What Kids Need to Know about the Bible?

As parents and teachers, one of our most important tasks is to guide children on their journey of faith and introduce them to the Bible’s teachings. But how do we know what to teach them and when? In this blog, I’ll share an outline that my husband and I have used successfully with our own children and many others over the past 20 years. This is not a magic formula, but rather a flexible guide that you can modify to suit the needs of your class or family.

What Preschool kids need to know about the Bible?

For preschoolers (ages 4 to 5), the focus is on introducing them to the concept of God and the significance of the Bible in their lives. Here are some essential topics to cover:

1. God: Help them understand that there is a loving God who desires a personal relationship with them.
2. Prayer: Teach them to pray and recognize how God answers their prayers.
3. Bible: Begin introducing them to the Bible’s main stories by reading directly from its pages.

Like preschool children, kindergarten children can take the next step in growing their faith.

What Kindergarten kids need to know about the Bible?

As children progress to kindergarten, they can build on their foundational knowledge with a few additional elements:

1. Biblical Accounts: Continue teaching them about important stories from the Bible, encouraging repetition while adding more details.
2. Character: Introduce them to character qualities and the “fruit of the Spirit” by discussing various biblical figures.

After Kindergarten children learn the major characters and events of the Bible and have confidence to pray to the Lord, they will be ready to move to the next level.

What grades 1-3 need to know about the Bible?

At this stage, children are starting to grasp the concept of time, making it an ideal time to teach them the Bible’s chronology:

1. Bible Timeline: Introduce them to the chronological sequence of events in the Bible, starting from Genesis.
2. In-Depth Studies: Gradually delve deeper into the major characters and events of the Bible.
3. Memorization: Encourage them to memorize complete verses and important biblical facts.

During the early elementary years, teaching and memorizing the Bible timeline, as well as, biblical facts will give your students a solid foundation to build upon in the years to come.

What grades 4 to 6 need to know about the Bible?

As kids move into grades 4 to 6, their cognitive abilities continue to develop, making it possible to introduce more complex topics:

1. Bible Versions: Have them read stories from a couple of different Bible translations to enhance their understanding.
2. Geography: Teach basic Bible geography where relevant to the stories.
3. Dates: Add historical dates to the lessons to place the Bible in its proper historical context.

Whether you have students who know their Bibles well or not these things will help them grow in confidence.

What Teens need to know about the Bible?

By grades 7 and 8, students should be ready to learn how to study the Bible on their own:

1. Bible Study Tools: Introduce them to inductive Bible study skills and how to use resources like concordances, Bible dictionaries, topical Bibles, and Bible atlases.
2. Exploring Extra-Biblical Writings: For those well-versed in the Bible, introduce them to writings outside the Bible, such as Josephus, Philo, Eusebius, Jewish oral history, and Church history.
3. Deeper Studies: Encourage them to engage in deeper studies like apologetics (defending their faith), comparative religion (learning about other major religions), hermeneutics (the study of interpreting the Bible), and church history.

Bible, we do recommend helping them learn the major characters and events before teaching them to study on their own.

• Bible Study Tools: Introduce inductive Bible study skills and teach them to use a
  • Concordance
  • Bible Dictionary
  • Topical Bible
  • Bible Atlas

As parents, it was at this age that we began to consider our teen’s strengths. We then focused our biblical training to help them fulfill their life missions. We took them to workshops, seminars, and other places that allowed them to learn from other believers. If you are working with youth, try to find experiences that will help equip them to fulfill their life mission.

A Teacher’s Responsibilities

As teachers and parents, our role in nurturing the biblical understanding of our children is vital. Here are three things we can do:

1. Lead by Example: Demonstrate a genuine Christian life both in private and public, being a role model for our children.
2. Encourage Questions: Teach children to ask questions and guide them in finding answers, fostering their curiosity and understanding.
3. Keep Learning Together: Learn alongside our students, as we all grow in our knowledge of the Bible and our faith.

This outline offers a roadmap to guide your student’s biblical education. Remember, every child is unique, and you can adapt this plan to suit their individual needs and interests. By instilling a solid biblical foundation, you can equip the next generation to be educated, equipped and empowered to live a life faithful to God. Thank you for joining us on this journey to raise a biblically literate generation of young believers at Grapevine.