Interactive Age-Specific Strategies for Introducing Beginner Readers to the Bible as an Authentic Text

Abstract

Research (Barna, 2012; Morris, 2008), points to the noticeable decline in Bible reading and biblical literacy among Christians from all age brackets. This program aims at nurturing a young child’s love and reading of the Bible in an attempt to address the perceived biblical illiteracy. It is postulated that engaging, positive, age-appropriate and interactive experiences with the Bible may be one positive way to address this reported decline. The outlined original biblical literacy program, Bible Reading 4 Beginner Readers (BR4), designed by the writer, has been created, produced and trialled in an attempt to encourage positive biblical literacy development while children are at a very impressionable age. Each of the designated four sequential levels focuses on children aged five and six years and involve a fun way of interacting with and learning to read the Bible. It requires the teaching of early language literacy skills while using the Bible as the authentic text.