How to Help Your Child Read the Bible
As parents, how do we get our children to read and understand such a complex book as the Bible? In this post we share six ideas for encouraging your children to read the Bible.
“Well done, good and faithful servant.”
In Matthew 25:23, God speaks these words over those who have ordered their lives with great faith and intentionality. These simple words are the reward of a life well-lived for His present and future Kingdom.
I want nothing more than to hear God say these words to me one day. One day I want God to say those words to my children as well, so I desire to do everything I can to lead them toward a life of Godly living.
Recently during a worship service, Christ Church presented Bibles to 19 of our third graders. These children were commissioned to live with this Godly intentionality as they began their journey of experiencing the Bible for themselves.
But how do we, as parents, get our children to read and understand such a complex book as the Bible? Here are some ideas.
Tips for Teaching Children to Read the Bible
1) Intentionally Model It
We should never expect our children to do anything that we aren't already doing. Certainly, the Bible often encourages us to pray and do acts of love in secret to bring glory to God instead of ourselves. However, our children need to see us do these very things explicitly when it comes to our children!
Parents are called to be their children's primary role models for healthy and devout spirituality. Therefore, if we want our children to love worship, they need to stand next to us while we worship. If we want our children to be cheerful givers, they need to see us give to the church. Finally, if we want our children to love the Word of God, they need to see us consistently studying the Bible at home.
If you are not already reading and reflecting upon the Bible daily, making this a consistent part of your life is the first step toward helping your children love the Bible.
2) Make it Readable
Comprehension is the ultimate goal of any reading. Therefore, you must choose a version of Scripture that's accessible to your child's understanding. Here are some recommendations:
Early Preschool: The Beginner's Bible is a great Children's Bible that introduces many popular Bible stories in elementary text.
Older Preschool and Early Elementary: The Jesus Storybook Bible takes Children's Bibles to the next level. This book gives young listeners and readers a better understanding of God's desire to redeem all of creation through Jesus. This is a theme woven throughout the entire Bible- and throughout this book.
Upper Elementary: around third-grade, most children can begin to read and understand some translations of the Bible successfully. The New International Readers Version (NIrV) is a terrific translation for young readers. It is the translation that our elementary Sunday school classrooms use. The Kids' Quest Study Bible (NIrV) is our church's current Bible of choice to present to the 3rd graders each year.
Have a Plan:
It is often best to have a plan for Bible reading with your children. Because children are concrete thinkers, they respond with more understanding when the Bible is presented linearly. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Children's Bibles: The best ones present the story of God and His People sequentially. Reading these stories in the order presented is the easiest way for young children to comprehend the greater meta-narrative of God's story.
God Time Devotions: Our elementary Sunday school classes offer weekly plans for devotions that build off each Sunday's lesson. The second through fifth grade devotions include Bible passages to read and reflect upon as a family. These devotions are linked each week in our Elementary Parent Email Updates.
Bible Reading Plan: A Bible reading plan is a great tool to keep your family on track. Consider starting your journey in the book of Luke, known for the colorful narratives of well-known stories of Jesus. Here is a great, manageable family reading plan for Luke.
3) Intentional Instruction
Reading the Bible should never be done casually. Children need to be explicitly taught how to read and study Scripture. Consider prioritizing the following things with your children.
Adding a picture to their journal is a great way to help children understand what they read in scripture.
Start in prayer: We all should approach Scripture reverently and expectantly, asking that the Holy Spirit speaks to us. Walk your children through a prayer of thankfulness for God's Word. Teach them to ask the Holy Spirit to speak to them as they read and listen to Scripture. While paraphrased Children's Bibles are not infallible Scripture, recognize that the Holy Spirit can speak through them as well.
Break into small, digestible passages: Remember that the amount of Scripture read is not important; it is the amount understood and reflected upon that is truly life-changing for the reader. Reading one story at a time from a Children's Bible is plenty for young children to process. Reading one paragraph or a story from the Bible is adequate fodder for early readers to reflect upon.
Reflect and respond to scripture: The Bible is a living book, which means that it speaks directly to each one of us today. Therefore, we all must spend time reflecting and responding to what we read in the Bible. This is a skill that has to be intentionally taught to our children. Keeping a Bible journal is a terrific way to help them think deeply about what they've read. Even a simple prompt like "What did you learn about God in this story?" can help your children dig deep into Scripture.
I’ve included an example of a 6-year-old's personal reflection after reading and talking about Samuel 16: Add a picture of the journal entry. With our guidance, our children can comprehend, reflect upon, and apply Scripture to their daily lives.
End in prayer: Take time to help your child pray, thanking God for His Word. Teach your children to ask God to continue to reveal Himself as you continue to think and talk about Scripture as a family.
4) Do It Together As a Family
Attending to Scripture is best done in community, not in isolation. As children begin their journey with the Bible, they will need their family's support. Plan on reading, discussing, and reflecting upon the Bible together with your children. It is not something kids will learn to do successfully on their own.
As our children grow in their enjoyment, skills, and understanding, they can take more and more responsibility for the study of scripture upon themselves. To start, however, we should continue to be intentional about checking in and talking about what our children are reading, thinking, and understanding even through high school.
5) Make It Special and Set It Apart
Every family has its rhythms of life. As parents, we need to determine the best time of day to have Bible time with our children. Many families choose to do this early in the morning as a great start to the day. Others find it more successful for their families to meet after supper or right before bedtime when energy levels are calmer, and the atmosphere is quieter. Explore what works best for your family.
Consider finding ways to make this time unique and set apart from the rest of the day. Actions such as lighting a candle, playing instrumental music, or having a special warm drink to share as you study can mark this time as special. If we want our children to understand that the Bible is centrally important to us, it is helpful for our families to celebrate our time in scripture and to set it apart as holy.
6) Be Consistent
Scripture should be a central priority within Christian homes. Sending our children to Sunday school each week or even private Christian schools can help our children's Bible journey. However, talking through the Bible as a family is infinitely more powerful to our children's spiritual development.
Deuteronomy 6 calls parents to be the primary spiritual guides for their children. As moms and dads, we are called to be intentional and carve out Bible Time, even on our craziest days. We should strive to be consistent with discipline and obedience to God even when everything inside tells us to take the day off.
This is a tall order and one that no family does perfectly. But our God sees our hearts and intentions, even amid our mistaken priorities.
In the end, we want God to be pleased with our parenting choices and in the children we raise. So continue to remind yourself that in the end, we want to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant." What could be more pleasing to God than for us to lead our families in consistently seeking His Word so that our precious children can know Him more. The rewards of seeing our children living in a relationship with their Savior are worth it!
Christ Church's Family Ministry team is always willing to come alongside you and your family as you teach your children how to read and study Scripture. Please let us know how we can help!
TL;DR
How do we, as parents, get our children to read and understand such a complex book as the Bible?
Intentionally model Bible reading
Make it readable
Intentional instruction
Do it together as a family
Make it special and set apart
Be consistent
Related Articles
The Submissive Family by Brad Bogue
Instructions for a Christian Household by Bro. Chris Carter
How to Read Difficult Scripture by Brad Bogue
About Christ Church Memphis
Christ Church Memphis is church in East Memphis, Tennessee. For more than 65 years, Christ Church has served the Memphis community. Every weekend, there are multiple worship opportunities including traditional, contemporary and blended services.
