Welcome to Little Shoots Deep Roots – where we become faith gardeners, cultivating deep faith in our families one little habit at a time.
Let’s dig into the profound impact of Bible memory with special guest Kayla Alonzo, founder of Baby Devotions. Explore enriching techniques for scripture meditation, hear about unique practices, and discover how to make Bible memorization a joyful and meaningful experience for the whole family.
Kayla Alonso is a Minnesota Mama of 3 littles, and the founder of Baby Devotions. When she’s not wrestling a toddler, she can be found drinking strong coffee, reading a good book, or exploring a nature center. You can follow her family’s faith journey at www.babydevotions.com.
Discover how Kayla transformed her approach to scripture memory from rote recitation to deep meditation, making it a powerful tool for both verbal and non-verbal children to connect with their faith. Whether you’re looking for new ways to incorporate faith into daily life or seeking inspiration to make scripture stick, this episode is packed with valuable insights and practical tips.
✨ In this episode:
- The shift from memorizing to meditating on scripture
- Creative methods for engaging non-verbal children, including sensory play and music
- Overcoming challenges with fun, family-friendly practices
- Kayla’s personal journey and innovative Bible memory resources
📚 FOLLOW-UP RESOURCES:
- Snail Mail Club: Check out Kayla’s Bible memory snail mail kits (Use code LITTLESHOOTS for 10% off your order!)
- Free Memory Verse Poster
- New Creation – Family Bible Study and Prayer Journal
- Kayla’s English scripture playlist and Spanish Scripture Playlist
Subscribe on your favorite listening platform for practical tips, real parent interviews, and encouragement as we become faith gardeners together!
TRANSCRIPT:
Christie Thomas [00:00:00]: Welcome to Little Shoots Deep Roots, where we become faith gardeners, cultivating deep faith in our families one little habit at a time. I’m your fellow gardener, Christie Thomas. Today, I get to introduce you to another fellow gardener, Kayla Alonzo, a lovely human being and the founder of Baby Devotions. She has also created a Bible memory snail mail club with scripture memory kits, which are really fun. You’ll hear more about them later, but today, we’re talking about Bible memory. Welcome, Kayla!
Kayla Alonzo [00:00:33]: I’m so happy to be here. This is fun!
Christie Thomas [00:00:36]: Thanks for joining me on a Saturday. Kayla, tell us a little about you and your family.
Kayla Alonzo [00:00:43]: Well, I’m Kayla, and we live in Minnesota—though I guess that’s south for you since you’re in Canada! I’m married to my husband, Fabian, and we are a bilingual, bicultural family. We have three kids who are almost seven, eight, and three.
Christie Thomas [00:01:07]: I love that. Today, we’re talking about scripture memory, which is just one small part of what we do with our kids. It’s not a strength of mine, to be honest, which is why I’m bringing in someone else to talk about it! I know it’s important, and we’ve had seasons where we’ve done well with it as a family. Can you share how you started memorizing scripture with your kids?
Kayla Alonzo [00:01:34]: I sort of fell into it, and at first, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to do it. Growing up, I memorized hundreds of verses and even earned awards for it. I did the whole church thing. But I realized later that while I knew the verses, I didn’t always understand them. For example, I memorized, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—it is not from yourselves,” but it wasn’t until I was graduating high school that someone truly explained what that meant. I hadn’t grasped that God’s grace means we don’t have to work for His love.
Kayla Alonzo [00:02:11]: That made me question how important scripture memorization really is. If we teach kids to memorize verses but they don’t understand them, it’s like giving them a sword without teaching them how to use it. They might have the words, but without understanding, they aren’t equipped. That can lead to harm, and we see the repercussions of that. You don’t have to search far to find Bible verses misused. Many people memorize scripture but never go beyond an elementary understanding of it.
Kayla Alonzo [00:02:44]: I approached scripture memory cautiously. What finally changed my perspective was something I heard on The Bible Recap. They talk about the “God shot,” which means that when you read scripture, you focus on where you see God in the passage.
Teaching Children Scripture Meditation
Kayla Alonzo [00:03:12]:
I wanted to start with my kids by helping them recognize who God is and learn how to meditate on that. We call it scripture memory, but I think of it more as scripture meditation. Memorizing scripture is valuable, but I don’t want my kids to just recite words—I want them to truly know them. In fact, one of my kids may never be able to recite scripture because they’re nonverbal, but that’s not the point. The goal is to sit with scripture and understand who God is as we process what the verse means.
Kayla Alonzo [00:03:52]:
This is actually an ancient spiritual practice that has served the Church for centuries. Yes, memorization is part of it, but more than that, I want scripture to live in their hearts—not just be something they can repeat like a parrot.
Christie Thomas [00:04:07]:
That reminds me of Joshua 1:8. We often hear Joshua 1:9—”Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous”—but Joshua 1:8 says, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” It’s not just about memorizing words but truly meditating on scripture. And really, that’s the whole purpose of memorizing it in the first place. But sometimes we miss that.
When you started doing this with your kids, what were some of the struggles you faced—either personally or with them?
Kayla Alonzo [00:04:47]:
One of my biggest struggles was simply remembering to do it. Life gets busy, and even with good intentions, things can fall by the wayside. You actually talk about this in your habit book—if we don’t build habits, they slip away. So we started putting little reminders around the house.
One thing that helped was “tattooing” my kids. I got temporary tattoos that matched the verse we were memorizing, so every time I saw it, I’d remember, “Oh, right! That’s what we’re focusing on.” It served as a reminder for them too, and they loved it because they thought it was fun.
Christie Thomas [00:05:42]:
That’s such a great idea! You built in prompts to help you remember, which is key. So when you saw the tattoo on your child, it triggered the reminder: “Oh, let’s work on that verse!”
Kayla Alonzo [00:05:57]:
Yep! Although, to be fair, they sometimes put them on their foreheads. That was their choice! I tried to explain other options, but, you know—six-year-olds.
Christie Thomas [00:06:05]:
Let’s just call that biblical. Revelation says God’s name is written on our foreheads, so they’re onto something!
Kayla Alonzo [00:06:11]:
Oh, I love that! I’m totally using that next time.
Christie Thomas [00:06:15]:
Did you ever get pushback from your kids, or were they young enough to just go with it?
Kayla Alonzo [00:06:24]:
Not really, because we made it fun. My three-year-old is going through the same process now, and we focus on meditation rather than strict memorization. We play with the verse.
For example, when we memorized, “Come to me, all you who are weary, and I will give you rest,” we built a blanket fort and pretended to rest like little bears inside. For “I am the light of the world,” we did a glow stick bath. Making it playful helped them love engaging with scripture.
I never want my kids to feel forced into scripture. I want them to know it’s for them, that they’re invited into it. Jesus said the kingdom of God belongs to children, and I think that’s a great gauge—if kids are fighting against it, maybe we need to step back and approach it differently.
Christie Thomas [00:08:17]:
That’s such an important mindset. If they resist, we don’t take it personally—we just try again later. Maybe we adjust the invitation, but we keep inviting, just like God never gives up on us.
Kayla Alonzo [00:08:36]:
Exactly! And different ages and stages require different approaches. My eight-year-old is outgrowing some of the play-based methods, so now she’s in a Bible quiz league. It keeps her engaged, and she enjoys the little bit of competition. My middle child is in the league too, but she’s not competitive—she just likes learning with her friends. My youngest isn’t there yet, but we find ways to engage him where he is.
One day, we were doing a glow stick bath for “I am the light of the world.” The second time we did it, he saw the glow sticks and signed, “Jesus light.” Sometimes we don’t realize how much they’re absorbing until we get these little moments that show us—yes, they’re getting it!
Christie Thomas [00:10:20]:
That reminds me of Jesus. He often spoke in parables and didn’t always explain them unless the disciples asked. He didn’t force understanding—he just laid it out there and let people engage at their own pace.
Kayla Alonzo [00:10:48]:
Yes!
Christie Thomas [00:10:48]:
I love that story about your son. I imagine there are other parents with nonverbal children who would love to hear your ideas. How do you help them engage with scripture, even if they can’t verbalize it?
Kayla Alonzo [00:11:29]:
Sensory play works really well because it’s an embodied experience. Like the glow stick bath for “I am the light of the world” or building a blanket fort for “I will give you rest.” My son loved that blanket fort so much that he slept in it for three weeks!
One day, he was yelling from the backseat, and I didn’t know what he wanted. Then he signed “pray” and “Jesus.” Then he started signing things he was thankful for—mostly trucks, because he’s three—but still, it showed he was connecting with prayer and scripture.
We also use a lot of sign language. It gives him a way to express what he’s learning, even though he’s nonverbal. For kids who use AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) devices, there are great resources on incorporating scripture memory. Key Ministry has a great article on it.
Christie Thomas [00:12:54]:
What’s an AAC device?
Kayla Alonzo [00:12:57]:
It’s an alternative communication device. Some look like tablets with symbols or words that the user selects, and others are text-based, where the person types what they want to say, and the device speaks for them.
Christie Thomas [00:13:10]:
Ah, that makes sense! I have a friend who uses one—she types, and the device vocalizes her words.
Using AAC Devices for Scripture Memory and Engagement
Kayla Alonzo [00:13:11]:
Yes, exactly. For children using AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) devices, picture codes can be very helpful. With my son Chago, we chose the phrase “Jesus gives rest” from Come to me, all who are weary, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). We printed out symbols for that phrase and helped him learn to identify them on his board.
This not only helps with scripture memory but also with learning to navigate his device. Memorizing where things are is a key part of AAC learning, just as scripture memorization strengthens faith. Memory work, in general, is great for brain development and learning.
Kayla Alonzo [00:13:57]:
AAC devices help kids memorize and engage with scripture in a unique way. We also use sensory experiences and music—especially since we’ve only had this device for about a month.
One of my kids doesn’t like discussions at all. If you try to have a conversation, she shuts down immediately. But when I play music, she sings along all day. Then, out of nowhere, she’ll say, Oh, this reminds me of this verse!—a verse I didn’t even know she had memorized.
It’s about creating an invitation for engagement rather than forcing it. Whether through AAC, sensory activities, or music, it’s about finding what works for your child. Every child is different, and faith formation doesn’t have to look the same for everyone.
The Power of Music in Scripture Memory
Christie Thomas [00:15:33]:
I love that you’ve noticed how music connects with your daughter. Instead of forcing conversations, you simply turn on music. Do you have any favorite musicians or bands?
Kayla Alonzo [00:15:49]:
Yes! We’re bilingual, so we listen to both English and Spanish music.
For English, my favorites are:
- Little Parade – They partnered with their church to create three albums called God Is, which are all scripture-based songs about God’s character.
- With Harp & Lyre – They started making kids’ music because they didn’t love the options available and wanted to introduce their son to a variety of instruments, like saxophone and flute. Their music is high-quality and enjoyable for parents too!
I’ve been amazed at how much scripture my kids have memorized just by listening to these songs. For example, I planned for them to memorize Isaiah 9:6 for Christmas, but before I could even start, they already knew it from a song!
Christie Thomas [00:17:30]:
That’s amazing—what a win! They’re learning scripture without you even trying.
Kayla Alonzo [00:17:33]:
Exactly! Their brains just soak it up.
For Spanish music, I have a whole list of favorites—I’ll send you my playlist so you can link it in the show notes. Most of your audience probably speaks English, so I’d definitely recommend Little Parade and With Harp & Lyre—they’re indie musicians, and not many people know about them yet, so go follow them!
Encouragement for Parents & Grandparents: Start Simple
Christie Thomas [00:18:11]:
If a mom or grandparent at church said, I want to memorize scripture with my kids or grandkids, but I just can’t seem to do it, what would you say to encourage them?
Kayla Alonzo [00:18:36]:
Start simple.
- Use music – Songs are incredibly sticky. If your child can memorize Let It Go or We Don’t Talk About Bruno, they can memorize scripture through music.
- Start small – Choose short, meaningful verses rather than overwhelming yourself.
- Focus on scripture about God – Verses that teach about who God is will naturally shape their faith.
By keeping it simple and integrating music, you’ll be amazed at how easily scripture sticks!
Scripture Memory: Focusing on Who God Is
Kayla Alonzo [00:19:02]:
If kids can sing a song front to back, they can definitely memorize scripture through music. It’s as simple as playing it in the car while running errands. That doesn’t work for my family because we have a lot of sensory needs, but I know many people love having music in the background at home. If that works for your family, do it—kids will pick it up naturally. You never know which verses will stick.
And focus on Jesus. Growing up, and in conversations with other moms with similar upbringings, I’ve noticed that many of the verses we teach kids are about rules—like honor your father and mother. That’s often one of the first verses kids memorize. But, as Sally Lloyd-Jones says in The Jesus Storybook Bible, yes, there are rules in the Bible, but that’s not what the Bible is about.
When we focus on memorizing rules first, we unintentionally make that the focus of scripture. Instead, we should start with who God is. Teach verses like:
- In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1) – God is our Creator. He made us and loves us.
- God created mankind in His own image (Genesis 1:27) – This speaks to our identity and worth.
That’s the beginning of the gospel—God created us, He created the world, and He created a good space. That’s where I would start, and from there, continue talking about who God is and His love.
In February, we’re memorizing:
“How wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”
Christie Thomas [00:20:55]:
Ephesians! I know that’s from Ephesians.
Kayla Alonzo [00:20:56]:
Yep, it’s in Ephesians. I love that verse! I’m terrible at remembering references, so I’m thankful for Google—I just type it in, and there it is. But that’s the verse we’ll be meditating on next.
Rooting Kids in God’s Love Through Scripture Memory
Kayla Alonzo [00:21:11]:
In my own experience with scripture memory—and from listening to others who had both great and not-so-great experiences with it—I’ve realized what I want to pass on to my kids. We can learn a lot from how scripture memory has been done in the past, and I think the best place to start is where the gospel starts: God made a good world, and He loves us deeply.
When we root our kids in that truth, we can continue teaching them the gospel—how even our sin can’t separate us from God’s love. Even when we’re grumpy, like Jonah, God still loves us. When kids are grounded in that and learn to meditate on it, everything else we hope they’ll learn—like following God’s ways—flows naturally from knowing how loved they are. They begin to see that God is good and that He is restoring the world. When we focus on those truths in scripture, the rest often follows naturally.
Christie Thomas [00:22:24]:
I love that. That’s such a great way to frame where to start. Now, earlier, you mentioned your snail mail Bible memory and meditation club. Can you tell us more about that? I know it’s always helpful to have resources so we don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
Kayla Alonzo [00:22:46]:
Yes! I have four scripture memorization kits available in my Etsy shop. Each one focuses on a different verse:
- Genesis 1:1 – “God created the heavens and the earth.”
- Jesus is the light of the world.
- Jesus gives us rest.
- Coming this spring: 2 Corinthians 5:17 – “If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation; the old is gone, the new has come.”
Each kit is designed for one per season, and they include:
- A Scripture Tattoo – Unlike some that use words or alphabet letters, mine are designed for pre-readers. Each has a simple symbol—like a butterfly cycle for the new creation verse—to visually connect with the scripture.
- A Verse Card with a QR Code – This links to a recommended song that helps with memorization. I’ve partnered with Little Parade and With Harp & Lyre to use their scripture-based songs. You can scan the code and listen to the verse with your child.
- An Activity Card – One side features a nature scavenger hunt to engage with the verse. For spring, we’ll be looking for tadpoles, butterflies, and other signs of new life at our local nature center. The other side has hands-on activities like raising caterpillars (which you can do for under $20!) or making butterfly pea flower tea—a tea that changes from blue to bright pink when you add lemon, visually reinforcing the transformation theme.
If you join the Snail Mail Club, you’ll receive all four kits throughout the year.
Christie Thomas [00:25:17]:
That sounds amazing!
Kayla Alonzo [00:25:17]:
It’s a big cycle, and I’m a huge believer in cyclical learning for kids. I don’t think scripture should ever be one and done.
When I use the kit with my three-year-old, it looks very different than with my eight-year-old. For Jesus gives us rest, my three-year-old might build a fort and pretend to take a nap. With my eight-year-old, it turns into a conversation about how, when big corporations don’t close on Sundays, who is left working? Is it the person at the top or the one at the bottom? That leads to discussions about God’s design for Sabbath—how it ensures everyone gets rest, not just those in power.
Those deeper conversations happen now because we started these discussions when she was three. Revisiting scripture over time is so valuable—it allows kids to engage with it in new ways as they grow.
Scripture Meditation Resources for Kids
📚 FOLLOW-UP RESOURCES:
1. New Creation – Family Bible Study and Prayer Journal
2. Snail Mail Club: Check out Kayla’s Bible memory snail mail kits (Use code LITTLESHOOTS for 10% off your order!)
4. Kayla’s English scripture playlist and Spanish Scripture Playlist
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