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Bible: WTM Style Binder


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I've always planned on just reading a chapter of the Bible every day with the kids beginning in maybe 3rd grade but I wasn't quite sure what to do with our time as far as application/output goes. I've decided (maybe?) that I want to keep a WTM style binder. I was reading the section on the Science binder the other day and :wub:. If you haven't read it she has you do definitions, scientific principles, classifications and descriptions across all 4 areas of science which I don't think is what she recommend in the first 3 volumes, but I could be wrong. I love the idea of acknowledging Science as a whole and wanted to the same with Bible but I wasn't sure how to do it. So I'm kind of brain storming and this is what I have:

Figures - description and references
Places - description and references
Books - a short description of each chapter
Vocabulary

Charts - prophecies, family trees and other essential lists
Maps & Timelines
Doctrines
Customs & Culture

It should take 3.25 years to cover the entire Bible if done daily so I would begin with simpler things (figures, places, vocab, books) then get more complex and finish with the big stuff (charts, timelines, doctrines, customs etc.). 

Is this crazy? I think this could really work. And man what a treasure that would be!

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I think it’s a great idea! I’m going to have to think about doing something similar with my kids.

As a side note I randomly saw a bible map and encyclopedia type resource at Walmart the other day. I didn’t have enough cash with me to buy it and assumed I could find it online but didn’t take note of the publisher. I haven’t been to my local Walmart since to see if they have it. Anyway, it looked like a well done resource that would be easy for kids to use, a lot of times it seems like that sort of stuff is either too babyish or too scholarly for elementary kids. 

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12 minutes ago, Rachel said:

I think it’s a great idea! I’m going to have to think about doing something similar with my kids.

As a side note I randomly saw a bible map and encyclopedia type resource at Walmart the other day. I didn’t have enough cash with me to buy it and assumed I could find it online but didn’t take note of the publisher. I haven’t been to my local Walmart since to see if they have it. Anyway, it looked like a well done resource that would be easy for kids to use, a lot of times it seems like that sort of stuff is either too babyish or too scholarly for elementary kids. 

I've been playing around with it. I'm currently thinking:

Books - a short description of each chapter
Figures - description, references & maps
Places - description, references & maps
Vocabulary - as needed

Charts - I will decide on this in round one
Maps & Timelines
Doctrines
Topical Index (obviously a younger student can do this but I think a more mature mind will be better equipped to decide what should be logged)

I'm attaching a sample I made because I'm very visual and wanted to see it..

Untitled document - Google Docs.pdf

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I have toyed with this idea for literally years!! My kids and I are finally getting started. Slower than I want, but little by little.

My general idea is to make their own "reference" book for the Bible. Here are the sections I'm planning to include:

 

The Word - lists of books of the Bible, categoized by type. This will ALSO include a single page reference for each book, which will include the main info – author, date, main stories, characters, themes, general outline (hopefully color coded and visually represented, not just text)

Stories – One page for each main story – not sure yet how this will work, but just trying to have a central place for more detailed story info.

Maps – Handdrawn, and might use transparencies for different times of the same area.

Timeline – Overall timeline of main events as well as when books were set and written, plus some more detailed timelines (e.g., life of David, life of Jesus)

Genealogies – Drawn from genealogy chapters, and including everything we can fit

Names of God – As we read, we will make a list of names and their meanings, and keep a list of which name was used during which books and stories (we have a Names of God Bible that makes this easy)

Types – This will probably be divided by book. E.g., What types of Christ are in Exodus? And then have a list and explanations.

Places – This might end up in the Map section, but basically it will be an ongoing list of events that occurred in the same place. So, it will start as a list of places – Bethlehem, Shechem, Haran, Egypt, etc. I’m not yet sure how I will order them, but I *think* I will order them in order of appearance in the Bible. That way it will end up kind of chronological, too. This will allow is to, over time, compare the things that occur in the same location.

Figurative Language – This is a place to keep a record of figurative language used. Again, not exactly sure how I will do it, but I’m thinking we will make a page for each type of figurative language we encounter – imagery, metaphor, personification, etc., and then just copy the examples we find onto that page. It will end up similar to a commonplace book, with just a bunch of copywork in it, but they will be organized by figurative language type.

Symbols – Sort of an extention of figurative language, but we will have a page for each symbol encountered. This takes a little preparation since symbols aren’t apparent until they are encountered several times, but we will start with commonly known ones, and then maybe research to find more – water, bread/grain, light, etc. Every time we encounter the symbol in Scripture, we will make a note on its page. Every now and then we will just look at a single page and consider all of the appearances of that (possible) symbol.

Themes – Again, a page per main theme – e.g, sin, redemption, worship, garden, etc.

Prayers – As we read Scripture, we can consider how to use that Scripture in our prayers. If we are reading a very well-suited excerpt, we can make a note of just the reference on an overall page of Prayer references. Then once a week or so, we will actually write out a prayer using one of those references, and include it in our book. My longterm plan is to keep these prayers categorized by the Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication method, and then use the prayers in our morning Bible time and evening family worship.

Vocabulary – Just to keep a quick reference of unfamiliar words

 

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Dang, girl! Ok. Here are my thoughts:

59 minutes ago, Tranquility7 said:

My general idea is to make their own "reference" book for the Bible Yes!. Here are the sections I'm planning to include:

 

 

 

The Word - lists of books of the Bible, categoized by type. This will ALSO include a single page reference for each book, which will include the main info – author, date, main stories, characters, themes, general outline (hopefully color coded and visually represented, not just text) I have this, but no color.

 

Stories – One page for each main story – not sure yet how this will work, but just trying to have a central place for more detailed story info. I want to read by story/concept, not chapter, and have them fill the outline out themselves. I will read ahead and plan this out.

 

Maps – Handdrawn Yes!, and might use transparencies for different times of the same area.

 

Timeline – Overall timeline of main events as well as when books were set and written, plus some more detailed timelines (e.g., life of David, life of Jesus) Mmmhmm. Yes. Mmmhmm.

 

Genealogies – Drawn from genealogy chapters, and including everything we can fit This will go under "Charts" for us.

 

Names of God – As we read, we will make a list of names and their meanings, and keep a list of which name was used during which books and stories (we have a Names of God Bible that makes this easy) This will go under "Charts" for us.

 

Types – This will probably be divided by book. E.g., What types of Christ are in Exodus? And then have a list and explanations. This will go under "Charts" for us.

 

Places – This might end up in the Map section, but basically it will be an ongoing list of events that occurred in the same place. So, it will start as a list of places – Bethlehem, Shechem, Haran, Egypt, etc. I’m not yet sure how I will order them, but I *think* I will order them in order of appearance in the Bible. That way it will end up kind of chronological, too. This will allow is to, over time, compare the things that occur in the same location. Two different things. I responded to this elsewhere with...

Hmmm. Maybe we should put maps by the description but no to your question.

Section one will have a name, description and all Scripture references (and perhaps a map), but section two will have a two page spread with David's timeline on one side and David's life mapped out on the other.

 

Figurative Language – This is a place to keep a record of figurative language used. Again, not exactly sure how I will do it, but I’m thinking we will make a page for each type of figurative language we encounter – imagery, metaphor, personification, etc., and then just copy the examples we find onto that page. It will end up similar to a commonplace book, with just a bunch of copywork in it, but they will be organized by figurative language type. OH! OH! OK! Why am I yelling?

 

Symbols – Sort of an extention of figurative language, but we will have a page for each symbol encountered. This takes a little preparation since symbols aren’t apparent until they are encountered several times, but we will start with commonly known ones, and then maybe research to find more – water, bread/grain, light, etc. Every time we encounter the symbol in Scripture, we will make a note on its page. Every now and then we will just look at a single page and consider all of the appearances of that (possible) symbol. This will go under "Charts" for us.

 

Themes – Again, a page per main theme – e.g, sin, redemption, worship, garden, etc. This will go under "Charts" or "Doctrine" for us.

 

Prayers – As we read Scripture, we can consider how to use that Scripture in our prayers. If we are reading a very well-suited excerpt, we can make a note of just the reference on an overall page of Prayer references. Then once a week or so, we will actually write out a prayer using one of those references, and include it in our book. My longterm plan is to keep these prayers categorized by the Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication method, and then use the prayers in our morning Bible time and evening family worship. Me gusta!

 

Vocabulary – Just to keep a quick reference of unfamiliar words I wanted a page for A, a page for B etc. for easy reference.

So we're kinda on the same page! I hadn't considered the figurative language and symbols though. Very exciting!

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What you might do is try reading and notebooking for yourself this way for a week so you can work out the kinks and see what you find edifying. I think it will really depend on the ages of the kids. I know over the years with my dd we would have focuses, like maybe for a time going through a book on the names of God or through a book on doctrines, etc. So if you had the intention to read through the Bible multiple times over the years, then you might like to have a theme for the year. That would be in the definitely gets done camp, lol. 

I definitely don't want to say this can't get done, but it would take a lot of time and might be more than 8/6 yos are wanting to do. I've done some reading from the Bible straight with my ds, who admittedly has language issues but is also quite bright. We read the NIrV when we do that to make sure he *understands* it. If you're coming from Egermeier, maybe you'll have an inbetween stage like that? Or consider reading the Vos children's story Bible next. It's a step up, both in language complexity and with the cause/effect and making connections. Does TMTM have you doing catechism? I couldn't remember. 

Right now I find myself doing a lot with maps with ds, so I'm with you that this is a great age to start bringing those in! It's sort of concrete, something they're ready to understand, and it makes a lot of connections. If you had say just a mapping focus for the year, you could print out blank maps or pretty colored maps or put maps on the walls for your reference. I LOVE reference maps like them and like to just look at them and ponder. Then you could make headings for cities under the mapping tab in your notebooks and with each new major place make a heading and what happened there. Then you'd start to see the overlap! Like you realize I've read the Bible how many times and I never connected that where Lazarus was raised was the same place as where the walls fell, Jericho! Or that Jericho was close to the Jordan? I had forgotten! So how fascinating and how much better a mental picture. And I think that's why I've been doing mapping with ds, because he's ready to ponder what that really meant, what that life was like, what it means when it says they WALKED somewhere. 

I think culture is really fair game at this age too, and I'm not sure if that's a notebooking thing or a read a cultural handbook or what. I've been using the Illustrated Family Bible Stories that TOG used to recommend (do they still?), and it's surprisingly wonderful. It has just enough cultural and geographical information in the sidebars to intrigue ds and pull him in, and then you have a straight but fresh telling of the story. My ds is really in the "I've heard this before and I'm bored" camp, because he has this crazy propensity to MEMORIZE everything he hears. He's been enjoying it and finding it fresh. 

Are you going to have them listen to you read aloud or are they going to read for themselves? The reading level of most translations is pretty high.Bible Translation Reading Levels - Christianbook.comhttps://www.christianbook.com/page/bibles/about-bibles/bible-translation-reading-levels   There are kids who do this and kids who don't. My super high ACT, always 4-6 grade levels above reading level kid I think was still reading an NIrV in 3rd grade. The jump is HUGE. And I can tell you that when *I* read aloud to my ds, one chapter of Scripture usually takes us 20+ minutes. Or at least it feels that long, lol. By the time we read, pause, discuss, pause, it usually is quite a while. And that's reading an NIrV that is pretty accessible! So to get through 3 chapters a day (what it takes to read in a year) isn't accessible for him. It just isn't. It would take us an hour, let alone the notebooking. For my dd, I think I tried plans like that, having her read for herself, and then she just had her own preferences. They also start to have those opinions, lol. 

Have you looked at the Greenleaf Guides? They might give you a streamlined way to get where you're going. Or have you looked at the VP Bible curriculum? It might give you some structure to get where you're going without getting stuck in the weeds of great intentions. You could cover it at a faster clip if you wanted. They're going to pull out a lot of those basics like lists, etc. and have snazzy worksheets you could throw in a notebook. 

I'm looking through some of the things y'all are highlighting. For vocabulary, we're hitting that as we read the Illustrated Family Bible Stories. For us, having less reading lets us focus more on the culture and vocabulary. We're probably spending our time half and half right now. Not really, but seemingly. We're giving a lot of time to that culture, the vocab, the visual picture. It's really very engaging, and having *less* material at this age sometimes lets you do that. For things like themes, outlines, etc., have you ever taken a survey course? I went to a Christian college and my dd is now at one, and it's a really valuable thing! Like I'm not dissuading you at all and saying no don't do that. I'm just connecting your hunger for this and saying wow it's very good and did you know there are resources for this? Like instead of assembling their own (or you going through it inductively), maybe you'd like a reference like that? This isn't the only book like that, but here's one to get you started.          Survey of the Old Testament       and then here's a grad level text of a similar type          An Introduction to the Old Testament: Second Edition     

I think the ESV has a youth study Bible with notes now. The fonts are probably crazy small, but maybe it doesn't bother kids? They're also making these notebooking Bibles. Have you seen them? They have thicker paper and lines to write in the margins. They're very affordable. I think your notebooking idea is sharp too. I'm just suggesting maybe some structure or ways to focus so that it definitely gets done. 

Have you seen Big Book of Bible Facts and Fun (Big Books) ? Our library had it along with a ton of other Gospel Light reproducible books. Actually, not to blow your mind, but it has the pages like you're wanting, so they could just read the fact page on animals or clothing or occupations or whatever and then color. It includes a timeline, fact cards for each book of the Bible, etc. That would be crazy age-appropriate. They have a really amazing glossary in the back too. Like I don't know how you want to use it, but it has a lot of potential. It could be *your* reference, or you could use the content to create games, etc. You could play hangman with the Bible vocabulary, etc. 

They have another book The Big Book of Bible Skills (Big Books) That I'm crazy for right now. It has those same Bible book cards and tons of games, worksheets for mapping, etc. Again, our library had it. 

Ok, I was going to try to find you one of the books on the names of Christ like we used with dd. That was more like maybe junior high. By high school I had her reading commentaries. I think I picked Warren Wiersbe at that early high school stage, because they were positive, uplifting, cheap, easy to get through. Anyways, I was trying to find that other book and came across this!! https://www.christianbook.com/morning-stars-names-christ-little-ones/frances-havergal/9781599251882/pd/251882?product_redirect=1&Ntt=251882&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP  Frances Havergal was of course a famous hymnwriter, and her stuff is profoundly beautiful. What a gem! So here's a book that has all these names compiled as little devotionals for young ones. I don't know if my ds could understand it, so I'll have to look. I'm reading to him from Joni Erickson Tada's hymns series, and he enjoys them. He doesn't sing btw, so it's kind of a funny thing for me to be teaching him hymns. So the notebooking is good, but I tend to roll with the idiot-proof, open it and it gets done resources. And I think they could combine well with notebooking for a dc who can do that! Like they could draw/notebook while you read to them. It could be really nice! And the resources would combine to help you get more done. 

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