Past Principal Points
Scripture Memorization
Strategies
Whether you are
memorizing Scripture or any other thing, there are certain "tricks of the
trade" which will make it easier. Teachers, parents, and students should
use as many of these as possible, to make Scripture Memory work easy. The more
we can have some fun as we learn the verses, the faster we will learn them, and
the more positive our attitude will be about learning God's Word. There is work
involved, but it needed be painful!
1.
First, stress the importance of internalizing the Word of God. (Josh. 1: 8, Ps.119, Heb. 4:12). We always do better at those things
which we realize are important.
2. Demonstrate how easy it is
to memorize by having the student pick a verse at random and memorizing it in
front of them. How long did it take? Even doubling that, it really won't take
that long to learn a verse, will it?
3. Utilize all the senses, especially those that
you know work best for you. Read it aloud (sight & hearing), Write it
(kinesthetic & sight). Many people find it far more effective to get up and
walk about as the passage is recited aloud. Somehow this seems to aid the
process.
a. Use underlining and
highlighting to access the visual gate.
b. Say it together with emphasis
on key words to access the hearing gate.
c. Some parents put the
month's verses on tape and then play it for their children at night as they go
to sleep. Every month you can add another month's verses to the end.
4. Look for patterns either in similar phrases (For example in
Colossians: Col. 3:1-2 notice Set your minds” & “Set your hearts’) or in related concepts, (Col.3:18-4:1
notice “Wives”, “Husbands”, “Children”, “Fathers”, “Slaves”, “Masters”). The
mind remembers both visual and auditory patterns
far more easily than random words and ideas.
5. Use lots of repetition. It is easier to learn a
large passage with many repetitions than it is to learn a short one with few
repetitions. The more the verses are reviewed during the course of the month,
the easier it will be to perfect at the end of the month.
a. Teachers: Read the entire passage out loud as a class several times a
day throughout the month. (One month will take 1-2 minutes). Morning
devotions, before and after lunch, at the beginning of a class period, and at
the end of the day are all good times.
b. Parents: Read over the verses as a family each evening at meal time. Go around the table and have each
child (and adult) recite a verse.
c. Students: Read over and recite some of the verses at the end of the day
before bedtime.
6. Gradually, work the
material into long term memory. After the first week or so, students should be
able to say the first two or three verses from memory. Have students cover the
first few verses with their hand and say them from memory. (Remember, you don't
want them simply reading from the page all month long.)
7. Gradually wean students
from the visual aids. As the month progresses, don’t allow them to use verse sheets.
Keep one yourself to make sure you keep them on track, but they will rapidly
fill in the gaps with repetition.
8. Use fill in the blank
techniques. Try reading the passage aloud and leave out the last two or three
words of a verse and let the student complete it from memory. Do the same
leaving out other key words to see if they can fill it in.
9. Make a game of learning
the verses. As a family go around the table and say a phrase. The next person
has to pick up and continue for a few more words.
10. Review the importance of
God's Word, and make learning it a priority. Pray with and for you children that it
will transform their minds not just now, but for a lifetime.
Brian
Hazeltine, B.Ed., M.A.
Principal,
Copyright © 2003/2004 Airdrie Koinonia Christian
School Last modified: September 25, 2005