First, to form a foundation of familiarity with the Bible.

In other words, it is important to teach kids the books of the Bible to familiarize kids with the Bible, even if it is just the first step of becoming familiar with how you say the names of the books of the Bible. This is one of the first steps of teaching them about God’s Word.

Second, to prepare kids for finding verses in the Bible.

If I asked you why you should teach your kids the books of the Bible, this is likely the first reason you might think. It is an obvious purpose. By teaching kids the order of the books of the Bible even before they can read, you are preparing them for a life of ease in the basics of learning about the Bible. Not knowing the order of the books can be a frustrating stumbling block to Bible study. By engraining the simple order of the books, you are removing the stumbling block before it even forms.

Third, to provide kids with the basic framework of the Bible.

A child who knows the books of the Bible is prepared to understand more about the framework of the Bible. For example, knowing the books of the Bible helps in the understanding of the New Testament and Old Testament divisions. It also helps with the divisions within the Old Testament (books of law, poetry, etc.) and within the New Testament (gospel accounts, history, epistles). This framework also allows children to be able to tell the Old Testament history followed by Christ’s time on earth and finally through the establishment of the church. Although the Bible is not arranged strictly chronologically, knowing the books of the Bible is the first step in understanding the Bible’s framework.

Fourth, to prepare kids for serious Bible study as they mature.

If you want to prepare kids to be serious students of God’s Word as they mature, this is one of the foundational places to begin. Learning the books of the Bible is the first small step for a child to become someone who is like the man described in Psalm 1:1-3, a man who loves God’s Word and is blessed by living according to it.

¹ Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
² But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
³ He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

Psalm 1:1-3 (NKJV)

How to Teach Kids the Books of the Bible

I employ two primary methods for teaching kids the books of the Bible: through song and through recitation. Both methods are quick, requiring only a few minutes every day to memorize the books of the Bible.

Teaching Through Song

Songs are often a great choice when teaching memorization, so naturally, learning the books of the Bible through song makes sense. There are songs for both the Old Testament books as well as the New Testament books. Although I greatly appreciate learning the books of the Bible through song, there are a couple of drawbacks.

First, I (personally) find the song for the Old Testament (at least the version I am familiar with) difficult to follow and confusing. The way the tune repeats makes it easy to flip the order of the books around which defeats the purpose in the first place. Although we sing the New Testament song at home, we do not sing the Old Testament song for those reasons. The second drawback to learning the books of the Bible through song (or only through song) is the dependence on singing the song to find the books. Even as a young adult I found I would have to “sing the song” to find books of the Bible because that is the way I had stored the information in my head.

Teaching Through Recitation

The second method of teaching the books of the Bible that I use with my kids (and my preferred way) is recitation. This sounds really boring (especially when compared to song), but there are lots of ways to make this process fun and engaging. Learning the order of the books of the Bible does not rely on remembering a tune, but rather remembering relational order. I think of it more like knowing automatically that the letter “T” comes after the letter “S” in the alphabet (although this might be a bad example since so many people also rely on the alphabet song, haha).

So, how do you teach kids the books of the Bible using recitation? This is largely up to you and depends greatly on the age of your kids. If you are starting young, I’d recommend starting by having the child repeat each book after you so that they first become familiar with the actual names of the books. Then, you can progress to saying a few books in order at a time, and having them say the books along with you. Working in small sections, you may say a few of the books, and then have them “fill-in-the-blank” with the next verse.

If your kids are older, you can simply start by saying all the books of the Bible in order together. If they can read, they can read the books along with you as you say them out loud. By repeating this process regularly (I recommend at least five days a week in the beginning), kids will quickly pick up on the order.

Once the kids have picked up on the order, you can switch up the practice by playing games with them. For instance, if you have more than one child, you can go around in a circle with each child saying the next book in order. My kids love to play a mixed-up version of this where I randomly point to a child and they are required to say the next book in order. Remember, this doesn’t have to take a long time, and the regular practice of the order of the books will benefit them for a lifetime of Bible study.

Here’s a video of Annie (at a little over four years old) reciting the Old Testament books. She doesn’t get it 100% perfect, but it shows that even from a young age the order of the books can be learned.

How to Download the Free Books of the Bible Printable Posters

Click the link below to download the free books of the Bible printable posters. These printable posters are available in both letter and A4 sizes. If the file does not open in a new window, right-click the link and choose “Save as” to save the file to a specific location on your computer.

The post Four Reasons to Teach Kids the Books of the Bible (+ Teaching Tips & Free Printable) appeared first on The Mama Mission.

The idea and purpose behind this website has been brewing and building in my mind for a long time. I’m a Christian mama to four precious souls that have been entrusted to me and my husband by God. As their mama, along with their father, I have the very special and important mission of raising them in the Lord. Raising them to be obedient to God and His Word. Raising them in such a way to prepare them to choose a life that will get them to heaven.

The undertaking of raising children in the Lord is not an easy mission. It requires daily, persistent work that lasts for many years. The Mama Mission is a place of growing resources and encouragement specifically designed for Christian mothers engaging in their greatest mission: raising children to be faithful to God.

The Mama Mission has two primary purposes.

The first purpose is to provide access to different resources for teaching children God’s Word, which is required to have faith in God (Romans 10:17). Additionally, The Mama Mission will provide resources for teaching and encouraging kids about how to apply the things they learn about in God’s Word. These resources will include things such as:

• Printable Daily Bible Reading Plans for Kids
• Tips for teaching kids the Bible through activities such as Family Bible Time
• Printable Bible Marking Plans and Studies for Older Children
• Printable Bible Worksheets such as Scripture tracing
• Ways to help kids memorize Bible verses
• Printable Bible Facts to teach children
• Tips for teaching children how to pray

The second primary purpose of The Mama Mission is to provide encouragement and support for Christian moms. The mission that Christian moms are involved in is challenging. It is my hope that The Mama Mission will lift Christian moms when they are discouraged and will support them as they work daily to raise children who are faithful to God. These resources will include things such as:

• Articles of encouragement focusing on specific challenges faced by Christian moms
• Printable “Prayers I can pray for my children” resource
• Bible study guides for personal spiritual growth in God’s Word
• Printable Bible Marking Plans specifically designed for Christian moms

God has given us everything that we need through His Word (2 Peter 1:3; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). This includes everything we need to raise our chidren to serve Him faithfully. Let us look to God and His Word as we labor in the mission field of our home.

The post The Purpose of The Mama Mission appeared first on The Mama Mission.

One of my motivations for starting this site was to create Biblically-accurate, easy-to-use, and helpful Bible materials and printables for teaching the Bible to kids. As a Christian mother and Bible class teacher, I think it is important that even from a very young age my children understand that the things we teach them about God come directly from the Bible. I created these Daily Bible Reading Plans for kids specifically for that purpose: to get kids reading and thinking about the Bible on a daily basis.

In 2 Timothy 3:14-15 the inspired apostle Paul writes that Timothy had known the Holy Scriptures from childhood, and that the scriptures were able to make him wise unto salvation. It is important for me to teach my children about God’s Word, and to respect God’s authority and will given through the Bible. As a parent, I have a great opportunity to lay a foundation of love for God and His Word in my children’s lives. Laying that foundation begins by teaching them what God’s Word says. In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Paul goes onto write how scripture was given to us, and what scripture is profitable for:

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV)

Each Daily Bible Reading Plan includes a one-page overview of the entire 30-day plan (along with boxes to mark your children’s progress), as well as a study guide with two questions from each day’s passage. The questions in the study guide are not difficult, but should provide your children an opportunity to think about what they have just read.

Examples of How to Use the 30 Day Bible Reading Plan for Kids

There are many different ways that you could use the daily Bible reading plan with your kids (or even Bible class students). I’ve included just a few ways that you can incorporate these plans with own family.

How to Use the Daily Bible Reading Plan with Children of Different Ages

Pre-readers

Read each day’s passage to your children. Ask your children the questions in the included study guide.

Beginning Readers

Help your children look up each day’s passage in a Bible, and then read each passage with them. The passages are short enough to provide valuable practice and exposure to reading the Bible without being overly burdensome, even for beginning readers. Work through the study guide questions with your children, and have them write down their answers in the study guide.

Older Children

Older children should be able to complete each day’s reading, as well as the study guide questions on their own.

How to Use the Daily Bible Reading Plan During Family Bible Time

After gathering together, have any children who can read find the daily passage. Then, have the children take turns reading the verses out loud to the family. Finally, use the study guide questions to discuss the passage together as a family.

What Bible Versions Should I Use with My Children?

I recommend using the New King James Version, the English Standard Version, or the New American Standard Version. These versions are written, generally, with modern English, and are translated as word-for-word translations (rather than as paraphrase or thought-for-thought translations). I personally do not recommend easier-to-read children’s versions, although I am sure there may be good versions available. Even as beginning readers my children have been able to read from a regular version (for us, the New King James Version), so I felt no need to utilize the simplified children’s versions. Of course, there will be words that children need help with as they read, but I think it is good practice for them to learn these words through reading the Bible.

Daily Bible Reading Plans for Kids

This post will be continually updated with the links to all of the Daily Bible Reading Plans for Kids available on The Mama Mission.

The next Daily Bible Reading Plan for Kids due to release: The Book of Genesis, Part 1.

New Testament

• Miracles of Jesus

Old Testament

The post Daily Bible Reading Plans for Kids appeared first on The Mama Mission.

The Miracles of Jesus Daily Bible Reading Plan for Kids is a 30-day Bible reading plan especially designed for children. This plan includes a one-page overview of each day’s assigned text as well as two questions about each day’s passage for review. These questions are not difficult but are a good way to help kids pay attention when they are reading as well as assist with reading comprehension. The questions are also a good launching point for discussing the passage.

Additional Facts to Teach

The Miracles of Jesus plan highlights many different miracles or signs performed by Jesus during His earthly ministry from the four gospel accounts. Here are a few things you may want to point out to children when completing the Bible reading plan.

• The word “gospel” means “good news” in the Greek language.
• The “gospel” in the Bible refers to the good news about Jesus.
• There is one gospel. However, there are four gospel accounts.
• The authors of the gospel accounts are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
• The authors of the gospel accounts were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write the gospel accounts (2 Peter 1:19-21).
• A Biblical miracle is different from the way that the word “miracle” is often used in today’s language. Regular earthly occurrences or the natural order of things put in place by God, such as the birth of a child, while amazing are not miracles in the Biblical sense.
• Jesus performed miracles and signs to show that He was God (Hebrews 2:4).
• When Jesus performed a miracle, it took place exactly as Jesus said it would take place.
• When Jesus performed a miracle, the results of the miracle were seen immediately when Jesus performed the miracle or exactly when Jesus said the results would be seen.
• Jesus performed several different types of miracles.
• Those who witnessed the miracles responded in various ways.
• The purpose of miracles was to confirm the word that was spoken by either Jesus or others such as the apostles who performed miracles (Mark 16:20, Hebrews 2:3-4).
• Miracles no longer exist today (1 Corinthians 13:8-13, 2 Timothy 3:16-17).
• The miracles and signs of Jesus are recorded for the world so that we may believe in Jesus (John 20:30-31).

And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

John 20:30-31 (NKJV)

How to Access the Miracles of Jesus Daily Bible Reading Plan

Click the link below to download the Miracles of Jesus Daily Bible Reading Plan for Kids. If the file does not open in a new window, right-click the link and choose “Save as” to save the file to a specific location on your computer.

The post Miracles of Jesus Daily Bible Reading Plan for Kids appeared first on The Mama Mission.