Methods for Scripture Memorization

December 8, 2020 by Leahbmartin Leave a Comment

I recently read Fahreneit 451, the iconic science-fiction novel about a day in the future when all books burn to pay penance for their offensiveness. The outcasts who had memorized the books of the Bible were the only ones on earth who had access to the text and who kept it alive for future generations. This set my wheels turning and rekindled my sense of urgency surrounding the art of scripture memorization.

This art of memorizing scripture is a gift that we can give our children. It can become a habit that follows them throughout their lives. I've learned some Charlotte Mason approaches over the years, and I'm happy to share them with you today.

Charlotte Mason's Gentle Approach

I recently reread what Charlotte Mason had to say about memorizing worthy words, recitation, in Home Education. She said that the words should be read to the child as they play or prepare for the day. Just by gently rereading it a half-dozen times or so, the child will soon remember it.

In the following passage, Charlotte Mason explained this method which a woman presented to her as being effective for her niece:

She read a poem through to E.; then the next day, while the little girl was making a doll's frock, perhaps, she read it again; once again the next day, while E.'s hair was being brushed. She got in about six or more readings, according to the length of the poem, at odd and unexpected times, and in the end E. could say the poem which she had not learned. I have tried the plan often since, and found it effectual. The child must not try to recollect or to say the verse over to himself, but, as far as may be, present an open mind to receive an impression of interest." Home Education, page 225

The first Bible verse that H ever memorized was Psalm 118:24: This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it! When I greeted her at her bed in the morning, I said the verse. When we had a happy moment playing together, I repeated it. Soon she started saying it with me. I gently prompted her to recite it by saying, “This is…” and she completed the verse herself, with a joyful smile on her face.

We moved onto another verse, and she seemed to understand right away that the end-goal was to memorize it, even though I hadn’t stressed that fact. It’s Ephesians 4:32: Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. We discussed the word “compassionate,” and when she heard that same word on the radio station that we listen to, she was so excited!

For a while, she repeated these verses everywhere she went. I told her how special it is to put these words in her heart and she told me, “I didn’t put them there. Jesus did.”

Practiced Memory Work

Now that H is older, our methods are a bit different. In the morning, I read a section of the Bible verse from that month's Idea Nest and have her repeat it after me. We do this for a few days until she has the verse memorized.

One amazing method that I learned at Ambleside Schools is to put the first letter of each word on the chalkboard as we learn it. This allows children to learn longer passages without getting frustrated or forgetting it.

Scripture memorization is something that we started in our home when Miss H was three. My younger boys are not quite ready to memorize scripture, but we've made it a daily habit that I hope they will catch on to soon.

Making it a Habit

As an adult, I don't have anyone sitting down with me helping me memorize scripture. So, this is a habit that I have to create for myself, I also want to help my children develop that habit as well. What I've found to be helpful is to have easy access to notecards so that I can grab a card and write a verse on it whenever something strikes my heart. I keep the cards handy so I can read them whenever I see them. They are bookmarks in my books, sitting in my purse, and sometimes on the seat of my car.

The Idea Nest is a early years/morning time resource that is free from My Little Robins. You can get free Idea Nest scripture cards that display each month's memory verse through the sign up form below.

We Were Created To Be In Nature

June 10, 2020 by Leahbmartin Leave a Comment

A downpour recently showed me how my life has been enriched by the addition of nature. Standing at the checkout counter at a store, I heard infuriated rain hitting the roof. I looked towards the doors and saw a huddle of people standing and waiting. They waited for weather more pleasant. Less abrasive.

What to do? I wondered, though only for a moment. I whispered encouraging words to myself ( "Suck it up, Buttercup,") and I left the comforting shelter of the store to face the sensation of sheet-like rain.

Head down, I raced to my car, splashing through puddles and probably looking a fool to those who chose shelter over showers. I plopped into the seat of my car dripping wet, and you probably won't guess what I did next--

I took a selfie.

In that moment, I was so surprised by the person I had become in contrast to the person that I had been. I remember, at 20 years old, waiting inside a campus building for 30 minutes during a rainstorm so that I wouldn't have to walk home. The time I waited was at least a round-trip walk there and back, but the wasted time was worth dry hair and unsmudged makeup.

Nature was a foreign place to me. But I see now how my spiritual life is connected to my nature life. The farther away my body gets from the earth, the bigger the distance between my heart and God's. There's correlation, and most definitely causation. As He draws me nearer, I want to spend more time in His creation. Romans 1:20 says,

"For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."

We Were Created to be in Nature

In the garden, humans were created. They lived in the land under the shelter of trees and ate straight from the earth. And as a result, humans continue to reap the benefits of nature, even after the fall.

We feel less stressed.

Our anger and stress are reduced.

Heart rates and blood pressure go down.

Our eyesight improves.

We can clearly see, and clearly see Him.

And yet, collectively, we are spending less time in nature. Children today spend half as much time outside as their parents, some research suggests. We see increased obesity and increased mental health problems, while faith in God is becoming an unmentionable in some communities. We were created to be in nature, and separation from it is not without consequence.

In July, I will work on giving my children the habit of nature through books and ideas in Idea Nest. Sign up to have Idea Nest sent to your inbox.

The Key To Homeschooling For Christian Moms

October 30, 2019 by Leahbmartin 4 Comments

Humans like easy.

This is scientifically proven, and I believe it's why God created us to be creatures of habit: habits make things easy and take decision making away.

For those same reasons, so many homeschool moms look for what will be easiest for them: the open-and-go curriculum, the habit-training advice, or the blog or business that can tell them just what to do. Whatever makes it easy.

But, is it possible that in the quest for easy, we overlook our biggest Homeschooling Advocate: the Holy Spirit?

Habits for the Early Years: A Mother's Journal

Charlotte Mason's 20th Principle

Charlotte Mason's 20th principle is probably my favorite. She said:

"We allow no separation to grow up between the intellectual and 'spiritual' life of children, but teach them that the Divine Spirit has constant access to their spirits, and is their Continual Helper in all the interests, duties and joys of life."

For the Christian mom, this principle brings comfort and peace of mind. We no longer have to agonize over our decisions, over the books we choose to read with our children, and whether or not we are qualified to homeschool.

Charlotte Mason believed so strongly in this principle, that she called it the "mothers' key" to education:

"In the things of science, in the things of art, in the things of practical everyday life, his God doth instruct him and doth teach him, her God doth instruct her and doth teach her. Let this be the mother's key to the whole of the education of each boy and each girl; not of her children; the Divine Spirit does not work with nouns of multitude, but with each single child." School Education, page 273

But many of us stand with this key in hand, refusing to use it to unlock the door. We know that we can turn to the Holy Spirit for help, but instead we turn to social media, we hesitate, and we don't trust.

What if all Christian homeschooling moms decided to tune out some of the loud voices shouting their dissent, and instead tuned into the Holy Spirit?

Can you imagine the transformation we'd see in our own hearts and others? I've been thinking about this topic for years, and I truly believe that if we let the Holy Spirit guide out homeschools, we'd find peace in many areas.

Charlotte Mason's First Principle: Children are Born Persons

1. Making Decisions

I try not to get too caught up in the question of what Charlotte Mason would have us do in certain situations. I don't agonize over decisions about what books we should read or at what age to include copywork. Instead, I pray about what the Holy Spirit would have me do. Sometimes, what I do is not directly in line with what Charlotte Mason would say, but in the end, I'm answering to God and not to Charlotte Mason.

When I taught my daughter to read at the age of 5.5, I knew some people would disagree with my decision. But thankfully, it wasn't about them. It was about seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit and doing what I felt called to do. Teaching H to read slightly earlier than Charlotte Mason recommended ended up being a blessing to our entire family. My little girl was thrilled with her new knowledge, and her little siblings loved having a new person in the home to read to them.

Why My Kids are Out of Control

2. Feeling Qualified

Many of us don't feel qualified to homeschool our children, maybe academically or spiritually. But, if we hang onto this: "her God doth instruct her and teacher her" from the quote above, we can feel confidently qualified. As I said in a recent Thinking Love podcast episode, it isn't a matter of how qualified we are, but who qualifies us to homeschool.

If we understand that the Holy Spirit is on our side, that the knowledge given by him is infinite and more complete than any college degree, then we can rest in our Qualifier.

3. Learning and Teaching Hard Things

We all have areas that we've struggled with in the past. Math never clicked for me as a child, and I carried that unsettling, "I am a math failure" feeling through the first few years of my teaching career. We can either let these feelings overwhelm us and outsource these subjects to other people, or we can hold the key in our hand, and use it to give us God-confidence, knowing that we can learn and grow just as our children do.

Understanding that the Holy Spirit is the Divine Teacher also allows us to mess up. If we don't relate a subject perfectly, your child's understanding of it doesn't entirely rest on your efforts. The Divine Teacher can, and will, use you, books, other people, and your child's own mind to deepen their knowledge.

20 Principles Study Guide

4. Getting Along

I will touch on this final area gently. It's no secret that there's tension in the homeschooling community. When someone makes a decision that's different than ours, sometimes our defenses go up. We sometimes feel that it diminishes our own decisions if someone else chooses another path. But why?

I love how Charlotte Mason said, in the passage above, that the Holy Spirit works with individuals, not with multiples, and this applies to mothers as well as children. If we believe that the Holy Spirit can guide different people in different directions, then there is no reason to view others' decisions in a negative light.

He is carving out a unique path for your homeschooling journey, and it is yours if you are willing to accept it.

Methods for Scripture Memorization

Charlotte Mason's Gentle Approach

Practiced Memory Work

Making it a Habit

Like this:

We Were Created To Be In Nature

We Were Created to be in Nature

Like this:

The Key To Homeschooling For Christian Moms

Charlotte Mason's 20th Principle

1. Making Decisions

2. Feeling Qualified

3. Learning and Teaching Hard Things

4. Getting Along

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Primary Source Letter for Thanksgiving

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