Memory Verse Monday

Write verse on chalkboard or poster board. Choose two volunteers. Have first volunteer face the class so that he cannot see the board. Have second volunteer choose one word. When quoting the verse, everyone claps in place of the chosen word. First volunteer must guess the word without looking at the verse.

Memory Verse Monday

To review a familiar verse, divide board into several sections. Have children race to see who can be the first to write the verse correctly. For a larger group, make teams and have a relay race. Each person writes one word and then passes the chalk until entire verse is written.

Memory Verse Monday

Looking for new ways to creatively teach memory verses? I am hoping to share with you a new idea each week (or almost every week).

This month I decided to focus on chalkboard methods. Many of you have probably already used this first method, but just in case, I though I would share. 

Write verse on chalkboard or whiteboard and allow kids to erase one word or phrase at a time.

Books of the Bible Game

Feature Friday

Today's feature you must absolutely check out! I just love this idea!!! 

At My Bright Corner Rebecca shares this great idea for teaching scripture memory on the bus. I just love how she uses the time traveling on the bus in such a productive way. By reading her posts, you can tell how she pours her heart into her bus ministry and makes every moment count. 

Even if you don't work in a bus ministry you could still use her ideas in a class room setting, so take a quick minute to visit her blog.

Scripture Memory: Part 2 - Review Games

Here are several games from "Children's Church Ministry" website:

Bible Verse Burst -- Write your entire memory verse onto balloons and pin or tape them to the board. After teaching the entire verse using the IPEAR method, pop one of the balloons with a push pin and have the kids repeat the verse, including the missing word (you repeat it with them, but shush on the blank). Continue to pop one balloon at a time until they can recite the entire verse.

Guess Who -- We select a volunteer who must go stand by a teacher with his back to the group and the memory verse visual. Whoever is teaching the verse quietly points to a word in the verse and instructs the group to read the verse inserting a *clap* for the appointed word. The volunteer then has to guess what the missing word was.

Crazy Voices -- Put several different types of voices on index cards for the kids to draw: British accent, frog croak, mouse squeak, cheerleader yell, Southern accent, football player voice, underwater, etc.

Quote the verse if you... ate breakfast this morning, took a bath last night, have brown eyes, like broccoli, made your bed today, have a sister, are wearing red, etc.

I have tried some of these games or variations of them except for the first one. I think that would be a fun one to try. You can also find more ideas by visiting their website. Here are some ideas of my own, most of which are not original:

Chalkboard: This is always a tried and true method. Write the verse on the board and then let the kids erase a word or a phrase at a time. You can also have races by seeing who can write the verse out first on the board. For a larger group you can turn this into a relay game, each person writing one word at a time and passing the chalk to the next person on the team.

Pass the ball: Pass a ball around and have each person say one word. To make it more challenging, time them to see how fast they can do it. For variation have the students toss the ball to whoever they want and he/she has to say the next word.

Hot potato: Play hot potato and when the music stops whoever has the "potato" must quote the verse.

Word scramble: Write each word/phrase on a piece of paper and have them put it in the correct order.

Puzzle: Write verse out on a poster board and cut into shapes to create a puzzle.

Scripture Memory: Part 1 - Practical Appliction

I decided to break this into a couple of posts. I don't like it when posts get too long.

First of all, I am going to share with you what ideas Jackie has for applying scriptural truth to the lives of the children:

I don't know about teaching a group of kids that you don't REALLY know personally, but in our family, we use the memory verses in every day life. As they are learning I try to simplify it for them and say, what is thy word? (The Bible), etc. But when we are in every day life we use them, for instance, when they disobey we go over Ephesians 6:1-- Believe it or not my 1 yr old knows the verse. Just the other day my 2 and 4 yr. old were fighting over a toy and my 5 yr. old said be ye kind one to another... I was shocked.

So, if you don't know the kids so personally like they were your own, but you know they have siblings just think like a child, what will children fight over? Dolls, trucks, then when you teach verses about being kind bring up if you and sissy were playing and she wanted to trade dolls, or "Be the nursery worker (in play)" if you would follow the Bible verse, be ye kind one to another, you would let her have the favorite doll.

Thank you Jackie for your participation.

I believe the biggest key to seeing if children understand is of course by asking them questions about the verse. This goes along with what Jackie said. You can take part of the verse and turn it into a question so that another part of the verse is the answer. I do this and then turn the answer into a question. If you have them answer it exactly as the verse states then you are helping them memorize it as well as understand it. For example:

"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God."

What does the fool say in his heart? there is no God

Who says in his heart that there is no God? The fool

This helps emphasize key points but does not necessarily mean they understand. It is important to also ask questions like "what does this verse mean to you?" or "how does this apply to your life?"

It is important to apply verses to situations that the children deal with every day and make it practical for them.

Four keys to understanding are:

1. Illustrate

"A good visual aid properly used will pique the students' curiosity, stimulate their interest, catch and hold their attention, and lead to life-changing learning." - Ed Dunlop

2. Discuss

3. Allow questions

4. Define words

Teaching Scripture Memory

Now is time for involvement. This is pretty simple. I often feel like I often get stuck in a rut when teaching memory verses. What are your ideas? I am interested in not only ways to teach memory verses (games) but ways to help them apply it to their lives. Suggestions for review would be great as well. Please either send your suggestions to my email for this site or leave a comment. (If you leave a comment, it will be posted in the next post instead of as a comment). I will also be sharing my own ideas as well, so hopefully everyone can gain some new ideas.

Ideas will be posted one week from today.