What do you use for Bible during the school year?

[KYHokiemom]

I am considering Bible Study Guides for All Ages. Are there any other suggestions or thoughts? Thank you.

[mamato3 all-boy boys]

I don't know your ages, but if I didn't already have a pile of Bible studies that have been waiting for my ds to get to the 8-12 year old range (he's 9 now), I'd do Explorers. We may end up there later in the year if what I have doesn't work.

 

I've got a Kay Arthur study of James for him, something I got for free at a curriculum sale about prayer, and a Train Up a Child study on obedience that is about 1/4th finished from 2nd grade. I've really wanted to be able to dto BSGFAA, but for some reason, I just can't get myself to commit to it. For my Ker, we'll read Leading Little Ones to God, since the last time he heard it he was 2 :o)

[sadiegirl]

I don't do a set curriculum as I tried a few and the kids didn't get too excited about Bible. Then, I ordered some Who's who, Bible history, and various books of interest on Bible characters, stories etc. and during our Bible, they were required to read in these books and the Bible verses that applied to these pages. We also did a Jesse Tree with a book at Christmas which we plan on doing again this year and we also read Sheep Tales which was an incredible book for us all. My kids have learned so much about Bible by going this route that their Sunday school teachers are amazed at their Bible knowledge for their ages.

[swellmomma]

up until now my kids have use devotions for boys, and devotions for girls books, but for next year I plan on changing things up and using Memoria press's Christian Studies 1 with them. My little guy is using Leading Little ones to God for Kindy

[EricaB]

I am not sure what you are considering "all ages", but we have been enjoying this company. I ordered 4 units from them, but I am doing the preschool series that will litterally take my 2 dc through the entire Old and New Test. in a way that is appropriate for them. The one that encompasses a wider age range is called their adventure series for ages 6-12.

 

My Big Screen Adventure - Showing Jesus Around the Globe

My Volcano Adventure - Discovering the Bible's Power

My Jungle Adventure - Walking with Christ and Growing Good Fruit

My Awesome Adventure - Finding New life with Jesus Christ

 

http://www.discipleland.com/adventure.phtml

 

Like I said, I am still in the preschool phases with this company, but we LOVE the materials. They are very easy to follow, set up for Sunday school, but adaptable to home school as we have done. There is a guide that really tells you ever thing you need to know, how to do it, and contains a simple supply list. There are free samples of one entire unit per Adventure on their website.

 

I hope this is what you were asking for, if not, maybe it will help someone else. I honestly have not seen these types of materials in home school resources and we LOVE them.

 

Erica

[Julie in MN]

Our favorite is... the Bible!

 

We are kinda ho-hum about Bible study guides. Maybe it's my influence, because I have a strong feeling that random Bible quotes led me astray as a teen. I want my kids to know the whole Bible and have a solid basis for evaluating random quotes!

 

I even like using a very easy Bible the first time through -- the NIrV -- because I know too many people with lovely Bibles that have never been read all the way through. I think they may get bogged down the first time.

 

For help retaining what we read, we've used various things. Greenleaf Guide to the Old Testament does the job nicely. Even notebooking or writing simple answers to a few questions on each book can do the trick. Youngest ds is following the Bible using MFW, which covers more and more of the "real" Bible until the entire thing is read in high school.

 

A favorite topic of mine!

Julie

[Melanie]

I just have them read the Bible. When they're finished with it, they start over again, this time with a more difficult text. After several children's Bibles and an easier adult version, my oldest is now reading the KJV. It's very slow going, but he'll finish eventually. And then the sky's the limit - he could read C.S. Lewis or Augustine or Thomas Aquinas or Martin Luther, and I think that would serve him better than most of the homeschool Bible study programs I've seen out there. It's a lot cheaper, too. ;)

[bairnmama]

We're using the reading portion of R&S Bible Nurture and Reading Series because my dd is still so young. We use the TM to talk about the lesson and my dd loves that she can read the story herself. We do just enough of the exercises to make sure she understood, but the workbook is really not necessary as it was written as a reading program. I've looked at the upper grades of R&S bible and I am really impressed with what I've seen.

[mcconnellboys]

I haven't looked at the program you mentioned. I have begun using Memoria Press Christian Studies. I just like the way it goes along with actual reading of the Bible. Nice study question suggestions, etc.

[ShelzNH]

If there is one near you then I would look into it. Most of them have classes for the kids. they study the same study that you do only at their level. It is great spiritual food for both you and your kids and they have homework to be completed every week.

http://www.communitybiblestudy.org/classes_and_courses.aspx

[Emilylou]

Do you have a AWANA program near you? That is what I use in addition to Leading Little Ones to God.

[girligirlmom]

I like Bible Study Guides for All Ages. This year we did Leading Little Ones to God but we are going back to BSGFAA shortly. I like how we read a chapter in whichever version we choose, and then review it together at each child's level. My dc like the Student Pages and the summary cards.

 

My dc participate in Pioneer Clubs and have weekly memory verses, but I like that BSGFAA goes deeper into each Biblical person's life, chapter by chapter. We finished Joseph and are near the end of Daniel (about lesson 19), but I want to get back to it and plan to this summer. I know it's not chronological, but I've gotten over that. In 4 years (if we do 2 lessons per week) we could cover the entire Bible in depth. It looks like they have now completed up through lesson 312 (year 3) of the new version of pages, Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. When I first looked they had only completed year 1.

[Another Lynn]

I haven't used it, but just saw recommended in another thread the Bible for Children from Classical Academic Press - same folks who wrote Latin for Children. I looked at the online sample and think it might be good for us when we start over with ancients in another year or so. It looks like their book covers Genesis to Ruth, so I'm assuming they'll follow up with more volumes.

[Basketmaker Amy]

We do Community Bible Study also. My kids love it....and so do I.

[Baseballmom]

I was interested in the Bible Study Guide for All Ages, but I couldn't find a copy anywhere to look at. I am very visual and need a copy in my hands to get an idea of how it works. I may look at it again in the future because from the samples it looked great. For next year, I chose Sword Fighting by Karyn Henley. It is a year long devotional using the Day by Day Kids Bible (or any bible.) The kids learn a temptation they may face, a story from the Bible that illustrates it, and a verse that can be used to fight that temptation. It involves a game that is added to all year as the verses are learned. The temptation you have learned is put on a 3x5 index card and then put in a box. The child draws out a card and has to recite the verse that they learned to fight that specific temptation. So they are learning to Sword Fight or fight temptation using scripture like Jesus did when he was tempted in the desert. Good luck finding something that fits you and your family.

Dorothy

[Cathy in IL]

Thanks for the great ideas!

[scrappyhappymama]

We use Our Spiritual Heritage at home and really love it. It is also not chronological, and that was worrisome to me at first, but now I actually prefer it. The studies are done by themes, such as God is Wise, or God is Great at Light and Water and within each theme stories are presented that reinforce the child's understanding of God and his purpose for the world and our own place in His plan. It is geared toward elementary aged kids. http://ourspiritualheritage.com/BibleStudy.htm

 

Our church also uses the Bible Study Guide for All Ages. I like it too, and my kids are learning a lot from it, but having used both- I prefer the Our Spiritual Heritage program. There is a workbook with activities with OSH, but it is not as overwhelming as the worksheets for BSGFAA. I want there to be some reinforcement of ideas, but I don't want it to cross over to busywork and for the overall message to be missed, kwim?