Anna interviewed Lia Hopper for this post about how to teach your child their letters by using scriptures. (Lia’s responses are in bold.)
Hi Lia, thanks so much for doing this interview! Could you tell me a bit about yourself and your family?
I was born in Rochester, New York and have moved 30 times all over the United States. My husband and I were married in 1999 and we have 6 children. My husband is a US Army combat veteran. I currently work as a Marriage and Family Therapist.
You have an incredible family and it has been so fun to get to know you as we’ve been working together! Could you tell us how you got the idea to teach the ABCs with scriptures to your son?
In 2017, I saw a video of a little British boy reciting the alphabet with scripture verses. I thought that was such a beautiful idea – to teach with scriptures rather than animals or vegetables – so that children will grow up with God’s words in their minds and hearts.
I love that idea! So then you made a list of scriptures, but what led you to choose the scriptures that you did?
I literally looked up “scriptures that begin with A” and then “scriptures that begin with B” and picked the ones I liked the best from lists.
The result is beautiful! I love how the 26 scriptures come together. They are simple and powerful!
What did it look like when you were teaching your son? Did you have a daily routine?
He was only about 3 years old when we began. I typed out all of the scriptures and put them on individual notecards with a typed capital letter for each verse on the opposite side of the card. I taught him to identify the name of the letter and the sound of the letter and then I would recite the scripture that went with it. In the beginning we only did one card a day. After a while when he became more familiar with the letters we would do a few a day until he was able to identify all the letters and the sounds associated with them.
I love that is was so simple and that your son picked up on the scriptures in the process of practicing his letters and sounds. Does your son still remember the scriptures you taught him a few years ago?
He does still remember them. We continue to practice them daily.
That sounds like a beautiful part of your relationship with him. What tips do you have for parents who want to teach their children?
I would do a little at a time so it’s not overwhelming for the child. A wonderful side effect is that the parent will learn 26 verses as well. These scriptures have become like friends to me. I am able to recall them in times of need. They have been a comfort, a guide, and a light in my life.
That is a wonderful side effect! I love having these scriptures as my friends now too. In case people don’t know, how did you and I connect to work on creating a book out of your compilation?
I felt inspired to post a video on social media about teaching my son the alphabet with scripture verses. That video accrued almost a million views to date with tens of thousands of shares and comments. Anna just happened to be someone who commented on the video. She sent me private messages which I, for some reason, was not able to see until she messaged me directly and I responded.
I’m so glad you shared that reel! And let me tell you, it was so hard waiting to hear back from you when my message was not going through. But now we have a book coming out! I’m so glad you acted upon inspiration when teaching your son and sharing that with others now. Thank you also for being willing to work with me on this amazing project. It makes me so happy to think of other families being able to nurture faith and connection in their homes as they teach reading skills with your set of scriptures. Thank you, Lia!
Readers can connect with Lia on Instagram @liahopper or Facebook Lia Hopper
Our book, “My ABCs with Jesus: Scriptures for All the Children of God around the World” comes out November 2023 and you can visit www.pbhbookstore.com to pre-order.
