KINDER
AGE: 4 - 5
YEARS
CLASS
(GRADE): LKG & UKG
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free distribution among Sunday School children.
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LESSON – 10
PSALM – 23 (TO MEMORISE) & MEMORIZATION TECHNIQUES
How to teach kids to memorize Bible verses?
Select the Bible Portion for memorization according to the age of the child. Young children can learn while they are playing also, So you can teach them as they are playing or engaged in other activities. You don't have to create a formal desk-chair environment to teach Bible verses to young children.
The learning capacity of children varies. Some children will learn the entire Psalm or Bible portion in a day, others may take a week or two. Hence parents and teachers should avoid comparison and encourage any effort the child takes to memorize the verse.
Teach one or two verses only per day.
Do not force or pressurize the child to memorize by threats or punishment. That would make the child associate memorization of Bible verses with painful and unpleasant feelings and memories.
Help the child to memorize verses by providing Positive reinforcements only. Positive reinforcements include verbal rewards like praise words or tangible rewards like stickers, gifts or treats that motivate the child to try and achieve the desired results.
There are many different memorization techniques that can be used to learn memory verses. The following memorization techniques could be used with young children, toddlers and children with learning difficulties.
(1) Memorization through Colourful Scripture Memory cards
Introducing children to colourful Scripture memory cards with short and simple Bible verses is a great way to start children in the memorization of Scriptures. These cards are small and handy and can be carried easily by the child.
(2) Memorization through Colouring Scripture Illustrations
This technique is very interesting and useful for junior children.
(3) Signing the Verse
Teach the kids signs or actions to go along with the verse. You can go through a sign language dictionary to learn many new signa and actions. This is a very fun way to learn memory verses especially for young children.
(4) Singing the Verse
In this method kids are taught to sing the verse with interesting tune and actions. This is a very effective method to teach verses. Many such verse songs like "Cast your burden, Rejoice in the Lord" stays in our memory.
(5) Word Matching Activity
In this activity, words from a verse are written in pieces of paper and children are encouraged to match the words written in the pieces of paper to the correct words printed on the sheet. The children have to say the word as they match the words.
(6) Verse ShuffleIn this method each word from a verse is written on a card. Then the cards are shuffled and placed on the table. The children have to take turns putting the verse together.
(7) Memorization by Association
Memorization by association is the method by which children are encouraged to memorize the verses by associating words / phrases / sentences in the verse with visual prompts (pictures for each verses or phrases), object models or actions for words / phrases. This method is particularly helpful for memorization of large portions of scripture.
Example of Picture prompt: Psalm 23 - Verse 2 (He makes me to lie down in green pastures)
Method
Select the Bible portion you want the child to learn.
Choose colourful and attractive pictures that explains the Bible verses taught (Sample pictures that describe Psalm - 23 are given below)
Start teaching the verses one by one by showing the pictures and making the child understand the verse first.
Split the verses into sentences.
Make the child repeat the first sentence after you 2 - 3 times. Then ask the child to recollect the sentence without your assistance.
If the child forgets any part of the sentence you can gently remind the word, or prompt them to correctly recollect the sentence by showing the pictures.
If the sentence is long or the child is having difficulty repeating the entire sentence, you can split the sentence into phrases and teach them.
Example:
Entire verse (Psalm 23:1) - The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Sentence - The Lord is my Shepherd;
Phrase - The Lord is
When the child is thorough with one sentence, move onto the next sentence.
When the child is thorough with the next sentence too, ask the child to say both the sentences together. This process is continued until the child recollects the entire verse.
If the child is having difficulty in recollecting any verse or phrase, show the picture once again and encourage the child to remember the word or phrase.
If the child has difficulty in any particular word or phrase provide prompts or additional clues and do not overdo the technique or cause frustration.
Add verses one by one to the already memorized verses like a building block.
This method could be modified with word prompts instead of picture prompts and used with senior children also.
Memorizing Large Portions of Scripture
If you are interested in learning large portions of scripture, systematic and disciplined study is needed.
Allocate 15 - 20 minutes each day for memorization each day. Keep a target of 5 - 15 verses depending on the age and capability.
Make sure to revise the verses memorized the previous days before starting to learn the particular day's verses.
PSALM - 23 (NKJV)
Memorize
1.
The
Lord
is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2. He makes me to lie down in
green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.
3. He restores my soul; He
leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
4.Yea, though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are
with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5. You prepare a table
before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup
runs over.
6. Surely
goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in
the house of the Lord
Forever.
Notes:
- The children could be encouraged to memorize the verses in other commonly memorized versions such as KJV as well
Visual Prompts Using Pictures
Verse 1
The Lord is my shepherd
I shall not want
He makes me to lie down in green pastures
He leads me beside the still waters
He restores my soul
He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil
For You are with me
Your rod and Your staff
they comfort me
Verse 5
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies
You anoint my head with oilVerse 6
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever
(Images used here are from Richard Gunther (www.richardgunther.org).