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If you’ve homeschooled awhile, you know that curriculum comes and goes, methods are continually tweaked, and there are few constants for long-term homeschooling families. One of the constants in our homeschool is our scripture memory system.
I read about the scripture memory box on the Simply Charlotte Mason site years ago and we’ve used it — as written (which is huge, if you know me) — ever since. I would encourage you to visit Simply Charlotte Mason for all the details on setting up your box — they now even have a PDF file where you can print off the divider tabs instead of making your own.
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Basically, though, the idea is that you use an index card file box to organize cards that are rotated through four sections as the scripture verses are memorized.
Daily: Behind this tab is the new scripture verse that you and your children are working on memorizing. You will recite this one daily until it is memorized.
Odd/Even: These are your two most recently memorized verses. To cement them to memory, you’ll be reciting one on odd-numbered days and the other on even-numbered days.
Monday-Friday: Next up on the rotation are the days of the week. You recite these verses on their “assigned” day of the week, to keep them fresh in your mind.
Day of the Month: Finally, these are the scripture verses that you should now know very well. You’ll continue reciting them once a month so that they aren’t forgotten.
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When we first started, obviously there weren’t scripture verses behind each and every tab — especially the day of the month tabs. What I would often do for the days without verses would be to go over dates that we missed on the weekends, since we don’t typically do our scripture memory box on the weekends.
So, for example, for September if we ran out of scripture verses behind the dated tabs, I would go back and do the verses behind the 3 and 4 or 10 and 11 tabs, since those were weekend dates that we probably missed.
Now that we’ve been at this for a few years, many of our dates have two scripture verses behind them. We do them both.
Also, using a little memorization tip that I picked up from First Language Lessons Volume 1 & 2, we always recite the memory verses three times a day, unless it’s one that we clearly know very well.
I would also suggest going over new scripture verses line by line, making sure that the kids understand exactly what it means. Not only does it make it much more worthwhile to understand what you’re memorizing, but it also seems to make memorization easier when you aren’t just memorizing unfamiliar words and phrases.
Finally, I keep future memory verses — those that I come across that I know I want us to memorize — in front of the daily tab. That keeps me from scrambling to find a new verse when we’ve memorized the current verse behind the daily tab.
What are some of the constants in your homeschool? Do you have any favorite scripture memorization techniques?
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So do you have a different box for each month?
No, we’ve had the same box for years. It takes awhile to get all the days of the month filled with cards because you don’t start filling those until you’ve worked through daily, every-other-day, and once-a-week review. We’re just now getting to the point that we have two cards in some of the day of the month slots.
We stick with one verse until we know it well. Sometimes it take a couple of weeks other times it can take a month or so. It just depends on how long and complicated the verse is.
Wow, thanks for the tips. Although this is probably too involved for me, all those tabs! ;p I actually wrote about this recently too, memorizing scripture: http://www.rainydaysandmomdays.com/2011/09/28/memorizing-bible-verses/
Basically, we memorize one per week and we’re on our fifth week 🙂
I really endorse this method! I also wrote how we started this year and I share our memory verse card downloads on victory, prayer and purity.
I couldn’t figure out how to comment on your blog, Nadene, but I just wanted to say that’s great! I love that you’ve made the printable cards to go with the Scripture memory system.
Thank you Kris! You always have such great ideas! I just printed this off and am going to set it up this morning.
Thanks, Dawn!
Fantastic idea! Thanks for sharing!
I found this a few months ago and loved the idea. I didn’t bookmark it at that time and now I’ve come across it again. I’ve bookedmarked it now and am very excited to start this system with my family. Thank you so much for sharing!
We use this system and love it! It really works great for little ones that may forget their verses after a few days.
I love this method for keeping memorized scriptures in the rotation. I find it easy to memorize and easier to forget! Your post also brought to mind a recent quote, “To memorize a scripture is to forge a new friendship. It is like discovering a new individual who can help in time of need, give inspiration and comfort, and be a source of motivation for needed change. ” from Richard G. Scott (Apostle, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). I’ve seen several posts around recently about memorizing scriptures. Nothing like the power of multiple witnesses to move me to action!
Where can I buy color tabbed dividers? I ve been looking for it in staples but couldn’t find it. Please help???? Thnks!
I think I got mine at Office Depot. I would think that Staples would have them..or Amazon, maybe.
This is SUCH a great organizational tool! My family meditates on Scripture using Lectio Divina and I could see this tool as part of our daily Scripture meditation! My two suggestions for memorizing Scripture is to go to church often. As a Catholic, if you attend Mass for three years, you have heard the ENTIRE Bible read aloud! I’m 27, so that’s like the Bible 9 times in my life! It’s surprising how much of Sacred Scripture is retained in one’s life. The next is obviously Lectio Divina. It is a centuries-used method of reading the verse/passage, rereading it, “chewing” over the words, placing yourself in the story, and then letting God speak to you through the verse. It’s goal is contemplation of God through the Scriptures. It is a BREATHTAKING way to learn the Scriptures – not just through memorization – but allowing God to write His Word on your heart! Thank you so much for sharing this organizational tool!
yes! Also….I read in another blog where the lady had incorporated family members on the weekly and monthly scripture cards…..along with memorizing, praying for a particular person all day that day as well!
What a great organizational tool! Thanks for sharing.
I love this! I pinned it a few months ago and we have slowly implemented it into our daily routine. We’ve been memorizing some scriptures over this last year, so putting it into a system like this was a perfect fit for us. The only thing I found out pretty quickly is that leaving the cards loose in a box is asking for disaster with my kids who range from 2-8. Occasionally the entire box would get dumped or my kids couldn’t remember where to put the card back. I quickly learned to date my cards and on the back then track which divider they were currently residing in. And that will only work until there are too many cards to mark each time it’s time to rotate. However, I’m toying with the idea of taking them all out of the box, hole punching them, and instead putting them in a 3×5 mini binder I’ve been using for something else. That way they can’t fall out and get lost or put out of order (as easily anyway). I’m also thinking about printing out the daily scripture to post up on the wall for easy access to reviewing. Then it would be a simple thing when it’s memorized to move it to a 8.5X11 binder with the dividers and keep the whole system in a binder. I haven’t quite decided which way to go yet, but the loose box definitely isn’t working for our family.