DO KIDS UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE MEMORIZING?

  When teaching a Bible verse to your class, be sure the boys and girls understand the meaning of difficult words.  If kids try to remember things they don’t understand, nothing sticks. It’s like building a model car without glue.

Understanding the means of words also eliminates developing wrong concepts. A second-grade boy was asked, “What verse did you learn in Sunday school today?”

“Ummm – John 3:16.”

“What is that verse?”

“Whoever believes in God shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

“What does it mean?”

“That if you perish you’ll go to heaven,” the boy replied.

“What does perish mean?”

“To praise him.”

The teacher had good intentions when presenting the Bible verse that day but overlooked the crucial factor of understanding.  As in the parable of the sower, it is the understanding which produces fruit. Always define key words when having the boys and girls in your class learn a new scripture verse.