Memorization Techniques
Are you good at memorizing? I am a second-grade teacher. My 7- and 8-year old students are amazingly adept at assimilating new information. I admit that I used to be just like them. I had a reputation growing up of being able to sing dozens of songs with the lyrics perfectly memorized. Can you relate? Were you a kid like me, or do you have a kid like me?
As an adult with a lot more things on my mind, I find it more difficult to memorize than it used to be. Most adults I know have come to believe that they are no good at memorizing. As my mother likes to say, her hard drive is full. The truth is that memorization does come more naturally to some than others. However, to say that you can’t memorize is false. What is your name? Where do you live? Can you tell me your phone number? How about your social security number? What is your maiden name? When is your child’s birthday? What is the name of the church you attend? How old were you when you broke your arm? Anything we dwell on long enough or care about enough can be learned.
Applying yourself to the spiritual discipline of hiding God’s Word in your heart has enormous benefits. Just look at the Psalms. David’s testimony is amazing. In Psalm 119:97 David says, “O how I love thy law! It is my meditation all the day.” It is my earnest desire that you and I become such followers of God, followers who delight in God’s law and spend much time mediating on it because it teaches us about the One we love.
The purpose of this post is not to convince you that you should be memorizing God’s Word. By virtue of having clicked on this post, I assume that you are desirous to become a better memorizer of the Word. Below you will find 9 different verse memory techniques. None of these are original to me, but I have personally used all of them. My prayer is that you would adopt one or all of these techniques to help you better glorify God and be conformed to the image of His Son.
You may, in fact, not be a stellar memorizer. The good news is that the Word of the Lord endures forever. Stay at it for as long as it takes. Each new verse is one more than you had memorized before. It may take some of you 6 minutes and others of you 6 months. There is profit in the process. As you strive to memorize the Bible, remember that you are getting to know a Person.
Verse memory techniques
Incremental repetition
Write the verse on a 3x5 card.
Week 1: Read the verse daily, 10 times in a row, out loud. i.e. Romans 5:8 10x
Week 2: Read the verse daily, 5 times in a row, out loud.
Add another verse and start Week 1 with it. Romans 5:8 moves from 10x to 5x.
New verse, i.e. Genesis 50:20, starts at 10x.
Week 3: Read the verse daily, 2 times in a row, out loud. (Continue adding a new verse into the system each week.)
Week 4: Read the verse daily, 1 time, out loud.
Writing
Each day copy the memory verse two times into a journal.
Each day try looking at the verse less than the day before.
Continue until you can write the entire verse without any helps.
Repeat the process with a new verse.
Once or twice a week review the previous verses.
Erasing
Write the entire verse on a white or chalk board.
Say the whole verse; then erase one word.
Say the whole verse again; then erase another word.
Continue erasing one word and then saying the verse, until the verse is completely erased and you have it memorized.
Exercise
Practice reciting a verse to a rhythm of exercise.
For example, do squats in rhythm with the first phrase.
Do punches in rhythm with the second phrase.
Then run in place in rhythm with the third phrase, and so on.
Continue until you have the verse memorized.
Listen
Record a clip of yourself reading the verse out loud.
Set an environment.
In the bathroom with the lights off
In your closet, sitting on the floor
On your bed, holding a specific blanket or bear
Listen to the audio clip multiples time in a row.
Later come back to that same set environment and try quoting the verse.
First letter
Write just the first letter of each word in the verse.
Practice quoting the verse by only looking at the first letter cue.
i.e. John 3:16: F G s l t w, t H g H o b S, t w b i H s n p, b h e l.
Color code
Pick thematic verses and use colored pencil to denote certain key words.
Love in red
Peace in green
Grace in orange
Hope in purple
Joy in yellow
Understanding themes and repeated words helps with memory.
Version
Try a different version than you are used to.
Seeing a familiar verse with slightly different wording causes your brain to focus harder.
Puzzle
Print the verse in very large font.
Cut apart each individual word.
Shuffle the words around and then put the verse back together.
Physically arranging the words one at a time engages your logic and understanding, thereby helping you to create better recall. Anything you work hard to accomplish gains value to you. That value facilitates memory.
