What a perfect question for May or October, the months of the Holy Rosary — or any time. The Rosary as we know it was developed in the Middle Ages. It evolved out of an ancient practice in which people who could not read Scripture recited 150 Our Fathers for the 150 Psalms. Strings of beads were used to keep track of the prayers. Over time, this practice merged with the scriptural greeting to Mary (“Hail Mary, full of grace”) and with meditations on the lives of Christ and Mary.
In your family, one person can say the first half of each prayer, while others respond with the second half. The Rosary is, at its heart, a biblical prayer, which is why Scripture verses are often used for meditation with each mystery.