dands Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 So much is out there. I would like a bible study my daughter can do on her own with little mommy time. I have 4 kids at different grades and Bob Jones is killing me. I feel all i do is bible all day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denhu4 Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 http://www.bibleclassbooks.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 Positive Action for Christ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGrace Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 Seconding Positive Action for Christ-LOVE it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 My vote would be for Explorer's. Here is a review I wrote: When I evaluate a Bible curriculum, I look for what percentage of questions require the student to answer from the Bible text itself (I shoot for 2/3--most studies unfortunately only hit 50% or less), how factual versus opinion-based any notes are and to what degree there is denominational bias. I also look for how much a good inductive process is reflected in the study--there should be factual observations, an opportunity to summarize the main point of the passage in one concise statement, and finally, application to real life. I also think that younger children do well with circling the right answer, puzzles, and drawing in response to the text. However, as your child reaches fourth and fifth grades, their Bible study should include more short answer and independent work. (SWB's SOTW reflects this same progression--SOTW 1 has a lot of coloring and multiple choice on tests, whereas SOTW 4 has more short answer and not so many coloring pages.) I have not found one single Bible curriculum or study anywhere, ever, that asks for a one-sentence summary of the main point of the passage. I highly advocate adding this feature in to whatever Bible study you use or teach, in any setting. A good way to do this with kids is to ask a question like, "What did you learn about God in this passage?" or "What do you think is the very most important lesson in this passage?" Keep it to one short sentence--there may be many subpoints that are good to know, but it is very valuable to be able to distinguish the main, most important point. My number one pick would have to be the Explorer's Bible study, which is available at http://www.explorerbiblestudy.org. Many thanks to Jessica at Trivium Academy for recommending it. I was impressed. It has a good amount of factual observation questions, is very Bible-text focused but still includes some cultural/geographical/historical notes here and there, and has a small proportion of application questions in each unit. Information is presented from an evangelical perspective but seems more factual than opinionated. For those who may be familiar with Bible Study Fellowship or Community Bible Study, this curriculum follows the same pattern. Each unit is also laid out into five days of homework--a decently challenging but not overwhelming amount. Another key feature of this curriculum is the fact that there are corresponding adult studies as well. For a logic stage student either their older elementary OR high school study would be appropriate depending upon reading fluency and maturity. I also, by the way, recommend both BSF and CBS children's programs. I evaluated both. I think the CBS program has slightly more challenging homework, but also really like the way older children and teens are led to do homiletics at the BSF meetings. (Homiletics is a process of generating an outline of the passage with a final, summary statement.) I recommend either program without reservation in addition to the Explorer's curriculum. I also have used and liked Kay Arthur's Bible study series for children. My own dd has used several books in this series successfully this year. However, I would steer away from *How to Study the Bible* as it is unnecessarily wordy and proved to be quite challenging for the 4th-5th grade girls I taught. The material is not hard--the presentation of it in this book was terribly convoluted, though. If you choose to do that book, take two weeks per unit and plan on really holding your child's hand through it. The other books in the series are much easier and quite doable, though--we have been satisfied with several others in the series. These books have five or seven days of homework per unit, include both factual questions and marking things directly in biblical text, and some application. After that, I consider Rod and Staff to be a decent alternative. There is a solid amount of factual questions and some good information on history/geography/culture. However, there is virtually no application, and no summary statement opportunity (none of those I reviewed include this). And, even at the older grades there is virtually no short answer--format is still multiple choice and simpler responses. There is more denominational bias in the notes but can be overcome by careful Bible study. This curriculum would be acceptable even if it's not my favorite. Christian Light is a lot like Rod and Staff but not quite as challenging. I also thought Christian Liberty is a decent alternative. I was really NOT impressed in the least with either Abeka or AlphaOmega and would not recommend those at all. They were simplistic, passive, lacked depth and do not require much from the student at any age. One final thought--for high school I would gravitate towards the Explorer's adult series or towards NavPress study guides. I also think teens should be generating their own inductive notes (observation-interpretation statement--application) rather than passively responding to a Bible study guide. There may well be other wonderful resources out there. This is just what I have reviewed. I'd be happy to answer any further questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 Seconding Positive Action for Christ-LOVE it! Another vote for Positive Action. There were quizzes in the teacher book (which I really did not need), but I didn't want it to seem so much like school, so I just let her do the book on her own. The 6th grade book covers a lot of good topics. I'm doing Bible together this year and putting it together myself, but she'll be back in Positive Action next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanya in KS Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 I would also suggest Explorer's Bible Study for independent study. The only thing I complete with the children is their Bible memory verses. The rest is on their own. I have a 6th grader & Fresh completing these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siloam Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 If you wanted to combine them all into one program instead you could try Bible Study Guide for All Ages. You could also use it just for one child. Right now I use it just for my oldest and will add the other kids and do it as a group later. I also don't use the Student Activity Sheets. She reads the passage independently and we review the questions together. Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in CA Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 Another vote for Positive Action! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMindy Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 Another vote for Postitive Action! What I love about the program is that it is both academic and devotional. It teaches concepts/stories and it also has a focus on application, which trys to take the kids from head knowledge to heart knowledge and then action. My 7th grader is using Wise Up and my 5th grader is using the 4th grade book because I gave him the choice of the topics in 4th/5th/6th grade. I really love the Wise Up book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosy Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 I love the Discover 4 Yourself series! by Kay Arthur/Precept Ministries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen the RD Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 My 6th grade dd is using Rod & Staff Bible. This is a series that surveys the Bible in 4 years (grades 5, 6, 7, 8). Dd is doing R&S Bible 5, which covers Genesis through all the judges of Israel. Since we're studing ancient history this year, it has blended beautifully. My dd does this mostly on her own. I do the review sections with her. I also am doing this for my own Bible study time and boy, howdy, have I learned tons! We plan to cover world history in 3 years, so we'll be using this series at a quicker pace than they are designed, but I don't think it will compromise learning the content. Here's a link to samples: http://www.rodandstaffbooks.com/list/Rod_and_Staff_Bible/ HTH, Jennifer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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