Why the Grapevine Method Works
Have you ever taught a Bible lesson that you were sure your students understood. Then you ask them about it a few weeks later and discover that they don't remember much of it?
We've all been there.
As Bible teachers and parents, we don't simply want our children to hear Bible stories. We want them to understand God's Word, see how the pieces fit together, and remember what they've learned long after the lesson is over.
That is one of the reasons we developed the Grapevine Method of Bible Study.
The Grapevine Method combines chronological Bible study with drawing, repetition, review, discussion, and hands-on learning. While research has not specifically tested the Grapevine curriculum itself, the learning principles behind our method are supported by a growing body of educational research.
And that is encouraging!
1. Drawing Helps Us Remember
One of the things that makes Grapevine different is that students draw the Bible.
Instead of simply looking at a picture in a book, students create their own simple stick-figure drawings to represent the people, places, and events they are learning about.
Why?
Because drawing requires students to interact with the information. To create a drawing that they relate to the story.
Research on drawing and learning has found that creating drawings can improve both comprehension and memory. A 2025 meta-analysis of 14 studies involving more than 1,200 participants found that instructional approaches incorporating drawing can significantly improve students' comprehension.
Another recent study examined drawing combined with retrieval practice and found that the combination can support longer-lasting learning.
That's exactly what we hope happens when a child draws Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, or Paul on their timeline.
They aren't simply seeing the information.
They are doing something with it.
2. Retrieval Helps Learning Stick
Have you ever noticed that Grapevine spends a lot of time asking, "What happened before this?"
That's intentional.
One of the best-supported learning strategies in education is called retrieval practice. Instead of simply rereading information, students actively try to remember what they have already learned.
And research supports it.
A systematic review of 50 classroom experiments involving more than 5,000 students found that retrieval practice produced meaningful learning benefits across different ages, subjects, and classroom settings.
Think about what happens during a Grapevine lesson.
- "Who was Abraham?"
- "What happened to Joseph?"
- "Where does Moses fit on our timeline?"
- "What happened next?"
Every time a student pulls that information from memory, they are practicing retrieval.
We're not just reviewing because we have extra time. We're reviewing because remembering is part of learning.
3. Repetition Over Time Builds Understanding
We also believe in coming back to what we've already learned.
The Bible is one big story made up of thousands of details. If children learn Abraham one week, Moses several months later, and David the following year, those people can easily become disconnected Bible stories.
A chronological timeline helps change that.
Students continually see where they are in the story and where they have been.
Educational research supports the importance of spacing and retrieval coming back to information over time rather than trying to learn everything at once.
That's why the Grapevine timeline keeps coming back.
We don't want kids just to children memorize a timeline.
We want to give them a framework for remembering God's story.
4. Connections Make the Bible Easier to Understand
One of our favorite things about teaching chronologically is watching the light come on when students begin making connections.
- Abraham isn't just an isolated Bible character.
- Moses isn't just another Bible story.
- Joshua isn't simply a story about entering the Promised Land.
- David isn't just the boy who fought Goliath.
Students begin to see how one event connects to another and how God is working throughout the story of Scripture.
The timeline gives students a visual "big picture" of the Bible.
When the little pieces of the story come together, they form the big picture of the Bible. And that big picture matters.
Instead of trying to remember hundreds of disconnected facts, students have a framework where those facts have a place.
They can see where they fit.
5. Students Become Participants, Not Just Listeners
There is a big difference between learning about something and actively participating in learning.
With Grapevine, students don't just listen to the teacher.
- They draw.
- They answer questions.
- They review.
- They write.
- They discuss.
- They locate events on the timeline.
- They retell what they remember.
- They become participants in the lesson.
And this is especially important for today's students.
We don't believe that children today are incapable of learning from a teacher or sitting still long enough to listen. We believe they are capable of learning and that when we can give them many ways to engage with what they are learning.
Recent research gives us good reason to continue using active learning strategies like these.
6. One Method Can Grow With Your Students
Another reason we love the Grapevine Method is that it can grow with a child.
- A preschooler can draw a simple stick figure.
- An elementary student can learn the sequence of Bible events.
- An older student can begin looking at geography, mapping, historical context, and Scripture connections.
- A teenager or adult can dig deeper into Bible study skills and learn how to study the text for themselves.
The timeline stays the same.
The depth changes.
That means a family can learn the Bible together without needing a completely different curriculum for every child.
A teacher can teach multiple ages together.
And parents can continue using the same method as their children grow.
The Goal Isn't Just to Finish a Bible Curriculum
At Grapevine Studies, we don't want the goal of Bible curriculum to be simply getting through another book.
- We want children to know God's Word.
- We want them to remember what they have learned.
- We want them to understand how the pieces of Scripture fit together.
And most importantly, we want them to grow in their relationship with God.
The research on drawing, retrieval practice, repetition, and active learning helps explain why many of the things we've built into the Grapevine Method make sense from a learning perspective.
But for us, it goes beyond educational research.
We believe God's Word is worth knowing.
So we've created a method that helps families and teachers slow down, open the Bible, see the big picture, and learn it together.
Draw it. See it. Remember it. Understand it.
That's the heart of the Grapevine Method.
Want to See How It Works?
If you've never tried the Grapevine Method, we've made it easy to get started.
Download our free Bible Starter Kit and see how a simple timeline, drawing, and Bible lesson can help your family begin putting the pieces of Scripture together.
Start learning the Bible—one stick figure at a time.
