Jennefer@SSA Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 AWANA has been a great program for us for 4 years but it is not longer fitting our ds8's needs (He has Asperger Syndrome and the stimulation has been too much.) nor the needs of our family as a whole due to scheduling issues and such. We want to retain some of what we see as the strengths of AWANA (systematic scripture memory) without the overwhelming social aspect for ds. We will be doing this with all our boys ( 8, 4 1/2 and 3 but of course modified for the littles). We have always read the Bible to our dc daily and have frequent discussions as they come up (Dh is a pastor) but have never planned much more than that b/c of the intensity of the Scripture memory process of AWANA. Here are my initial thoughts...would you ladies and gentlemen help me brainstorm more, offer suggestions, resources you've loved and such? Dividing year into 9 weeks terms. Each term the boys will have a passage to memorize. We will also learn one hymn (using Hymns for a Kid's Heart Series), and a catechism (probably from this modified version for children at Sojourn Kids.). We will most likely teach about a missionary and/or hero of the faith each term (not sure what resource we will use here) and our oldest will have some simple assigned readings each term as well. We want to do less for more. This may sound like quite a bit but we will stay on each of these for 9 full weeks before moving on. I would rather my kids learn 4 passages of scripture/ 4 hymns/ 4 catechisms/4 missionary stories a year and really have time to internalize them and meditate on them before moving on, rather than a new scripture every single week. Okay fire away! (and thanks in advance) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 Love it. You might consider adding a missions component--like doing a project pack for VOM or filling a box for Operation Christmas Child. Some sort of service, where they can put prayer into action and see real results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennefer@SSA Posted June 5, 2009 Author Share Posted June 5, 2009 Thank you, Chris. That is a wonderful idea! (Insert image of wheels turning in my head! :D) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 Sounds great! Can we join your in home AWANAS? (Just kidding!) Maybe at the end of each 9 weeks, dress up and recite for Dad, then have a favorite dessert after? Or a movie and popcorn, whatever you all like to do... (It could be dress up in Jammies or funny clothes, too!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 If you need audio resources - we've been using the Thy Word book and cd for 1 Corinthians 13, and it's awesome. We only use the spoken memory verse part - but it's making my kids learn it so fast. We've only really been working on it for a couple of weeks and we're all solid with verses 1-7. My goals if for us to complete 1 Cor 13 and Psalm 139 this summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sted Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 Don't have any specific advice but we've tried doing family worship nearly every night here for the past year. We sing hymns, read a Bible story or Psalm and pray together. Just wondering if you've read a book called Family Driven Faith by Voddie Bauchan Jr. Excellent on the importance of home discipleship. My recommendation is involve you husband as much as possible and endure the "bumps" from those in your family not used to sitting for long. It does get better and the kids actually look forward to it now. Shannon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMCassandra Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 If you need audio resources - we've been using the Thy Word book and cd for 1 Corinthians 13, and it's awesome. We only use the spoken memory verse part - but it's making my kids learn it so fast. We've only really been working on it for a couple of weeks and we're all solid with verses 1-7. My goals if for us to complete 1 Cor 13 and Psalm 139 this summer. Ditto on the Thy Word stuff! It's fabulous. Worth every penny. We used it for years and years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennefer@SSA Posted June 5, 2009 Author Share Posted June 5, 2009 :lurk5: Thanks everyone so far. I enjoyed looking at the Thy Word materials. I was not familiar with them. Wondering if there are any other great resources out there I am not aware of... Also, what do you think are the pros and cons of giving rewards/treats for Scripture memory. Trying to decide if we want to institute a system for tangible rewards for Scripture memory like AWANA does with their AWANA bucks that can be spent at the "store" each semester. I can think of good and bad on both sides. What thinks the hive? :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strawberry Queen Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 As far as rewards go...if you can do it without rewards then go for it. I would also consider having a recognition award. In recognition of achieving the goal you get a book on a christian hero, moral story etc. so that the reward is reinforcing your goal. You could even make up a badge or something if that turns your crank.:001_smile: Having a weekly candy reward is the reason why I didn't send my dd's to awana. With the problems of obesity in society a don't think that more sugar is a good thing (They still get plenty o' sugar but they don't need more:D) HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca77 Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 You may be interested in Fighter Verses, a memory system from John Piper's ministery Desiring God at desiringgod.org. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennefer@SSA Posted June 5, 2009 Author Share Posted June 5, 2009 You may be interested in Fighter Verses, a memory system from John Piper's ministery Desiring God at desiringgod.org. Wow! Thanks. I am always so very encouraged by Piper's ministry but was unaware of this resource. Thanks so very much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennefer@SSA Posted June 5, 2009 Author Share Posted June 5, 2009 As far as rewards go...if you can do it without rewards then go for it. I would also consider having a recognition award. In recognition of achieving the goal you get a book on a christian hero, moral story etc. so that the reward is reinforcing your goal. You could even make up a badge or something if that turns your crank.:001_smile: Having a weekly candy reward is the reason why I didn't send my dd's to awana. With the problems of obesity in society a don't think that more sugar is a good thing (They still get plenty o' sugar but they don't need more:D) HTH Love the idea that the reward backs up the goal. So simple yet I don't know I would have ever thought of that. :) My kids are so used to being rewarded for Scripture memory that when we first told them we would be doing this at home rather than through AWANA ds8's first question was, "Can I pick all my own prizes that go into our store?" That was such a motivating factor for him. I am thrilled that it worked to get him to start memorizing things but I would like to slowly wean off that. It may take awhile! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Testimony Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 :lurk5: Also, what do you think are the pros and cons of giving rewards/treats for Scripture memory. Trying to decide if we want to institute a system for tangible rewards for Scripture memory like AWANA does with their AWANA bucks that can be spent at the "store" each semester. I can think of good and bad on both sides. What thinks the hive? :) This is hard for me to answer because I am an AWANA person. My children are now at the TNT level. There are sooo much more scriptures to memorize and a lot more activities to complete. My sons are not fans of the AWANA dollars. We usually loose them or can't find them. They are giving up on the AWANA dollars to some degree. I hardly see them at the AWANA store. It starts to be that when you study for so long and you memorize all those verses, the gifts seem minute compare to the work that went into it. However, the plagues that they get at the end of the school year makes it all worth the hard work. So, the plagues, trophies, and ribbons make it worth memorizing their scriptures and do their service work. They do do more in the TNT besides scripture memorization. My sons have had to make cookies for the SPARKs, make a "thank you" card to someone in ministry, write a letter to a missionary, interview a missionary, etc. Maybe incorporating service work, might be a way they can do some stuff? Blessings, Karen http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennefer@SSA Posted June 5, 2009 Author Share Posted June 5, 2009 This is hard for me to answer because I am an AWANA person. My children are now at the TNT level. There are sooo much more scriptures to memorize and a lot more activities to complete. My sons are not fans of the AWANA dollars. We usually loose them or can't find them. They are giving up on the AWANA dollars to some degree. I hardly see them at the AWANA store. It starts to be that when you study for so long and you memorize all those verses, the gifts seem minute compare to the work that went into it. However, the plagues that they get at the end of the school year makes it all worth the hard work. So, the plagues, trophies, and ribbons make it worth memorizing their scriptures and do their service work. They do do more in the TNT besides scripture memorization. My sons have had to make cookies for the SPARKs, make a "thank you" card to someone in ministry, write a letter to a missionary, interview a missionary, etc. Maybe incorporating service work, might be a way they can do some stuff? Blessings, Karen http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony Thanks, Karen. I do love the idea of adding service into our program. Now that the boys are a little older we can go two Saturdays a month to feed the homeless in Galveston. In addition, I think we may make cookies/treats once a month and take to a nearby Retirement Center. I love the idea of interviewing missionaries as well. I have several friends who are missionaries around the world, some in some really amazing places. My boys could learn so much from them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 The rewards thing has always bugged me at AWANA - until we tried a new program. The kids spend their money on shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child (and you could do the same - $.25 per verse for money to stuff a box) and for Christmas shopping for family (the youth wrap). There are only 2 small stores where the kids can buy stuff for themselves, and even then, many don't. So - depending on how you manage it - I think it can be motivating without teaching greed or sending the wrong message. I would also suggest that videotaping the kids when they have a new verse down and then having a movie night on the TV for Dad would be really fun and motivating. My kids LOVE that. Maybe one day they could dress up, recite their verses for the camcorder, then act out a story or verse and record that too. Then at night - popcorn, snacks, and a show! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petepie2 Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 You may be interested in Fighter Verses, a memory system from John Piper's ministery Desiring God at desiringgod.org. I second the Desiring God stuff......we started their Foundation Verses when my daughter was three and a half and finished them earlier this year....we haven't moved on to the Fighter Verses yet.....instead we're learning the verses from "Wise Words for Moms" by Ginger Plowman.....we review all the time to make sure it all goes in long term memory....we're also working through the Baptist Catechism on the Desiring God website.. Steve Green's "Hide 'Em in Your Heart" CDs are good....Sonlight sells some scripture memory CD's.....i think they're the ones from the Harrow family.....Covenant Life Church also has some free songs for Philippians and Galatians in the ESV....I guess it all depends if you prefer a particular translation of the Bible.... We don't really have a reward system at home, but at our church we do use the Fighter Verse tote bags from Desiring God and put stars on them for every 5 verses they learn......our church also has a little incentive program for learning the Catechism.....it doesn't involve any candy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyR Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 How about Keepers of the Faith? They have patches that go along with the program? He may have fun with this program and its for those what want to use it in a group or at home with the family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apCrazy4Jesus Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 Here is a link to SCM that lays out a good method for memorizing scripture. http://simplycharlottemason.com/timesavers/memorysys/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennefer@SSA Posted June 6, 2009 Author Share Posted June 6, 2009 Here is a link to SCM that lays out a good method for memorizing scripture. http://simplycharlottemason.com/timesavers/memorysys/ Thanks so much! I stumbled across it today by chance. When I googled "Scripture memory system" it was the first site that came up. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 You might look into Scripture Memory Association (formerly Bible Memory Association, aka BMA). I knew of them when they used the former name. They had summer camps for kids--the camp I went to rented a BMA camp each summer, and then BMA sold to my camp. Anyway...I didn't know they existed anymore, but apparently they do. After a web search, I found their site, and this part of it has lots of memory materials available, divided by age. http://scripturememoryfellowship.org/memorybooks.htm I had a friend who went to a BMA camp and loved it. They were very much about Scripture memorization, Bible devotional/quiet time, etc... Everything else at camp seemed to revolve around it, instead of it being a summer camp with chapel time, etc. inserted in--I can't tell you how impressed I am with what I heard about that camp. Kids' teams earned the privilege of kitchen duty--and they loved it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 An added note: I see on the SMA (Scripture Memory Association) site, they have incentives for completing memory work. They are age appropriate coloring books, story books, etc... It appears that each memory book has certain points where they let you know when to award one of the corresponding incentives. They are included in the price of the memory book you purchase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixeldog Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 I just *happen* to have Keepers of the Faith materials available on the "For Sale" forum if you're interested in that! Nancy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iluvmy4blessings Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 If you do AWANA at home, do they count it as official? I wondered for scholarship purposes. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennefer@SSA Posted September 2, 2009 Author Share Posted September 2, 2009 If you do AWANA at home, do they count it as official? I wondered for scholarship purposes. Thanks! I was surprised when I hopped on today and saw this thread active again! Good question and one I do not know the answer to. I am guessing the answer would be no because of the missions component and other things they would be missing by only doing the book and not attending club. Then again it may just depend on your particular club and who runs it...and the reasons for wanting to do the program at home rather than at the sponsoring church. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kindermommy Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 We started AWANA this last year and my kids LOVED it - the verse memorization, the group games - unfortunately it seems they were REALLY loving earning BUCKS and spending them on tons of useless junk at the AWANA store (I mean REALLY useless junk - toys were broken within 24 hours it seems). It started to be all it was about (getting more bucks to buy more junk). There was also an additional reward system for # of verses and the prize was CANDY :glare: Combine all that with a LARGE Awana Sparks group that was VERY LOOSELY managed discipline wise, and I can't bring myself to do it again this year. We considered looking for another AWANA group, because I've heard they can be very different, but everything else was just too far. Last year we also found a Keepers of the Faith club and absolutely LOVED it. It was every other week for 2 hours and was perfect for DD. But a few months into the year, the leader moved and no one wanted to take over (I was too new to HS at the time and was sort of overwhelmed, otherwise I would have). I have the manual, sash and a bunch of pins and am hoping I find another group or eventually start one myself. There is a Contenders of the Faith program for boys too. Currently we participate in a once a month elementary girls fellowship activity with a great HS support group we are members of. It is fun, but I still hold hope for a Keepers/Contenders club in the future. Since we are on the topic of rewards/sugar/candy - it seems every Church we've visited lately (we have been looking for a new Church home) involves candy, donuts or TV/Video (or all three!) into their SS programs! I just want them to learn and have fun the old fashioned way and with no cavities!!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lulubelle Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 We like the book FaithTraining by Joe White. It has a list of scripture to memorize according to a child's age, questions, and tons of resources. Our kids memorized psalm 23 this year! It was huge because when we went to our Family Camp, the woman at the book store gives a store $1 to every verse memorized. The boys were so proud! We are on to do 2, 6 lined verses for this year. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 Since you said you liked John Piper's Desiring God series... I'll be teaching from the ABC series this fall in a new church plant (2 weeks until launch!!!). The Teacher's set is $129 but it is a HUGE resource and would fit your age range too. Inside the teacher's manual it has a note written to HOMESCHOOLERS on how to use it on a daily basis for a homeschool Bible class... neat stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaBirdX7 Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 The materials from the National Bible Bee? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BettyL Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 You might check out Keepers of the Faith. They have character studies, Bible and lots of other goals to accomplish. It's a bit like Scouts. You can order badges when they finish each goal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BettyL Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 Sorry....missed the last page of posts....see that my suggestion was already given.:001_unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marsha Lynn Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 Hero Tales by Dave and Neta Jackson have short stories about Missionaries (there are 4 volumes) - my ds, 9, loves them and they even have longer stories but I am not sure the name - maybe Trail Blazers by Dave Jackson. For memory work, I just have my son work on Sunday School verses as well as a Psalm - we add a verse a week until we have the chapter done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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