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What version of the Bible do you read to your children?
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My church has always solely used the KJV but I am finding that it is too hard for my ds12(he has trouble with reading comprehension)to understand. I am having to stop and explain to him what it means. Is there a version that you have found that your dc can understand and enjoy? Honestly I have never considered reading a different version but I think I might also enjoy another version as well.
In our family, we like the New King James version. We have always read from it to our children, so they are accustomed to it. I prefer the NIV’s translation of the love chapter for memorizing, though. 1 Corinthians 13. I am not a die-hard “this is the only correct version” type. We use the NKJV because that is what I was given when I was in college, so that was what I was familiar with studying. When I married my husband, he also was reading from NKJV because that is what his pastor read from in church.
I grew up memorizing from NIV and find it easiest to memorize from (probably b/c that is what I’m used to). That is the version I use to read aloud to the kids and for their Scripture Memory.
I have been taught that he New American Standard (NASB) version and English Standard Versions (ESV) are the most accurate translations from the original documents… and that the NASB is better for the Old Testament and the ESV is better for the New Testament if you want to be most accurate… Both of these are easier in terms of comprehension than KJ or NKJ, but NIV is easier still. I have heard KJV is a 12th grade reading level, NIV is 8th grade, and the other two fall somewhere in between. HTH!
We use the KJV. You can pre-read the section and write any words they might know on the marker board and discuss their definition or just talk about the words before hand. There is a blog post where Sonya discusses this method using other books but it works well for Bible reading. She also discusses looking back and ahead before you read. Maybe someone can locate those posts for you. It has made a huge difference in our home. If no one else knows where they are I will try to find them later today if you are interested.
This is very helpful! I had bought a bible story book and it’s great for bedtime reading but want something more for our mod 1 readings. I am going to go shopping with this list. 🙂
We go back and forth between NKJV and NIV. Occasionally, I will read a passage out of the Amplified Bible after reading the same passage from the NKJV or NIV. The version I use for my own personal study is the NKJV.
We have NKJV, NASB, HCSB and NIV. I read the NKJV to the kids unless my youngest asks for the HCSB. My oldest prefers the NKJV. I don’t use the NIV, it was given to my oldest. I just like the flow of the NKJV (probably because it’s what I grew up on).
We like ESV. When kids were younger I talked to hubby about using KJV because AO recommends that to help kids get used to Old English. But we decided it was more important for them to understand and connect with God’s Word than struggle to understand it. Just what we do:) Gina
I like the New Living Translation for our daily reading, but I use NIV or NKJV for scripture memory work. Sometimes I have all three Bibles going at a time so that we can compare word choices ;0).
Oh yeah! Forgot about ESV – it is wonderful. My children each have their own ESV Bible and that is what they use for independent Bible study.
We use KJV. If your 12yo is having trouble with it READ LESS each time so you don’t feel pressured. Really. When we are having little ones or not so little ones who ask questions over every single verse we rejoice (!!!) and plan to only cover a few verses with them that day but answer all their questions or explain things. Isn’t that what we really want – children who learn to understand, not children who breeze through something easy and take no thought for what it means and how to apply it? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that if they use a different version that is what they will do. Just saying that for any version what we really want is for it to challenge them to think a bit deeper and grab hold of the verses. So what if you can’t make it through a whole chapter each day or whatever you planned? Even one verse, when discussed, pondered, and applied, breathes life and the Spirit of God into your life.
We prefer the ESV because of accuracy and ease of reading. Yes, I know the many reasons why people (esp. classical and CM educators) like the KJV, but I want scripture to be in my children’s heart language, same as I do for other people groups around the world. I like classical literature and Shakespeare and the beauty of the KJV language, but it isn’t my heart language.
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