How To: Make a Scripture Memory Box

The Scripture memory work list looks long and complicated but here is how it (should, hopefully) operate and how to make the box. (A file would work equally well but I find a box handier).

Take a pile of index cards and a suitably sized box, (or equally-sized pieces of cardstock, paper wouldn't last as well except perhaps in a page protector in a file). You want a certain amount of uniformity to allow for dividers and not losing shorter memory verses/passages in the mix.

Choose a verse, verses or a passage or several you want to memorise and write it/them out as neatly as you can (or type and print if you prefer) onto the cards, including book/chapter/verse references. Then on separate cards or the back of the card write out the first letter from each word, including punctuation (and capitals); these initials help you to read through the verse(s) with only minor help whilst you are memorising. Alternatively or as well as this you could rewrite the verses with only the building block/small words in and underscore lines/dashes to represent each missing word.

E.g.
"Psalm 23:1 - The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."

"P 23:1 - T L i m s; I s n w."

"_ _:_ - The _ is my _; I _ not _."

Everyone has their preference and there are certainly numerous apps and websites that allow for memorisation and will remove words at random etc. for you to test yourself. I find the fully written out and initial cards enough to suffice for now. If you are reading these aloud to (talking) children (unlike my Sunny) you can of course just leave out words randomly and have them fill in the blanks orally.

As for the box system, you ideally end up witth the following sections:

Section A
- Daily
- Odd
- Even

Section B
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Etc.

Section C
- Week 1
- Week 2
- Week 3
- Week 4

Section D
- 1st
- 2nd
- 3rd
- Etc. up to the 31st

Section A: you begin with a "Daily" section, these are the passages you read over and over again everyday.
When you feel you have all but mastered these passages they move one by one into either the "Odd" or "Even" sections.
If it is the 1st, 3rd, 5th etc. of the month you read the "Odd" passages as well as the "Daily" passages.
If it is the 2nd, 4th, 6th etc. of the month you read the "Even"" passages as well as the "Daily" passages.

Section B: after a while you transfer the "Odd" and "Even" passages into Section B and into the "Days of the Week" segments, thus instead of reading the passages daily, or every other day, you now read them one day a week.
So on Monday 12th, you would read the "Monday" passage, the "Even" passages and the "Daily" passages.

Section C: with the addition of new passages you move through to the "Weekly" segments, instead of your older passages being read one day a week, they are now read daily for a week and then not again for a month.
So on Friday 3rd, you would read the following: "Week 1," "Friday," "Odd" and "Daily."
If the month has five weeks, the fifth week could be a complete recap of all four weeks or a lesser workload.

Section D: finally when you feel very confident in your recitation of the passage it moves into the "Dated" segments.
So on Wednesday 18th you'd study the following: "18th," "Week 3," "Wednesday," "Even" and "Daily."
Please note, 1st-30th passages will be reviewed eleven/twelve times a year, while the 31st passage would only be practised seven times a year unless you included it with the 30th passage on months without a 31st day.

I suppose you could also add a Section E, the "Months of the Year."

It sound like a lot but with only one passage in each division that's only a maximum of five passages and it would take quite a while to build up to that level.

I would advise a mix of single verses, a few verses and longer passages. You'll be surprised how quickly you and they learn. Also for memorisation King James' Version (or NKJV) is better as it is less like our natural speech patterns, though it is a matter of weighing it up against the fact it is harder to pronounce and understand.

Think that's it! Not exactly a thrilling post but very practical.