Helping Your Kids Read the Bible

I’ve always been on the lookout for some sort of simple devotional tool for my kids. I wanted a notebook aimed at their ages which would help them record some thoughts as they read the Bible. One of the main reasons I looked for something like this is that (at least with my kids) keeping some sort of notebook helps them be consistent in their reading.  I never really found what I was looking for, so I wrote one myself.

To be clear, this is a Beta version. I expect that after this year, I will make some revisions based the feedback I get from the kids and my own observations about how it did and did not help them. At the same time, I’m inviting you to download it and give me some feedback as well.

DOWNLOAD the PDFs: Grow (Spiral Book) or Grow (8.5×11)

So, what can you expect? The opening pages provide a short introduction to the Bible. My reading kids are ages 10-14, so I’ve aimed for the middle of that age range. But different kids read at different levels, so your mileage may vary!  I’m taking this to Staples and having them print this into a spiral-bound book. This way, it will lay flat on the table, their laps or their beds as they read and write. (EDIT: I’ve also added a cheaper version that could be printed at home, sized 8.5×11 and formatted for back-to-back printing with space for hole-punching.)

As a family, we’re going to read through The Bible Project’s READ SCRIPTURE plan which has videos to help us along throughout the year (see the video below). This plan reads through a few chapters a day and one Psalm everyday day.  We’re going to read the Psalm together and I’ll have them journal about the other chapters. So, there’s enough pages for one Bible reading a day for 365 days. Depending on how you use it, that might mean something your kids can use for a couple of years.

So, here’s a free resource for you to download, print, and bind it. If you do, let me know how it goes so I can improve next year’s edition.

Blessings for you in 2016!