About a year ago, we started doing Bible drills with our two children, who are now 6 and almost-four. It started out very simply, with finding only the two testaments, which we highlighted in a Bible (our then-2-year-old couldn't read yet) solely for this cause. Soon, it expanded to Genesis and Malachi, Matthew and Revelation. The beginnings and ends were fairly easy to find, and we highlighted them as well. Then we moved on to Psalms, the middle of the Bible.
Since that time, we've included Bible drills in our nightly family devotional times, and the kids have gotten amazingly good at them! When we started them, I had no idea that this would be something they could legitimately learn to do, but I have been pleasantly surprised! Now that the 3 year old can read well, we have moved onto harder books, without the highlighting. We've also moved into giving them harder and harder clues. We started out by saying, "Find Matthew, find Psalms, find Isaiah, etc." Now, we say things like, "Find the book with Mommy's favorite story in it," or, "Find the first gospel," or "Paul's last epistle." Sometimes my hubby and I participate, too, and up until now, we've always been way ahead of them in finding the books. Until now. Tonight, my children beat me to several books! I was so proud of them, and amazed by what even little ones can accomplish if given the adequate training.
I'm sure some of you are asking, "Why? What's the purpose of teaching this at such a young age when they don't understand what's going on?" I have seen it bleed into other times in our days. In class, in worship, and even in their own readings, they are becoming more adept at finding people, places, and stories in God's word. They follow along during sermons (mostly) and take such joy in reading God's word for themselves. They know where to find their own favorite stories, and thus can find them anytime they choose. What a blessing for them! My prayer is that, with this foundation, they will continue to develop their own study times and that knowing how to find books will allow them to focus on what they are reading more than where it is found. I challenge my friends to try this with your own kids. You might be as surprised as I have been at the blessings it will bring!
En garde! Hands on the sword!
This is excellent!
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