Bible for delayed reader

[ErinSo]

I would like to buy my almost 9 year old a “real” Bible, not a kids Bible. Her sister, who has always been a great reader,  got one at this age so she would like one as well. This daughter is a struggling reader though. I want to find something that has chapter and verse numbers like any Bible, but she may be able to read it sooner than most versions. Any advice? 

[Terabith]

New Century Version or NIrV are both around third grade level.  Those are the translations with the lowest reading levels.  

[PeterPan]

Ooo, good question!! This one is really important to me. My dd was not a delayed reader, and I used the NIrV (an NIV reader's version, at a 1st-3rd gr reading level) with her for years before transitioning her to a NASB then ESV. My ds is dyslexic (though now a reasonably good reader) but has a significant language disability. For him, I've *read aloud* the NIrV. I'm really keen on the NLT (new living translation) as well. 

So for Bibles with verses, I would try the NIrV first then NLT. https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2016/06/bible-translation-reading-levels/  Here's a chart. It's saying the ESV is a bit lower. I just don't like that one as a translation, my bad. It looks like you can get the NIrV as a study bible that includes notes, sidebars, etc. too, so that could be nice. 

Have you thought about an e-version? It would distracting in Sunday School probably, but in reality it's a great choice. I use an e version at church on the Olive Tree app and at home I read print. If she has issues with finding page numbers, the tech will be much faster. Maybe try both, kwim? Like pick up an affordable NIrV but also offer her tech. It's much more important that she feels like the Scripture is hers and accessible than it is what the form is. 

Some people are surprised because the NIrV isn't sanitized. I remember a friend buying and she's like why didn't you tell me there would be s*x in there? I'm like hello, it's the Bible, it's all in there, lol. So just be aware the NIrV is not redacted. Sometimes in dropping the vocabulary level it's a little more *direct*. If you're sort of used to a version that couches things in euphemisms and says it around the block, this may be more direct. 

I like the NIrV btw. I'm not sure why I stopped reading it to him, hmm. We read through Revelation, Ezekiel (yeah, we're weird), etc. It has great readability. If you read it to her, then she can just read shorter sections, like just reading from Proverbs or just reading from Psalms for herself, kwim? It's a very nice translation for you to read to her, and that will reinforce its value.

Edited May 21, 2019 by PeterPan

[Storygirl]

I agree with the NIrV. We have not used the others, so I'm not offering a comparison, just that we have liked the NIrV. We are actually gearing up to do some family devotionals this summer, and the NIrV is what we will use, even though my kids are teens now. Although I love the beauty of other versions of the Bible, I'm not reading it with my children for the beauty, but for the messages. The more straightforward the language, the better, for my crew.

[PeterPan]

6 hours ago, Storygirl said:

We are actually gearing up to do some family devotionals this summer, and the NIrV is what we will use, even though my kids are teens now.

Any particular passages you're going to be reading? I was just wondering. I'm always trying to get in my ds' head, sigh.

[Jess4879]

I'll echo the NIrV recommendation.  This is what we used as a transitional bible for all of our kids - it's also what I pull out for my bible study when a passage is tough to understand.  And as an added bonus, the NIrV Adventure Bible has really cute covers!  🙂

[Storygirl]

7 hours ago, PeterPan said:

Any particular passages you're going to be reading? I was just wondering. I'm always trying to get in my ds' head, sigh.

I'm interested in reading James, because it is so much about how to LIVE in a way that pleases God. So the idea is that we will talk about what faith looks like, how it affects our decisions about behavior and choices. Because we need those discussions here with all of our kids. Not just what we think and believe, but what do we DO.

I'm always telling my kids that This or That is the right way to behave, and that God wants Whatever, and that the Bible says This as we go about our daily business, and as we address behavior and character issues. But they really need to be seeing it for themselves, written in the Word. James is pretty much DO THIS, NOT THAT, which I think is what would be helpful at this time.

But also, I want to do a big review of major Bible characters and stories. Because I happen to have kids who forget things they don't review, and it's been several years since their Bible studies included a big picture review. For that, though, I will probably use a children's Bible, since they are set up that way. Not to read the children's Bible stories, but so I can flip the pages and say, "What's next? Do we remember the story of Samson? No? Okay, let's remind ourselves who he is."

I will probably do the Bible character review whenever we are all sitting down and eating dinner together, since we are gathered anyway. And we may do our James study after dinner each night, because I want DH to participate. People will eat breakfast at different times, and we don't have everyone home for lunch, so I will connect it to our dinner hour. When the kids were little, we did Bible readings before bed, but bedtime is different in the teenage years.

Ideally, we would be doing family Bible time all year round, and I'm hoping we can continue into the school year. It's harder to get everyone gathered at the same time during the school year, however, due to four kids having extracurriculars and one of them having a job. Once we reset our family Bible study pattern this summer, I would like to do it at least weekly during the school year.

Edited May 22, 2019 by Storygirl

[PeterPan]

10 minutes ago, Storygirl said:

James is pretty much DO THIS, NOT THAT, which I think is what would be helpful at this time.

I like that! 

11 minutes ago, Storygirl said:

But also, I want to do a big review of major Bible characters and stories. Because I happen to have kids who forget things they don't review, and it's been several years since their Bible studies included a big picture review.

Oh my, yes, yes, yes yes. Do you hear me panting yes? It's the narrative deficits or I don't know what. A year or two ago he was bored and like I know all this. So we do other ways of studying and now it's all POOF. And for him the narrative deficits have always been huge. He wasn't able to retell the stories with felt or anything. 

12 minutes ago, Storygirl said:

Once we reset our family Bible study pattern this summer, I would like to do it at least weekly during the school year.

I hope you get there!