow, I whole heartedly disagree with using the Bible as a form of punishment!! What kind of message does that send??

 

[BarbBlessed]

We worked on passages together at the table during meals and while we were driving/riding in the car.

Joanna was pretty little when we started, but she loved it and I have to admit it was really good for David and myself, too. We'd both grown up in the church and gone to Christian college, but neither one of us had ever really focused on memorizing passages until we started it as a family.

We stuck with verses and simple 2-3 verse passages when she was little.
We started with a few simple Psalms, portions of Exodus 20 and parts of 1 John when she was 6 or 7. We homeschooled though, so that gave us a lot of time together to practice and a lot of flexibility about when and where we worked on them. I remember reciting the 23rd Psalm over and over and over with her while we were picking blueberries.

Songs are another great tool.
There are a lot of great CDs out there that have Scripture set to music.