Have you wondered about how early kids should start to read the Bible? Thanks to special editions for kids and teens, they don’t have to wait to get started.
Literacy is one of the most important abilities we have. Kids should start to learn to read between the ages of two and seven, with most kids learning to read around age four or five. As they develop these skills, you may wonder which books they should use to develop literacy. There are, of course, the old standbys for developing a love for reading, mainly books written with new readers in mind. But the Bible, the foundation of the Christian faith and of much of Western civilization, is a book that young learners should become familiar with. Because there’s more to it than simply plopping down a King James Bible before a youngster, we’ll guide you through how early kids should start to read the Bible.
Why Read the Bible?
You should want your kids to be voracious readers through childhood and into adulthood. That begins with familiarizing them with other books they’ll go on to read later in life. Understanding the Bible provides the key to the entirety of Western literature, much of which builds upon the themes and concepts of the great Judeo-Christian tradition. Reading the Bible from an early age has outward and inward rewards; familiarity with the Bible will help children develop their faith throughout life.
Children’s Editions
With that in mind, when should they start reading and how? Unfortunately, you may find yourself buying Bibles for your kids the way you buy their clothes—ready to be outgrown any day. Theologians and pedagogists have collaborated to write children’s editions of the Bible across a range of reading levels. “Baby’s First Bible” editions are available, but more as family keepsakes than reading material. Illustrated and abridged Bibles are a good way for preschoolers and kindergartners to begin familiarizing themselves with the lessons of the Old and New Testaments. During the middle school tween years, a teen study Bible can be an ideal companion for exploring deeper themes in an accessible manner.
Moving To the Complete Translation
But how early should kids start to read the Bibleitself—the King James Version, the New International Version, or one of the many other translations available? The NIV, which theologians intended to be a broadly accessible translation to 20th-century Americans, is written at about a seventh-grade reading level. The King James Bible of 1611, however, still preserves antiquated features of 17th-century English, placing it at a twelfth-grade reading level. However, if your child has been reading the Bible from an early age and become quite an advanced reader, it won’t take that long for them to handle this landmark in English translations.
