The Alpha Virtues Song

"The Alpha Virtues Song"

by Virginia Knowles

Sung to the tune of "Jesus Loves Me"

I can be ALIVE today!
Jesus died to make the way.
Now I can be born again.
Eternal life will never end.

BELIEVING in the Lord is right.
We walk by faith and not by sight.
When we come to God in prayer,
He will show us that he cares.

COURAGEOUS people are so brave
Because they know that God will save.
They go ahead and do what’s right,
And turn the darkness into light.

Let’s be like Jesus! Let’s be like Jesus!
Let’s be like Jesus! The Bible shows us how!

DILIGENT means working hard.
Don’t be lazy!  Do your part!
When you have a job to do,
Keep on working ‘til you’re through.

We should be ENCOURAGING,
Saying only helpful things.
You can share about God’s grace,
With a smile upon your face.

FORGIVING is the way to win.
Jesus pardoned all our sins.
You should pardon others, too,
When they do bad things to you.

Let’s be like Jesus! Let’s be like Jesus!
Let’s be like Jesus! The Bible shows us how!

We should be so GENEROUS,
With what God has given us,
To the needy, to the poor,
We should give and give some more.

HUMBLE people know they’re small.
God is bigger than us all.
We should serve, but never boast
About how we love God the most.

Jesus was so INNOCENT!
He had no sin but still he went
To the cross and took our place
So that we could know God’s grace.

     Let’s be like Jesus! Let’s be like Jesus!
     Let’s be like Jesus! The Bible shows us how!

JOYFUL, joyful people sing,
Praises to the Savior King!
When they see someone who’s sad,
They will try to make them glad.

KIND to others, we should be,
Doing all the good we see,
Don’t be rude!  Be kind and sweet,
To the people that you meet.

LOVING others is the way,
To make God happy every day.
Jesus loves to see us care,
For other people everywhere.

Let’s be like Jesus! Let’s be like Jesus!
Let’s be like Jesus! The Bible shows us how!

MODEST clothing we will wear,
Not too fancy or too bare.
A gentle spirit and quiet heart,
Is the very place to start.

A NOBLE man makes noble plans,
And by noble deeds he stands.
But first he takes the time to pray
For the Lord to guide his way.

We should be OBEDIENT,
When we do wrong we should repent.
If we follow God’s commands,
He will guard us with his hands.

Let’s be like Jesus! Let’s be like Jesus!
Let’s be like Jesus! The Bible shows us how!

PATIENT people learn to wait,
Even when it seems so late.
When other people bother us,
Let’s be calm and never fuss.

A QUIET person is not too loud,
Or too busy or too proud.
Listen when God speaks to you,
So you’ll know what’s good and true.

REVERENT people seek the Lord,
And they love his holy word.
They worship God throughout the day,
As they work and as they play.

Let’s be like Jesus! Let’s be like Jesus!
Let’s be like Jesus! The Bible shows us how!

SELF-CONTROL is good for me,
I can do what’s right, you see.
I tell myself not to be bad,
Because it makes my Savior sad.

TRUTHFUL, honest, we should be,
Living with integrity,
We tell the truth and we will try,
To never ever tell a lie.

UNITED people make a team,
God has given them a dream.
Strong and weak each do their part,
And work together with one heart.

Let’s be like Jesus! Let’s be like Jesus!
Let’s be like Jesus! The Bible shows us how!

We can be VICTORIOUS,
When there’s a war inside of us.
More than conquerors we shall be,
Jesus’ power can set us free.

Jesus wants us to be WISE.
To choose the best, to win the prize.
Don’t be foolish, just be smart.
Let Jesus be Lord of your heart.

EXCELLENT doesn’t start with X,
But still it tries to do its best.
Learning new things is the way,
To get better every day.

Let’s be like Jesus! Let’s be like Jesus!
Let’s be like Jesus! The Bible shows us how!

A YIELDED person wants to please.
He seeks God’s will and then agrees,
To do whatever God will say,
With happy heart he serves all day.

ZEALOUS people keep God’s word,
They preach so that it will be heard.
The glory of the Lord comes down
And fills up hearts all over town.

Many years ago, I started writing a curriculum which featured one virtue each week, from A to Z, with stories, craft ideas, Bible time, science, social studies, etc. I wrote this song to go with it. I got about half way through the project before abandoning it for lack of time.  However, many folks around the world have enjoyed the Alpha Virtues song so far.  You can sing it to the tune of Jesus Loves Me!  Every three verses or so, sing the chorus, “Let’s be like Jesus” as noted. 

Note: You may want to clarify what each verse means. Looking back after all these years, I see that many of them could be misinterpreted. This is not about perfectionism or earning God's favor. And even children need appropriate personal boundaries, and there is a time for them to assertively speak up and object if those are crossed - even if they are generally supposed to value quietness and obedience and other related virtues. Just a thought!

Virginia

My Ideal Plan for Elementary Home Education (With a Lot of Links!)

My Ideal Plan for Elementary Home Education

(With a Lot of Links!)

Honestly, when I started teaching part-time at a private school last year and my kids transitioned into more traditional classroom education, I thought my 20+ home schooling years were pretty much over. However, since I was not rehired and my youngest daughter has asked to come home from public school, I am now planning to home school her for two or three years before I transition into full-time employment.  Our last year of co-op was rather frustrating and disappointing, so this is also a chance to redeem my home schooling memories and end on a happy note. I most look forward to spending time with just her. She's gotten a little lost in the shuffle the last few years.

We both quickly decided we want to do what I did with her oldest five sisters (now adults) when they were in the upper elementary grades.  My favorite approach for 3^rd-5^th grades is a good mix of unit study and Charlotte Mason style, along with a little “traditional” school and free-spirited fun.  I am taking a few things into account as I customize her education.  

• She is extremely curious and creative, so I don’t want to quench the spark in her. On the other hand, we both have attention deficit issues, so we’ve got some work to do with basic habits, organization, and following directions.  I held her back a year already (August birthday), so we really need to nail these skills.  She is not a huge fan of workbooks or formal text books, and neither am I; hence the Charlotte Mason approach of lots of real reading and real writing, the arts, history, and nature studies.

• She will be my only student at home this year, so I can focus on just her, without trying to coordinate group and individual assignments. That will give us a bit more flexibility and spontaneity. I am looking forward to that! Teaching a bunch of kids who all need attention at the same time can really scatter the brain.  

• She will eventually return to public school. Elementary students in our area get very little history and science instruction because they are pushing basic skills for the standardized tests. The middle school and high school classes certainly do not promote a Christian perspective, so she's going to have to get that at home from me. She never got a substantial history education in our old co-op, and she was too young for our group history lessons the one year we stayed home. Therefore, one of my big priorities will be giving her comprehensive, in-depth, faith-based history and science instruction. 

With those factors in mind, here is what we plan to use and do this year:

Basic Skills:

• Horizons math workbook 3rd grade
• math manipulatives
• on-line math games
• A Reason for Handwriting
• The Reading Teacher’s Book of Lists (spelling and vocabulary)
• Building Thinking Skills books
• several grammar resources
• chapter books that she chooses and I approve
• writing assignments based on whatever she is studying, along with whatever zany stories she makes up 

American History:

We have dozens of non-fiction books, picture books, fiction chapter books, project books, and videos on our shelves. The year we were not in co-op, I compiled a list of them on my computer, sequenced by time periods, with page numbers, brief synopses, and reading levels. I will also use our weekly history assignment pages from that year.  See Favorite Books for Teaching American History.

Science:

• science units on botany, zoology, and earth science using the books and videos we have on hand, as well as the Internet
• nature walks around the neighborhood and in local parks
• visit the Orlando Science Center once a month (I am about to get an annual family membership for $135 next week so I can take all of the kids to the IMAX movies over the summer, too.)

Other Subjects  

• Bible - real version, picture books, and videos
• P.E. at the co-op while I teach, as well as soccer at a local church  
• arts and crafts on her own at the desk I just set up with art supplies in the dining room - we have a lot of drawing and craft books!
• home skills - learn basic household skills, keep her room clean, cook together, visit her four small nephews (my grandchildren)  
• music - sing favorite songs and American patriotic and folk songs 
• Christmas - Advent unit study with stories, songs, poems, and crafts

(Note that I'm trying to keep it simple with this last section. I don't want to bite off more than I can chew.) 

So, there you have it! That’s what we’re doing for school for 2014-2015!

As I thought through this article, I realized that I have a lot of blog posts about the foundations of elementary education.  Here are some of my favorites:

Home Schooling Approaches

• Synthesizing Your Own Style - and - Duty and Delight
• How to Plan a Unit Study
• Choosing Your Approach to Home Education: Where Are You Coming From?
• Respect the Ages and Stages of Childhood Learning
• What We're Doing for Elementary School (2012-2013)
• What is the Charlotte Mason Approach to Education?

Logistics

• Saving Money and Adding Variety with Used Curriculum
• Weekly Grading and Lesson Planning
• Problem Solving in Your Home School
• Home School Rules

Basic Skills

• Math Skills Checklist 3rd-5th Grades
• Math Skills Checklist from Preschool to 2nd Grade
• Oral Language Learning for Young Children
• How to Memorize a Spelling Word
• Elementary Writing Ideas
• Bored? What to Do With a TV Off!
• Learning to Read
• “When Mother Reads Aloud”
• Poetry in Life and Education

American History

• American History Unit Studies at Our House
• Favorite Books for Teaching American History
• Benjamin West and His Cat Grimalkin

Bible & Christian Holidays

• Teaching the Bible to Young Children
• The Jesus Storybook Bible
• Advent Adventure Unit Study
• Easter Card Outreach and the Jesus Game

Enrichment

• Arts & Crafts at Home
• Your Children Can Help with Meal Times
• Physical Fitness in Your Home School
• Bored? What to Do With a TV Off!

What do you like to do for the elementary years?  Leave a comment!

Virginia Knowles

www.StartWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com

"Colorful House" by Melody, 2012 

"Rainbow" by Melody, 2012

What We're Doing for Elementary School This Year

Dear friends,

Blue orchids!

We're just finishing up our second week of "back to school" at our house.  This year, two of our children are in the elementary grades -- one in public school and the other at home.  We also have two in middle school at home, two in high school (one of them dual enrolling in college, the other at home) and two others in college.

First Day!

My 4th grade son has returned to our neighborhood public school, where he went most of last year, and we're all pretty happy with that choice.  He says his teacher (who just graduated from college) is strict but he likes her.  He has homework every night, so I still get to be involved in his education.  They are doing Florida History this year, so I know he'll be going on a field trip to St. Augustine this year. (See Florida Field Trips #1: Historic St. Augustine)


He is supposed to read from a book of his choice for 20 minutes each evening, so he  was thrilled with the National Geographic Reptiles and Amphibians and the Exploring Your Solar System books my sister (who home schooled two of her kids for several years) just sent after cleaning off her shelves.  He had a choice of what to do with his spelling words yesterday, so he wrote them in graffiti style. :-)

My youngest daughter just turned seven.  She is technically in 2nd grade, but it's more like 1st/2nd since she has an August birthday and is a bit of a "late bloomer" anyway when it comes to academics.  She was in public school for a few months last year but didn't thrive there; they push hard in the early grades and she wasn't quite emotionally ready for that. Even though she learned a lot, she was still behind the other students.  She is, however, very bright, observant and curious, which makes it a lot of fun for me to teach her.  She struggled with reading last year, but really took off in the late springtime and over the summer.  She's my 10th child, and I'd say she's in the normal spectrum of reading skills.  Some of my kids learned to read at age four, and some more toward seven.  They are all strong readers now.  In fact, the child who learned to read at the latest age made top scores on AP tests in high school and starts college dual enrollment next week at age 17.  Some kids just need a little extra time to come into their own. (See my article: Learning to Read.)

Math is the weak link in the chain at the moment, but I'm guessing that will click soon, too.  Her brother was math-resistant in second grade (I could hardly get him to do any!) but shot to the top of his class when he started public school partway through third grade -- again a matter of readiness.  I didn't sign her up for the math class in the home school co-op, so I'm doing a variety of things at home, including ideas from Saxon 1st grade teacher manual, a workbook from a teacher's store, A Beka number pages, hands on stuff like poker chips and penguin shaped crackers (from Aldi), and most of all a free math drill app -- Instant Interactive Math Drills Lite -- on my iPod.  In the photo at left, she matched up two sets of the A Beka number pages on the living room floor (numerals to pictures -- the cards are reversible) and then counted out the poker chips for each one.  This morning we took a pile of six similar science books, counted them, divided them into groups of twos and threes, classified them by topic and cover style, compared the the quantities in the classified groups, etc.  Yes, a lot of our math is impromptu.  If you would like to see more of what I have written about math, read here: Math Skills Checklist from Preschool to 2nd Grade, Math Skills Checklist 3rd-5th Grades and My Own Batch of Cookies (math through measurement). If you want to find out my favorite math resources, read to the bottom of the page here: Math.

Many of the classes in our co-op are multi-grade.  She's in 1st-3rd grade for history and science and 1st/2nd for English.  The teachers chose BJU Press for both history and science.  The English teacher is using First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind as her teaching guide.  She sends home worksheets and then the kids do several lessons from the appropriate grade level of Daily Language Review.

We are supplementing all of the co-op classes with additional reading in those subjects at home.  Sometimes I read to her, sometimes she reads to me, and sometimes we take turns reading page by page.  As I mentioned, my sister just sent two big boxes of books, so we should be set for quite a while with Usborne Starting Point Science, Little House early readers, dolphin books, math drill pages, Bible stories, etc.  

Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor

We also take frequent trips to the library, where we recently discovered the Fancy Nancy readers. (See here for review.) 

Plus we already have hundreds of children's books at home!  One of our almost daily picks is The Jesus Storybook Bible, which is a bit more poetic and artsy than most kiddy Bible story books.  See my review here: The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name.

I keep her current books and workbooks, school supplies, and a notebook for storing in-process and completed papers, in a clear plastic bin I bought for $5 at Walmart.  It has a spot on a shelf in the dining room, but I usually leave it in the living room where we use it most. See my post: "Bin There, Done That" (Or How to Keep School Clutter from Turning You Into a Basketcase)

I also try to extend the co-op themes with outings and activities.  They have been learning about the library and the post office in history class, so off we go.  They are studying plants in science class, so we went to Lowe's, looked at a lot of different kinds of flowers, and bought some marigolds.  (I blush to say we still haven't planted them and they are shriveling up.  Bad mommy!)  We also have a Fun Pass to Sea World, thanks to some help from my mom.  If you pay for one day, the rest of the year is free!




Another area we're trying to work on is basic life skills.  Each of my five younger children (2nd-10th grades) has the same chores, rotated daily.  I help our youngest with hers so she can get trained well enough to do them independently.  Messy bedrooms are still an issue here, so I checked out Making My Room Special: Creative Ways to Decorate Your Room by Emilie Barnes.  The book uses an engaging story and lots of sidebars to teach elementary age girls how to keep their bedrooms clean, well-organized, and decorated, as well as how to successfully share a room. 

That's mostly what we are doing this year for the elementary grades!

If you would like some more inspiration, check out one of my favorite blogs about home schooling, www.simplehomeschool.net.  I susbscribed via Google Reader.  Two of my recent favorite "don't miss" posts are: Bloom’s Taxonomy: A simple roadmap to learning and Designing big plans to work with your every day.

Thanks for reading!  

What are you doing for elementary school this year?  What are your favorite resources?  Leave a comment and share!

Virginia Knowles
www.StartWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com

Christmas with Kids

Dear friends,


Over the years I have written several articles on celebrating the Christmas season with kids, especially in a home school setting.  For your convenience, here are the links on this blog:


My Favorite Christmas Books

Great Gifts Kids Can Make for Others

Advent Adventure Unit Study

Family Advent Night Ideas

Three Christmas Poems for Children

You can find other holiday links on the Christmas page of my main blog, Virginia's Life Such As It Is.

Blessings,

Virginia Knowles

www.StartWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com

Easter Card Outreach and the Jesus Game

EASTER CARD OUTREACH by Virginia Knowles


Our family likes to make regular contact with our neighbors to let them know we are thinking about them. Here is an idea we tried several years ago.


Make springtime shapes such as flowers or butterflies from colored paper. With fine-tip markers, letter a friendly greeting, such as “Jesus is Alive! Hallelujah! Happy Easter from....” Sign your names. Then deliver these to your neighbors with some cookies or muffins and a Gospel of John booklet. (You can get these free at www.pocketpower.org) If your church is having special services for Good Friday or Easter, be sure to tuck an invitation in with your card! You never know who may come, or what conversations this may open up.


Another way to make butterfly decorations is to use coffee filters and either paint or colored water. Take a coffee filter, hold it with the small end at the bottom, and cut off the two sides. Open it up, then put small blobs of washable tempera style paint in between the two layers. Close it back up again so that the paint spreads symmetrically on both sides. Open it up and let it dry, then cut around the edges to give it a butterfly shape. OR use medicine droppers to dribble colored water on an opened coffee filter. For either kind, make a black body and antennas for it and attach it to the middle.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE JESUS GAME
by Virginia Knowles
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


My neighbor Marie used to bring over day old baked goods that she picked up for free at a local grocery store. One year, just before Easter, she brought over a huge sheet cake. We knew we couldn't eat it all ourselves, so we decided to have an Easter party for about 10 neighbor children, ages 4 to 11. I decided not to plan anything fancy, just cake, soda pop and the following game.


I gathered up several objects from around the house and hid them in a pillowcase. I blindfolded each child in turn, and had them try to figure out what I put in their hands. Each item represented some facet of the story of Christ. When they said what the "thing" was, I asked everyone, "Why did I choose this item?" I was pleasantly surprised that even the children who don't usually attend a church knew many of the answers. They also thought up some extra ones that I hadn't.

• apple -- the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden which has been passed down to all of us
• 3 lb hand weight -- the burden of sin feels heavy on us -- we need someone to lift it away
• toy lamb -- Passover lamb, sacrifice for sin
• baby doll -- Jesus came as a baby
• Band-Aid in wrapper -- Jesus healed people
• flash light -- Jesus is the light of the world
• hand towel -- King Jesus washed his disciples feet and set the example as a servant -- this can also represent his burial shroud
• cross -- Jesus died for us
• nail -- the nails went through his hands and feet
• dice -- the soldiers gambled for his clothing
• rock -- the angel rolled the stone away from the tomb
• soap -- Jesus washes our sins away
• heart -- Jesus loves us
• small house -- he is preparing a home for us in Heaven
• G, O, and D letter shapes (from a wooden puzzle) -- we can't see God, but he is there!

The game went over very well with our neighbor kids, some of whom had no church background at all. One 2nd grader commented that it helped him think about Jesus and God, so I know it was worth the small effort on my part!  Another year, I used the same game in the four year old Sunday School class, and they enjoyed it as well. The class was big, so we split them into three groups, and had the other two groups do other activities. 


This reminds me of the Resurrection Egg sets that you can buy, which have tiny little symbols inside of plastic eggs. We used to do these each year at our former church's Good Friday picnic, and there are instructions for this in one of the following articles. The benefit of using large objects, though, is that the children can see and handle them more easily, and it lets them guess what each thing is.

The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name

Dear friends,

I love stories and I love the Bible, so it would stand to reason that I love Bible story books.  That's true.... sometimes!  Since I have 10 kids, we've bought at least a dozen different Bible story anthologies over the past 23 years.  Some of them are too stuffy and dry, others too silly or dumbed down.  Others have been downright inaccurate or misleading.  Sigh...

Yet there is one I turn to most often when I want to read to my kiddos.  It's The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones.  Granted, the illustrations by Jago are sometimes a little bizarre for my tastes, but there is nothing really wrong with them and the kids love them.  The strength of this particular storybook is hinted at by the subtitle: "Every Story Whispers His Name."  No, this isn't just a book of New Testament stories.  Every story, starting with Genesis, tells us something about Jesus.  It's foreshadowing for kids, and it's done very well, very poetically (not rhyming, but profound), very humorously, and very appealing even to young children.  It is not an early reader's Bible, so don't try to use it to teach your child to read.  It is, however, designed to kindle your child's sense of wonder about Jesus.  It sure kindles mine, too.

A couple of weeks ago, I finished up reading Genesis to my kids from the real Bible.  (We read at least a chapter a day; now we're well into Exodus.)  I wanted to spice things up for my younger kids, so I also pulled out The Jesus Storybook Bible and read the story of Joseph, called "The Forgiving Prince."  In this story, Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, accused of wrongdoing by his master, and sent to prison.  Later, he interpreted Pharoah's dream, saved the entire region from famine, and then was reunited with his unsuspecting brothers, whom he reminded of God's sovereignty in using this evil for good purposes.  The story ends this way, looking forward to Jesus: "One day, God would send another Prince, a young Prince whose heart would break.  Like Joseph, he would leave his home and his Father.  His brothers would hate him and want him dead.  He would be sold for pieces of silver.  He would be punished even though he had done nothing wrong.  But God would use everything that happened to this young Prince -- even the bad things -- to do something good to forgive the sins of the whole world."
I had never before quite seen the story of Jesus in the life of Joseph, but I love the comparison.   Or how about the ram that Abraham caught when he had intended to sacrifice Isaac? 

I can't quite do this book justice in my brief descriptions, but fortunately you can see a whole lot more right here at the official web site: http://www.jesusstorybookbible.com/  Each week, they feature a short video of a different story from the book.  The book is also available in Spanish or in audio format.

Download free sample PDF stories and MP3 audios here: http://www.jesusstorybookbible.com/index.php?option=com_downloads

Don't miss the interview with the author here: http://www.zondervan.com/m/kidz/JONES.pdf

Christmas is coming, friends, and The Jesus Storybook Bible makes an excellent Christ-centered gift for any child ages 4 and up!  You can order it for only $9.99 (which is 41% off list price) at Christian Book Distributors here: The Jesus Storybook Bible.

"A Bible like no other, this book invites children to join in the greatest of all adventures, to discover for themselves that Jesus is at the center of God's great story of salvation--and at the center of their story too." (from CBD's web site)

Blessings,
Virginia Knowles
http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/

Bible Memory Tips

Dear friends,

My 10 year old son Micah and 8 year old daughter Naomi are preparing to compete in the local Bible Bee. The full version of the Bee was too overwhelming (100 passages, plus multiple choice Scripture knowledge questions) so we opted for the 50 passage Mini Bee instead. We try to work a little bit on it every day, but sometimes we miss. My 6 year old son Ben reads the verses to me, but hasn't memorized many yet, while 4 year old Melody tries to recite a few words from hearing her siblings say them.

I formatted four pages of the verses for the Mini-Bee in a way that makes it easier to memorize. This is the passage that Micah memorized this morning.

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you
that is not common to man.
God is faithful,
and He will not let you be tempted
beyond your ability, but with the temptation
He will also provide the way of escape,
that you may be able to endure it.

Notice that each line has only one or two logical phrases in it. This helps the concepts fix into the mind and makes the words easier to remember. We try to repeat the words rhythmically several times. For longer passages, I start out by saying the short words, and they have to fill in the key words, such as temptation or overtaken. Repetition and accuracy are the keys. Over and over, word for word. Micah can pretty much do a whole page of over a dozen passages without stopping.

Dr. David Murray gives a video lesson on How To Memorize: 10 Fast Facts, which is specifically geared for Bible Bee folks but very helpful to anyone. (I love the Scottish accent!) This article & video on Tim Challies' blog will also be encouraging for adults: Memorizing Scripture - An Interview

A finally, an excerpt from my book Common Sense Excellence: Faith-Filled Home Education for Preschool to 5th Grade.

BIBLE MEMORY

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:11

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly

as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom,

and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs

with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed,

do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:16-17

Why is Bible memory such a big deal for home schoolers? Since Scripture is the cornerstone for our lives, we should always have it instantly accessible to our hearts, our minds and our tongues. When we have decisions to make, what impressions will come to mind? It will be the ones we have taken the time to hide in our hearts. Children are like sponges, ready to soak up Scripture -- if we make it a priority and a regular habit! That’s the why, now for the how.

Use relevance. The verses you choose should have some interest to a child. Basic theology (who is God and what is he like?) and Christian living (how should I act?) are the best choices at this age level. You might find that the memory verses that your child brings home from Sunday School are sufficient. You could also choose a series of verses that will reinforce a certain principle. If your child is struggling to develop a character quality like patience or kindness, this is an obvious topic for memory verses! Here is a list of good starting verses:

• Psalm 119:105 and 119:111 and 139:14
• Proverbs 17:17
• Matthew 4:4 and 11:28-30
• Mark 16:15
• John 14:15
• Romans 3:23 and 5:8 and 6:23
• Philippians 4:7 and 4:13 and 4:19
• 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
• James 1:22
• 1 Peter 5:7
• 1 John 4:7-8 and 4:11 and 5:14

Use repetition. A non-reading preschooler can memorize Bible verses by listening to you say them over and over, and eventually repeating after you phrase by phrase. A friend told me that her two year old daughter memorized a large portion of Proverbs 2 just by overhearing her two older brothers do their memory work each day. An older child can look at the verse while saying it out loud. If he is memorizing more than one verse in a passage over a period of days, he can recite as much as he knows every day, and then add a little bit more. “For it is: Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule; a little here, a little there." Isaiah 28:9-10

Use explanations and vocabulary. If there are any words that he doesn’t understand, take the time to explain them to him, and see if he can tell you what they mean in his own words. How can this Bible verse be applied in his life? This is a vital time to learn basic theological words like: Heaven, eternal, everlasting, faith, mercy, grace, sin, transgression, deceive, salvation, sacrifice, Lamb of God, high priest, Pharisee, Gentile, ransom, redeem, witness, holy, pure, righteous, obedient, command, exhort, evangelize, and gospel.

Use a chanting rhythm. Ephesians 6:1 can be emphasized this way: “CHILdren, obey your PARents in the LORD for this is RIGHT.” Proverbs 20:12 is another good one for young children: “EARS that HEAR and EYES that SEE -- the LORD has MADE them BOTH.”

Use hand motions. “Everyone who hears (put your hand to your ear) these words of mine (point up to God) and puts them into practice is like a wise man (tap head) who built his house (make a roof with your hands) on the rock (make a solid place with your hands).” Matthew 7:24.

Use music. You can also listen to and sing Bible verses set to catchy tunes. I’ve made up my own little ditties for verses I want my family to learn. My faovites: Hide 'Em In Your Heart by Steve Green -- two volumes of Scripture memory songs for children on CD or DVD.

Use games. Simple games can also be quite effective for teaching Scripture memory. Write the verse on a chalkboard or a whiteboard. Erase one word at a time, and try to recite it from memory. Write a verse in large letters on paper, and then cut it apart. Can your child arrange it in the correct order? (For more adventure, hide the pieces around the room first!) Or, for an even more tactile experience, write each word of the verse on a different pebble. A kinesthetic child might want to recite the verse while jumping rope.

Use verse cards. My first introduction to this was on a Teen Missions team when I was 15. We had packets of about 40 verses each year, and I can still recall many of these over 20 years later. I wish I had started as a young child! You can make your own using index cards. If you want them to look professional, you can print them from your computer on special business card paper.

Use little homemade booklets. Fold over several sheets of paper and staple at the edge. Write out a Bible passage in large letters throughout the pages, and draw simple illustrations. Read through the book every day for a few weeks with your child and see how easily she remembers the verses.

Use writing. Let your older child copy the verse several times, first looking at the text, and later doing it from memory.

Use review. Check periodically to see if your child can say the verses from memory. Go back to the verses you have learned in past weeks and months. If you don’t take the effort to make this a priority, it is unlikely that your child will stick with Bible memory. Many families have quiz nights, or brief daily review times.

Use discretion. My only caveat about using games or other memory activities (including hand motions) is that some are so silly that they trivialize Scripture. A memory method should help your child focus on the true meaning of Scripture rather than distract him with puns that will put distorted images into his head.

The AlphaVirtues Song

This is a song I made up to go with an integrated early years home school curriculum that I was developing many years ago. Sing it to the tune of "Jesus Loves Me." We only do the chorus every three verses or so. Don't sing the letter name -- it's just there for easy reference! Start with only a verse or two each day, and work up until you know them all.

The AlphaVirtues Song
by Virginia Knowles

A I can be ALIVE today!
Jesus died to make the way.
Now I can be born again.
Eternal life will never end.

B BELIEVING in the Lord is right.
We walk by faith and not by sight.
When we come to God in prayer,
He will show us that he cares.

C COURAGEOUS people are so brave
Because they know that God will save.
They go ahead and do what’s right,
And turn the darkness into light.

Let’s be like Jesus! Let’s be like Jesus!
Let’s be like Jesus! The Bible shows us how!

D DILIGENT means working hard.
Don’t be lazy! Do your part!
When you have a job to do,
Keep on working ‘til you’re through.

E We should be ENCOURAGING,
Saying only helpful things.
You can share about God’s grace,
With a smile upon your face.

F FORGIVING is the way to win.
Jesus pardoned all our sins.
You should pardon others, too,
When they do bad things to you.

Let’s be like Jesus! Let’s be like Jesus!
Let’s be like Jesus! The Bible shows us how!

G We should be so GENEROUS,
With what God has given us,
To the needy, to the poor,
We should give and give some more.

H HUMBLE people know they’re small.
God is bigger than us all.
We should serve, but never boast
About how we love God the most.

I Jesus was so INNOCENT!
He had no sin but still he went
To the cross and took our place
So that we could know God’s grace.

Let’s be like Jesus! Let’s be like Jesus!
Let’s be like Jesus! The Bible shows us how!

J JOYFUL, joyful people sing,
Praises to the Savior King!
When they see someone who’s sad,
They will try to make them glad.

K KIND to others, we should be,
Doing all the good we see,
Don’t be rude! Be kind and sweet,
To the people that you meet.

L LOVING others is the way,
To make God happy every day.
Jesus loves to see us care,
For other people everywhere.

Let’s be like Jesus! Let’s be like Jesus!
Let’s be like Jesus! The Bible shows us how!

M MODEST clothing we will wear,
Not too fancy or too bare.
A gentle spirit and quiet heart,
Is the very place to start.

N A NOBLE man makes noble plans,
And by noble deeds he stands.
But first he takes the time to pray
For the Lord to guide his way.

O We should be OBEDIENT,
When we do wrong we should repent.
If we follow God’s commands,
He will guard us with his hands.

Let’s be like Jesus! Let’s be like Jesus!
Let’s be like Jesus! The Bible shows us how!

P PATIENT people learn to wait,
Even when it seems so late.
When other people bother us,
Let’s be calm and never fuss.

Q A QUIET person is not too loud,
Or too busy or too proud.
Listen when God speaks to you,
So you’ll know what’s good and true.

R REVERENT people seek the Lord,
And they love his holy word.
They worship God throughout the day,
As they work and as they play.

Let’s be like Jesus! Let’s be like Jesus!
Let’s be like Jesus! The Bible shows us how!

S SELF-CONTROL is good for me,
I can do what’s right, you see.
I tell myself not to be bad,
Because it makes my Savior sad.

T TRUTHFUL, honest, we should be,
Living with integrity,
We tell the truth and we will try,
To never ever tell a lie.

U UNITED people make a team,
God has given them a dream.
Strong and weak each do their part,
And work together with one heart.

Let’s be like Jesus! Let’s be like Jesus!
Let’s be like Jesus! The Bible shows us how!

V We can be VICTORIOUS,
When there’s a war inside of us.
More than conquerors we shall be,
Jesus’ power can set us free.

W Jesus wants us to be WISE.
To choose the best, to win the prize.
Don’t be foolish, just be smart.
Let Jesus be Lord of your heart.

X EXCELLENT doesn’t start with X,
But still it tries to do its best.
Learning new things is the way,
To get better every day.

Let’s be like Jesus! Let’s be like Jesus!
Let’s be like Jesus! The Bible shows us how!

Y A YIELDED person wants to please.
He seeks God’s will and then agrees,
To do whatever God will say,
With happy heart he serves all day.

Z ZEALOUS people keep God’s word, They preach so that it will be heard.
The glory of the Lord comes down,
And fills up hearts all over town.

Let’s be like Jesus! Let’s be like Jesus!
Let’s be like Jesus! The Bible shows us how!

Teaching the Bible to Young Children

This is just a small section of the chapter on teaching the Bible from my book Common Sense Excellence: Faith-Filled Home Education for Preschool to 5th Grade.

“People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them,
"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God
like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms,
put his hands on them and blessed them.” Mark 10:13-16

“...and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures,” 2 Timothy 3:15

“From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.” Psalm 8:2

Even tiny children and infants can know the embrace of their loving Creator! We don’t expect them to be theology experts, but we do know that Jesus wants all of us to come to him with the simple faith of a child. With your own children, start small, but do start early. Here are some ideas for preschool Bible time:

Make devotional times very brief. A few songs, a story, a prayer, and a verse to memorize will be quite sufficient for preschoolers. If you insist on an extended time, you will lose their attention and your patience.

Keep it simple. If you have had several years of exposure to the Bible, you already know so many of the stories and concepts yourself. It’s easy to forget that your child is starting from nothing. It’s up to you to teach him little by little, and not assume that he can automatically understand the concepts that you are introducing.

Do it regularly. Bible time is an acquired habit for parent and child. If you do it daily from a very young age, it will be much easier to keep up the flow, and they will know what to expect!

Begin with cheerful music. Choose a few energetic songs to sing -- the kind that get your child marching around the room! We often sang the song, “Only a Boy Named David.” At the last line, “...and the giant came tumbling down” all of the children would fall to the floor and lie as motionless as possible. We had a contest to see who could be the most “dead.” Of course, they would complain loudly if the toddler tickled them and made them laugh.

Read colorful picture books about Bible themes. These will acquaint your children with Bible stories, characters and ideas. Your local Christian bookstore probably has a wonderful selection of attractive board books.

Talk about who God is and what God says. Informal “along the way” discussions build on these ideas. Tell them over and over again how God made them and loves them more than Mommy ever could. Even from the early age of two, I encourage memorization of short verses or phrases.