Hi everyone! Welcome to day 2 of my curriculum forum discussions! Today we’re going to talk about how we study the Bible.
Bible is an important part of our homeschool, and for whatever reason it was always one of the hardest for me to find. But since finding the Grapevine Studies we’ve really been loving our Bible time. These studies work really well for teaching multiple levels and my kids are really enjoying doing them as well, so I plan to continue with these next year.
I recommend getting the multiple level student workbook and Teacher’s Manual. You really can’t do these lessons without the TM and then of course you need the student workbooks as well. The TM has the lessons as well as sample drawings for those of us who are artistically challenged! And really these are so flexible they can be done with kiddos as young as Kindergarten I’d say. For preschooler’s they’ve also just released traceable versions as well! We will be using that shortly to help include the Teeny Tot in our lessons and I can’t wait to try them out!
Pros:
- Great visual walk through the Bible.
- Works great with multiple levels.
Cons:
- Can be expensive to purchase multiple workbooks for each student.
- Don’t have a lot of books released yet.
Another addition we’re making next year are the Kay Arthur Bible studies for kids. I think they’re great for teaching independent study skills to older kiddos. I’m going to be using them with Turbo who will be in 4th grade and Strawberry Shortcake who will be in 5th grade next year. I wouldn’t recommend starting these much sooner than 4th or 5th grade though.
Each book includes directions as well as instructions for the students to complete as they go through the study so they are basically self contained. Students will be writing inside these books however, so you’ll need to purchase one per student.
Some more great Bible resources:
- Calvary Curriculum (Free online curriculum)
- Answers for Kids Bible Curriculum
- What’s in the Bible DVDs
- Nest Family Bible DVD Series
Pros:
- Great for independent study
- Good way to teach younger students about inductive Bible study.
Cons:
- Students write in books, so you have to purchase new books for each study.
So, now comes the fun part!
What are your favorite Bible curriculum, resources, websites, etc? Leave a comment below discussing your choices for this year and why.
Feel free to ask questions or reply to each other too!
It’s my way of doing a forum without actually doing a forum haha!
And hopefully this will help us all as we start the process of researching curriculum, and trying to decide what will be the best fit for our homeschool.
Note: Please keep today’s conversations geared towards BIBLE, I will be posting one for each subject separately so we can keep our comments organized.
Disclosure: This was not a sponsored post, I may however be affiliated with one or more products mentioned. The opinions expressed in this post were not influenced by the company. They are products I have used and felt like sharing, cuz’ it’s my blog and I can if I want to.
I don’t homeschool, but just recently started using the Positive Action for Christ curriculum (Kindergarten grade level) with my 5 and 4 year old. We read their children’s Bible and devotions at bedtime, but I wanted to be more proactive in studying the Bible with them. As part of the curriculum, we memorize a Bible verse each week, read a portion of the Bible, and talk about godly character traits. It also includes coloring pages and other educational activities to reinforce that week’s theme. – I really like the fact that my kids are not only gaining Bible knowledge, but also an understanding of how the Bible applies to them personally, and the importance of cultivating a relationship with Christ. https://positiveaction.org/
You just highlighted my 2 favorite Bible programs! We used Grapevine’s Old Testament and New Testament for Beginners. The first time I used it, I bought the student workbook, but I really felt it was too expensive for what was mostly white pages with a few lines and words on it. I’m on a very tight budget where every dollar counts. Since then, I’ve purchased a blank notebook for each child, and I write the captions and draw the lines myself. Of course this might be a lot of work if you’re using it with more than one child at once. I’ve used Discover 4 Yourself series since my son was in 4th grade (he’s in 6th now). We began with How to Study the Bible and all the books for the book of John. We’ve also done Jonah, Revelation, and currently on Genesis. Again, I save money by NOT buying one book for each child. I’m only using it with one child at a time, so I simply have my son tell me the answers aloud instead of writing. If a drawing is required, he does it on separate paper. My son works out the memory verses and writes them out on separate paper. I don’t always make him work out puzzles, because he doesn’t enjoy them. This year, he’s doing the books entirely on his own. I simply have him narrate back to me what he’s learning and trust that he’s answering the questions in his head. I quiz him every now and then to make sure he’s doing them. It may be best to be able to write in the books, but I can’t afford to re-purchase them for my girls. We used Grapevine in 1st and 2nd, Wisdom with the Millers (stories to illustrate several Proverbs) for 3rd, and Discover 4 Yourself in 4th-6th.
I REALLY feel one can not get to much Bible so we do several things:
Group Bible (DD10 & DS13): we use Apologia’s Bible Curriculum.
Family time (Everyone): We listen to the Bible on CD
Self study (DD 10 & DS 13): Kay McArthur’s study books, reading through the Bible once a year, this year we are doing chronologically and a devotion book for each.
Youngers (DD4 & DD6): Family Bible Time Story Book and free crafts found on web!
starting Next year we will also add whatever Bible study, that I like, that will be included in our Sonlight Core.
Rest assure, I do not make my children do each everyday :p but we “school” year round so we can fit it ALL in!
I also love Bible Study Fellowship check out and see if they have a class in your area. This year we have been studying Genesis and next year Matthew. We also have used MFW as well for Bible. I really appreciate Bible Study Fellowship though. Teach a World view and prepares them how to defend their faith.
We have been using a book called “Good and Evil” by Michael Pearl from No Greater Joy Ministries. It is the bible told and illustrated like a comic book. I also ordered their coloring books. So the children are busy coloring, as I am reading. Then I just ask them questions on what we have read! The children love it! It is a nice break from some of the more “school like” bible curriculum. http://www.nogreaterjoy.org
I am looking for something new to try this coming year with my 1st grader and preschooler, which is why I’m so glad to find all these helpful comments on this great post.
We did enjoy what we used last year, if anyone wants to check it out. It is Kids of Integry from Focus on the Family Canada… http://www.kidsofintegrity.com/ and it is FREE. It’s online, downloadable, and focuses on particular Godly character traits like respect, perseverance, forgiveness, courage, etc. You can download and print the .pdf for any or all of the traits you want to study. It is very loose and easy to pick and choose what works for your family or your day. Each lesson/trait is loaded with Scriptures, relevant Bible stories, activities, suggested prayers, and other ideas to reinforce and encourage what’s being taught. I chose one trait to focus on each month (but you could do one a week or whatever works for you), and my kids (5 years old & 3 years old) really enjoyed it. Not only did they enjoy it, but they implemented it, too. It’s a great resource.
A clarifying addition to my previous comment, if I may… 🙂
I would categorize Kids of Integrity more as a wonderful teaching of Godly, Bible-based principles than an in-depth Bible curriculum.
We will be using Bible Truths next year for second grade. I like how it’s planned out and how it covers not just stories but personal application as well. I’ve had a hard time finding what I was looking for so I hope this works well for us.
Has anyone tried Bob Jones Bible ?
Check out goingthroughthebible.com. Each week is a different Bible story divided into five daily video lessons that last around 3-5 minutes. If you follow it every week you will cover the Bible in five years. There is a Bible chapter you can listen to each day as a family that will also take you through the reading of the Bible in five years. The daily lessons and Bible reading are free and if you want daily printables to go along with the lessons, you can become a member for $5/month.
I was checket that who wrote it, and i think in my point of view , i have find with Peter Enns. he turns out, another book also wrote by Peter Enns “The Evolution of Adam,” he proposed that biological evolution is fact and that there was no literal Adam or Eve or literal Fall. another with me is that. So, considering that perspective must be woven in his other materials, I think finding Bible Studies for the younger elementary grades is hard. I’ve tried a few things and it seems like just reading Bible stories and then discussing them works best.
http://www.ipracticemath.com/math-practice