In this post I want to share with you an easy way to teach your kids how they can read the Bible correctly. It may take some time and effort in the beginning to start off, but you will see at the end of the article the benefits if you push through. So read through to end.
So how does this work?
The first thing you need to do as a parent, is to make a list of 52 Bible stories. Stories such as Noah’s ark, David and Goliath, etc. Once you have your list of 52 Bible stories, then you can start following these daily steps:
Day 1 (Monday)
Take the first Bible story from your list and read the story with your child. Depending on the age of your child, we might even suggest you read the story from a children’s Bible so that they can understand it much easier. You can always go back to the Bible when they are a bit older.
After you have read the Bible story with your child, ask them 1 or 2 easy questions about the story. For example, on what day did the Lord created all the animals? Easy questions.
Day 2 (Tuesday)
Read the same Bible story again with your child. In fact, you will spend 1 week on each Bible story, meaning with 52 stories, you will work through the Bible in one year.
After you have read the Bible, allow your kids to ask questions about what they have read. Sometimes they may not have any questions, but sometime they will. When they do ask a question, I want you to help guide your kid to find the answer. You can maybe do a search on the internet, or allow your child to go ask their Sunday School teacher, etc.
The important thing is for them to know that they can ask questions if they don’t know something, and where or how they can find answers to these questions. Feel free to give them answers yourself every now and then. Let them know they can also come to you if they have questions.
Day 3 (Wednesday)
On day 3 you can either read the story with your child again, or depending on their age, let them read it by themselves.
The task this time is to ask them what they have learned from the story. They may even repeat the answer they got on day 2, but that is okay. You want to create a certain habit with your child. You want to create a habit in them whereby they think about what they have read.
Day 4 (Thursday)
On day 4 you read the Bible story with your child again, or allow them to read it for themselves, depending on their age.
Once they have read the story again, then explain to them the true meaning of the story, or maybe what the story means to you. It is important to make the link of what they have learned (day 3) and the true meaning (day 4), because it will make your child feel as if they achieved something. They are learning something new and that they are on the right track.
Accomplishments are one of the biggest motivators.
Day 5 (Friday)
Read the Bible story with your child again, or allow them to read it for themselves, depending on their age.
After they have read the Bible story (for the 5th and final time), ask your child the following question: How can you implement what you have learned to your life?
What is important here is for them to come up with the answer, and not you as a parent. Again, you want to create a habit on how they should read the Bible. Giving them the answers won’t help them.
Conclusion
So by following these daily steps, what exactly have your child learned?
- They have read the same story 5 times, and every time they learned something new. And that is how the Word of God works. Every time we read it, God teaches us something new.
- They learned that they can ask questions if they don’t understand something. They have also learned where and how to find answers to their questions.
- They would have learned to read the Bible in a way that speaks to them. To read a Bible story (or a passage) and see what it means to them.
- They would have learned the true meaning of the story.
- They would have learned how to implement what they have read to everyday life.
So as a parent, I want you to ask yourself these questions:
- Imagine if you follow these daily steps 52 times (for a whole year) and impress these habits into your child. How would they read the Bible in week 52?
- Imagine your child’s understanding of the Bible by the time they reach 18, when you started impressing these Bible reading habits on them from an early age?
I hope this guide will help you. Feel free to share your ideas on how you help your kirs read the Bible in the comments below.
