Many children are introduced to the Bible through Bible storybooks, by attending Sunday school classes at church, or by learning about heroic characters in the Bible. 

While Bible storybooks or devotionals are valuable resources for learning, in this blog post I am sharing simple ways to encourage children to read directly from the Bible as well. 

Of course, reading directly from the Bible with kids can be intimidating. It can be challenging, even for adults. Some books of the Bible are a narrative story, while others are books of wisdom or use figurative language that is hard to navigate. Sometimes reading the Bible just requires endurance to get through the text and see the big picture.

But even with challenges, I want to encourage you to invite your children into Bible reading with you. As children grow, the habit of reading from the Bible directly helps bridge the gap between learning Bible stories and reading Scripture. Much like how children are encouraged to gently learn the alphabet or practice counting, introducing Scripture reading can be an easy way to encourage children to learn from God’s word.

This blog post shares simple ways to model and introduce children to Scripture reading, with the intention to make reading the Bible feel accessible to kids as they grow. These are simple and gentle ways to expose children to reading directly from the Bible with the hope that when they are older, they will not feel overwhelmed or intimidated by reading Scriptures on their own.

In this blog post: 

• Ideas to model and teach children about reading the Bible
• 10 gentle strategies for encouraging young children to read directly from the Bible
• Read Scriptures as a family with Rooted Family Bible Curriculum

Ideas to model and teach children about reading the Bible

Our own habits are a wonderful way to show children how important the Bible is and that everyone can learn from the Bible directly, on their own. We can gently encourage children to engage with the Bible by letting them peek into our personal Spiritual lives.

Let children see you reading Scriptures. 

In parenting it is hard to find quiet time for Bible reading, devotion, and prayer. You can teach your children about reading the Bible without ever saying a word by letting them see you turn to the Scriptures and reading from it yourself. Modeling reading the Bible regularly in your home is a powerful way to demonstrate to your children how important God’s word is to you.

Talk to kids about why you read the Bible.

Encourage children to turn to the Bible by explaining what it is. You can tell children that the Bible is the word of God, and how as we open the Bible, we are learning the story of the Gospel, or learning God’s wisdom and direction for life. When you encounter difficult circumstances in your family life, share with children how your are seeking direction from the Bible.

Normalize the mystery of reading the Bible.

As you read Scriptures with your children, take the pressure off by explaining that we don’t always understand everything we read in the Bible. In my experience, some ideas I have learned over time, and some I am still trying to understand. Normalize that as we engage with the Scriptures we may not understand everything, and that’s perfectly fine. There is so much to be gained from reading Scripture as we grow – at every age!

As you read together, ask God in prayer to give you wisdom to learn about Him through the Scriptures and to understand what you are reading. If you come across a difficult subject in the Bible, share with your children that you are praying to God that you can learn from something you don’t fully understand.

Frame complex Bible passages as a positive thing.

Give permission to wrestle with and ponder ideas in the Bible. Many parts of the Bible are complex and hard to understand. They may be challenging because the events took place in a different culture, because the language is hard to understand, or because the truths are hard to put into practice. Don’t let complexity be a discouragement, and let children know that this is part of the process of learning God’s word.

10 gentle strategies for encouraging young children to read directly the Bible

1. Teach kids about the Bible. Explain the Old and New Testament, and how the Bible is a book made up of many different books. Little children can learn that there are 66 books in the Bible, or learn a song that has all of the names of the books in the Bible.
2. Choose a version of the Bible that is easy for children to digest. Lately I love the New Living Translation (NLT). I also love the English Standard Version (ESV) and the New International Reader’s Version (NIRV).
3. Read Scripture out of a Bible. This sounds basic, but as you do family devotionals, get into the habit of grabbing a Bible and turning to different passages. Talk about the book of the Bible as you are finding passages, for example: “I am going to find the book of Psalms in the Old Testament.” 
4. Teach children to use the Table of Contents, then find each chapter and verse. Don’t fret if kids can’t find a book of the Bible or remember where to find it. Teach them about the Table of Contents to find each book, and after you find the book, to find each chapter and verse.
5. Let small children follow along in a Bible storybook as you read from a Bible. If Scripture reading seems too advanced for toddlers or young children, let them follow a parallel story in a Bible storybook with pictures. Little children will love looking at pictures and holding their own book as you read Scripture aloud. Little children may also enjoy holding their own Bible as you read aloud.
6. For early readers, let children search for repetitive words. As you read, encourage children to look at the text and identify certain words in a passage of Scripture you read together. For example, read a Psalm together and ask your children to point to and count the number of times you see the word “Lord.”
7. Ask children to turn to a Scripture by using the page number. For children who love counting and numbers, let them find a Scripture by using the page number. For example, ask the child to turn to page 750 and let them find the page themselves.
8. Use copywork to copy a passage of Scripture. After reading Bible verses together, use copywork pages for children to write out the verse. This free sample of Light the Way includes print and cursive Scripture copywork, or you can easily write out your own with handwriting paper.
9. Read short verses or passages. Make reading Scripture a light and pleasant experience. Just reading one verse at a time together is enough. Gently encourage children to read from the Bible as they learn in small doses.
10. Talk with children after you read Scripture together. After you read together, ask children to narrate the story back to you, or if that seems too complex, ask what their favorite part of the Bible verse was. Don’t worry if they don’t have a detailed answer, just the habit of asking for their input will encourage them to share over time. You can also put together a narration notebook as you read together, like the Christmas or Easter story.

Read Scriptures as a family with Rooted Family Bible Curriculum

Rooted Family Bible Curriculum was designed for families to engage with the Bible together, regardless of different learning levels. Through this family devotional Christian Bible curriculum, families can read Scripture together, discuss Bible passages, sing hymns, discuss related art and poetry, and bring ideas to life with fun ideas for play and creative projects. This Charlotte Mason-style study is written to bond families together as they learn about themes of Christian identity, devotion, and wisdom.

Try a free week of Rooted Family Bible Curriculum below, or learn more here.

I hope this blog post encourages you to start simple and give yourself grace when reading the Bible with your children. Starting small, even a few minutes a day, will build a habit that will last a lifetime. 

How do you read the Bible with your children? Share your tips in the comments below.

Meredith Qualls has worked for Treehouse Schoolhouse since 2023, where she helps develop curriculum and writes about motherhood and home education. She was homeschooled in the 90s, has a master’s degree in journalism, and previously worked in traditional print newspapers.