Sunday morning comes around. I turn off the alarm clock, put on a T-shirt that doesn’t offend a parent, pray for a granola bar to magically be found in my car, and arrive at church only to remember I forgot my notes at home. UGH. I guess it’s time for me to rely on my memory and maybe see if there’s a good bible around the church that I can teach from.
Here lies the problem: What Bible should you use to teach kids? With so many options out there, wouldn’t it just be easier to use your own version? To find this out, we need to know the age group of who you’re teaching.
What’s the age of your audience?
Nursery – Wow, that’s great that you’ll be teaching the babies! Keep in mind that at this age, babies love to use their senses to learn. If you are reading to a baby, they might want to touch (or even taste) the pages. It’s best to pick a kids bible that has hardcover pages.
Preschool – Teaching using a picture bible is a must. Preschoolers are only attentive for as long as their age, i.e., 4 year olds can be taught for up to 4 minutes. Due to this short attention span, be sure that you’re teaching from a picture bible and PLEASE keep it at a height where the little ones can see. Don’t worry if you forget to keep it at their viewing level… the preschoolers will yell at you if you forget and will forgive you once you resolve the situation.
Elementary – With the ‘big kid’ ages comes ‘big kid’ Bibles. I’m talking about the ones without pictures. Some of my favorite Bibles for teaching Elementary-aged kids are….
NIrV – Why? The New International readers version has young readers in mind. There’s no old, or complicated jargon or vocabulary here. They keep it basic while still remaining true to the original translation. This Bible is fairly easy to find in stores and can also be found on the YouVersion Bible app.
ICB – Why? The International Children’s Bible goes sometimes even more basic than an adult can explain. Similar to the NIrV, it has the young reader in mind. This Bible is hard to find sold in stores but you can easily find it on the YouVersion Bible app.
Mixed – I’ve been in this situation before. Having a 3 year old and a 3rd grader can be challenging. I recommend teaching using a picture Bible to keep you on schedule.
I hope this has helped you my friend! Keep on serving with joy and thank you for reading the KC Juice Box.
Squeeze the SUNday!
Written by Hannah Jacob, This I know curriculum, copyright 2022
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