3 TECHNIQUES FOR TEACHING VERSES

1. The Cube.

You’ll need a cube made of plastic, wood or cardboard, and six different verses. Choose a key word in every verse and write it on a piece of paper. Use clear tape to put a piece of paper on each side of the cube. Ask the students to sit down in a circle. While the music is playing, they pass the cube from hand to hand. When the music stops, the student who has the cube has to read the word written on the piece of paper taped to the top side of the cube, and he has to recite the corresponding verse. If he can’t remember it, he leaves the game. The activity continues until there’s only one student, or until everyone has said the six verses.

2.     Scrambled words.

Write down the verse’s words in the wrong order. Ask the students to rewrite the verse, putting the words in the right order.

3.     Crossing the river

a.                 Cut a paper circle for every word of the text.

b.                 When it’s time to memorize the text, outline two sides of an imaginary river.

c.                  Place the rocks (circles), which will be used to cross the river.

d.                 One by one let the students jump from one “rock” to the other, while repeating the words in the text.

e.                 If a child fails, he falls into the river and stays there until another child rescues him.

f.                  When the next student gets to the place where the previous student fell, he reaches out and they say the right words together until they “cross the river.”

g.                 When everyone’s on the other side, they say the text together.

Note: let everyone participate.