You sit down with bouncy little bodies and a basket full of board books. "I see a red bird looking at me," you find yourself reading for the umpteenth time, and naturally show your sweeties the baby sign for bird. Perhaps you enjoy every moment reading to your children or perhaps not, but in either case, you'd like to give them something more. What if Brown Bear and Goodnight Moon don't matter so much in the long run? What if you could give your children more?
Little Ones Memorizing Scripture...for a Lifetime.
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so the child of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." God's word is the ultimate book we can read to our children. It can just be a little inaccessible when they're young.
Looking for ways to incorporate God's word into your children's day? Want to help your little ones memorize Bible verses in a joy-filled, effortless way? Hoping for a little more depth to what you put in front of them? There are three things you can do to help them-three things that will fill your day with scripture and help them memorize it, not just for a day, but for a lifetime.
Sing it!
Ten times out of ten you will remember something better if it has a melody attached to it. It's much easier to recite the words to a favorite hymn or worship song than it is a poem or speech. Why? Setting words to music has been scientifically proven to help your brain remember something for longer. Why not make up a little melody for the Bible passage you are trying to remember? Or, if writing a song is not your thing, check out our Sing, Move, and Memorize! books where the song is already written, and you can listen to a recording of it for free? Not only will it make reading the book more enjoyable with your children, but you'll take the melody with you wherever you go, and so will they. You can sing it to them before nap, and before long, they will sing it for themselves when no one is looking.
Move it!
Assigning a movement to a word significantly increases your ability to remember it for longer. It's called the 'enactment effect' and not only does it improve long term memory, it makes the learning much more fun. Young children are naturally thrilled with baby sign language. It gives them the ability to communicate with their loved ones before they can speak. Our little Charissa loves that she can sign 'dog' and make little woofing sounds, and we understand her.
Books with pictures of real children using baby sign language are magic for each of my children. They study the pictures for at least 4 times longer than any other book in our house. My youngest one is enamored with the delightful pictures of real children. My middle one concentrates on moving his little hands to try to match the picture in the book. My eldest loves that he remembers every sign without even looking. Sing, Move, and Memorize! books help young children memorize a Bible verse by connecting the most important word in the phrase to a baby sign. It makes the learning fun. It makes the retention much longer.
Repeat it!
Board books are marvelously short, sturdy, and simple. They are made to be read over and over. The good ones-the ones with captivating pictures, a lively text, or better yet, music; the ones that capture the attention of young children, will doubtless be read over and over. Charissa picks up one of our Sing, Move, and Memorize! books repeatedly and plops into my lap. She sings a little 'ahh'. It's her way of asking me to sing the book to her again and again.
The best way to help your little one memorize scripture is by doing it again and again. Repetition is key when it comes to long term memory. The good news is you don't have to force the issue. When the book is designed to be as enjoyable as Sing, Move, and Memorize! they will ask you to repeat it. The music and movement speak the heart language of young children, and they keep coming back for more. It's the reason they will remember the Bible verse for a lifetime.
Making Magic
This time when you sit down, your bouncy little bodies bring you their favorite board books. The basket is full of God's words. You set your best mug of hot chocolate nearby and nestle in with a blanket. When you open the first page, it's magic. You read God's word over your babies while they look at the captivating pictures of other children. They make you go slowly because they want to do the baby sign language, too. "The Lord your God is with you. He is a hero who saves you. He happily rejoices over you, renews you with his love..." The message sinks deep into your hearts. Our God is a God who loves you, rejoices over you, and has come to rescue you.
You notice the music printed on the last page. There's music, too? For you musicians, you're thrilled to read the notation and sing it. For those whose hearts sink because you can't... no problem. We've got you covered. You scan the QR code with your phone and within seconds a beautiful voice fills the room. A professional recording of Miranda Craig sings God's word to you and your babies. They ask to hear it again. Sing it again. Move it again. Memorizing is effortless because every moment with God's word is magic. And this time? They'll remember it for a lifetime.
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