A Review of Teaching the Bible

One of the most important things we can do is teach our children the Bible from a young age. My friend, Alyssa, has written a wonderful curriculum guideline that makes teaching the Bible to my little ones so easy and fun!

Teaching the Bible is written for toddlers through early elementary aged children. There are twelve units covering the Old Testament and New Testament, from the Creation through Jesus's second coming. Each unit contains lessons that inlcude the Bible story, scripture references, full-color memory verse posters, and lots of fun hands-on activities to reinforce the Bible lessons. 

memory verse poster for the Creation lessons

It's so much easier to explain how a curriculum works by showing you some example lessons. I started this with Unit One with Zeke (age 5) and Zoey (19 months).  Unit One is broken down into five lessons, with different sub-lessons under that. It took us a month or so to get through Unit One, but we went slower than suggested. You can definitely speed it up or slow it down to suit your needs.

We took two weeks to complete the Creation lessons because there were so many activities that we didn't want to skip any of them! Here a just a few of the activities we completed:

A sensory bin containing pictures that depicted "daytime" and "nighttime." Zeke used a flashlight to find the pictures and then sorted them by whether it was an activity we do during the day or night.

We made suncatchers with contact paper and tissue squares.

We made rain using shaving cream and colored water. They loved this! Then they played with water.

Zeke used bubble wrap to paint some fish. He then cut and glued them to a piece of blue paper. 

The sample lesson I'm going to show you is Unit One, Lesson Five called "Jacob and Esau." We read the story from several children's Bibles that I have. Our memory verse was Proverbs 3:5, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding." 

To introduce the story, I put a stuffed animal in one paper bag and a smooth, wooden block in another. I had Zeke close his eyes and feel the items in the bag, describing them to me. We talked about how Esau was hairy, like the stuffed animal, and Jacob was smooth, like the block.

We read the story using one of our children's Bibles. I love the fact that you can use any Bible you have, even using the actual scriptures instead of a children's Bible if you prefer. We've used several different children's Bibles, reading the story in a different one for a few days.

Zeke and I completed an All About Me worksheet with his favorite things. I helped him write a little, but he did a good job on most of it! It's always fun to see the answers kids come up with. 

The next day we talk about how Jacob disguised himself as Esau. I gave Zeke some art supplies and asked him to make a mask of anything he wanted! He chose a goat. He did such a great job with this paper plate goat mask, even making a goat headband to wear!

The other activity was to make soup together, but we haven't had a chance to do this yet. But you can see how simple yet impactful the activities in this curriculum are!

Some of my favorite things about Teaching the Bible are:

• The memory verses include hand motions that make memorizing easier, and the memory verse posters are full-color and beautiful!
• There are so many fun ideas listed each week. You can pick and choose the ones that fit your family's need the best.
• The activities are simple using items that are found around your house. 
• The stories go in chronological order and include Old and New Testament stories.
• I can tailor the activities to my toddler and my kindergartner, and they both get so much out of this curriculum.
• It's truly an open-and-go curriculum with little prep.

I am going to continue using this curriculum because Zeke and Zoey both really love when it's "Bible Time!" They are learning so much, and Zeke has retained so much information. I also love that he is memorizing scripture. The pages are very print-friendly, and the instructions for the activities are super easy to understand. I like that Alyssa included a "Bottom Line" for each activity! That ensures that you're driving home the main idea of the lesson in a way your children can understand and remember.

Teaching the Bible is available here! If you order the entire year-long curriculum bundle, available in June, you can use this code to get 25% off! The units are available individually right now!

MYFULLHEART25

Bible Blueprints - TOS Review

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

Learning and knowing the Bible is important for our family. I not only want my children to read their Bibles, but I also want them to know what they're reading and why they're reading it. I want them to see how the entire Bible connects together to tell one story - the redemption story. When I was given the opportunity to review the Old and New Testament Bible Blueprints from Teach Sunday School, I was excited to add another tool to our toolbox of Bible study resources!

What are Bible Blueprints?

The Bible Blueprints are one-page outlines for each of the sixty-six books in the Bible. The outlines give you tons of information without overwhelming you. Let's take a look at the blueprint for Acts. At the very top of the page, the name of the book, order in the New Testament (5), number of chapters in the book (28), and type of book (history) are listed. This gives you a good idea of where in the Bible and history the events will be taking place, as well as what type category the book is in. 

Next is an overview of the book. This is just one paragraph touching base on why it was written, to whom, and for what purpose as well as a brief history of the author or time period. The date it was written, time period covered, and author are also stated in this section.

Finally there is an outline of the content of the entire book. For the book of Acts, this is divided into five sections -

• The Ascension (chapter 1)
• The Early Ministry of Peter (chapters 2-7)
• The Expansion of the Church to Samaria and Judea (chapters 8-12)
• Paul's Early Ministry Expanding Church Around the World (chapters (13-20)
• Paul's Adventures in Arrests, Threats, and Travels (chapters 21-28)

Each of these sections has a short paragraph describing what happens in this portion of scripture. There are anywhere from one to six sections for each book of the Bible.

How Did We Use Bible Blueprints?

I printed out all sixty-six outline pages, slipped them into page protectors, and put them in a three-ring binder. This is a great way to keep these pages accessible and protected. They can't get wrinkled, torn, lost, or out of order this way! The binder is kept on our bookshelf, where my children and I can easily pull it down and use it when we need to. The pages were easy to print because while they do have color, the color is very minimal, and it doesn't use much ink. I appreciated how printer-friendly these outlines were! 

When we read through the Bible, I will have the boys study the outline for each book that we begin. It will be a great way to really understand the context of each book that we go through - for me and for them. 

What Did We Think of Bible Blueprints?

I love this product. I think it's a great resource to have on hand for your family's personal Bible study. It would also be something nice to have at church in your children, youth, and adult departments. I think the information they provide one each outline page is accurate, to the point, and easily understandable, even for children. Especially for some of the lesser-known and lesser-read books of the Bible (hello, Obadiah!), these blueprints are really handy. Did you know that the prophecy in the book of Obadiah was to the Edomites? I learned that this is one of the few instances where God speaks to another culture instead of to his chosen people, the Israelites. It is also a one-chapter book of the Bible! Having this information readily available is going to be very useful for our family's Bible study habits. This digital download is available at a very reasonable prince - $11.99 for all sixty-six outlines!

See what other Crew members thought of Teach Sunday School's Bible Blueprints by clicking the banner below!

Positive Action Bible Curriculum - TOS Review

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

Teaching the Bible to my children is very important to me, even when they are young. This is why I was very excited to try out the Exploring God's Love K4 program from Positive Action Bible Curriculum. I received the Teacher's Manual and Student Manual to use with Zeke, who is three years old.

The Teacher's Manual came with a three-ring binder to put the hole-punched pages in. This contains 383 pages with 40 lessons. Each of the 40 lessons includes three Bible stories with ways to introduce the lesson, review questions, catechism, and extra activities. There are 120 Bible stories written in this curriculum! 

Each of the 40 lessons opens with Target Truths, Vocabulary words defined, and a note to the teacher. The three Bible stories follow with a "Setting the Stage" section, which introduces the story to your child in a hands-on way. You may need an object easily found in your house, such as play-dough, blocks, or a jacket. Next is the story, written to the child that you can read, and then following that are review questions with the answers in parentheses after them.

After the three Bible stories, there is a page of Additional Elements. These are extra activities, scripture memory, music, and catechism questions.

The Teacher's Manual is necessary to teach the lessons to your child. The stories are written in a very preschool-friendly way, although I did paraphrase sometimes for Zeke. I did most of the "Setting the Stage" activities because they were fun ways to get Zeke excited about hearing the Bible story. I also think they helped him to remember key ideas from each story.

Zeke is looking inside a ziploc bag to see "nothing." God created the world from nothing!

The Student's Manual is 167 pages of full-color activities that go along with each Bible story in each lesson. These activities are very toddler and preschool appropriate! They involve coloring, cutting and gluing, mazes, tracing, and more. Zeke absolutely loved completing each of these worksheets, and the skill-level was spot-on (which is very hard to find!). The worksheets have perforated edges that make it easy to tear each sheet out. The cut-and-glue pieces are in the back of the workbook, labeled by lesson and story so you know exactly which pieces you will need.

I am thrilled with Positive Action Bible Curriculum for Zeke, and I am going to consider using the other levels with my older children next year. Positive Action Bible Curriculum has levels for preschool through high school and can be used with churches, homeschools, and traditional schools. Check out what the other Crew members thought about Positive Action Bible Curriculum by clicking the banner below! 

The NIrV Adventure Bible for Early Readers - TOS Review

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

Reading the Bible is such a crucial part of spiritual growth, especially for our children. I'm always on the lookout for ideas to get and keep my kids in the Word. I was excited to receive the NIrV Adventure Bible for Early Readers from Zondervan for Titus, my nine year old, to try out. 

This Adventure Bible is geared toward kids 6 to 10 years old, and I find this to be the perfect suggested age range. The translation is the New International Reader's Version, which is based on the New International Version (NIV). The difference in the two translations is minimal, but the words and sentences have been simplified and made shorter. This makes the Bible much easier for young children to read and understand. Also, each chapter has sections and titles to give a clearer picture of what each section is about.

I am very particular about which Bible translations my children and I read. I research the philosophy and techniques behind each translation that I read. I was pleased that there is information about the NIrV right in the front of the Bible, and it's in very easy to understand language! It includes a list of verses that aren't included in the earliest Greek manuscripts, with an explanation to why they aren't included in the NIrV. This was very helpful to me in understanding why some verses are "missing" from this translation - something I haven't researched yet. The short explanation provided in this Bible has sparked my interest in the NIV translation.

This translation was very easy for my nine-year old son, Titus, to read. He reads well for his age, but some Bible translations make it difficult for him to understand what he is reading. With the NIrV, he not only read the Bible easily but comprehended what he was reading - which is very important when reading the Bible. I'm going to give you an example of this translation in a very common set of verses - Psalm 23.

"The Lord is my shepherd. He gives me everything I need. He lets me lie down in fields of green grass. He leads me beside quiet waters. He gives me new strength. He guides me in the right paths for the honor of His name. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid. You are with me. Your shepherd's rod and staff comfort me. You prepare a feast for me right in front of my enemies. You pour oil on my head. My cup runs over. I am sure your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life. And I will live in the house of the Lord forever."

As you can see, the sentence structure and vocabulary is perfect for an early reader. Compare it with your favorite translation to see if your child would have an easier time with this translation. Another thing I really like about this Adventure Bible for Early Readers is the font size. It's not too small for young eyes to read easily. It's also not so large that it takes up too much space. To me, it's the perfect size font for a children's Bible!

The pages are colorful and bright without being too busy and distracting. There is plenty of white space and this makes it easier on the eyes. To me, the layout of the pages is neat and clean while being interesting and eye-catching.

There are many really neat features in this Bible that make it interesting for kids to look through. Even if they're not reading the scriptures, these features will pique their interest and give them motivation to dive deeper. I'll briefly touch on them.

WORDS TO TREASURE

These are verses throughout the Bible that would be wonderful for your child to memorize, or at the very least, to read through a few times. 

DID YOU KNOW?

These boxes answer questions your child may have about the scriptures, teaching some pretty neat fun facts!

PEOPLE IN BIBLE TIMES

These are mini-biographies (just a few sentences) about people in the Bible. Some are pretty familiar, but some your child may not have heard of.

LIFE IN BIBLE TIMES

This section tells some interesting facts about living in Bible times, including a picture in each box.

LIVE IT!

This section challenges your child to live out what the Bible is teaching us.

There are full-color pages spread throughout the Bible with informative and interesting charts and graphics. The Ten Commandments,  the Love Chapter for Kids, and Famous Children in the Bible are just a few. Titus enjoyed flipping through the Bible to read these.

There are also book introductions for each book with information about who wrote it, why it was written, what is special about the book, when it was written, and important chapters in the book. This is a great way for your child to get a quick overview of the books in the Bible. A  subject index, dictionary, and maps are included in the back of the Bible to help your child get a better grasp on the context of the Bible. 

If you're looking for a Bible for your early reader or young child to read on their own, this is the one! The font size, simple language, and colorful features will draw your child in. Check out what the other Crew members had to say about the Zondervan NIrV Adventure Bible for Early Readers by clicking on the banner below!

The Easter Storybook

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

 

I love children's Bibles and storybooks and have quite the collection of them! When I was offered the opportunity to review The Easter Storybook by Laura Richie, I jumped at the chance! The Easter Storybook from David C Cook  is a collection of forty Bible stories about Jesus, from his time as a boy in the Temple to His ascension to Heaven after His resurrection.

I read this storybook to and with my younger children over the last few weeks. It has quickly and easily become one of my favorite children's Bible storybooks ever!

I love the way Laura Richie writes the stories. She really makes them come alive! She does not simplify the stories at all, but includes commentary and insights that most children's Bibles leave out. For example, in the story about Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey, she writes, "He didn't ride on a strong horse like a warrior king. No, not Jesus. Instead, he rode on a small donkey like the true, humble King promised long ago by the prophets."

And in the story of Jesus talking with Nicodemus, she writes, "Jesus said people needed new life. It wasn't enough to be clean on the outside - they needed new hearts that could love and be loved. New life came from believing Jesus. God's Spirit comes to be with those who believe, giving them new life."

She also teaches about different culture and religious backgrounds that really help in understanding the stories. In the story, "Living Water", she writes, "Jesus and His disciples were walking through where the Samaritans lived - people who were not friends with the Jews. Most Jews walked around Samaria, but not Jesus." Later in the story, she adds a sentence about how the Samaritan woman mentioned something Jews and Samaritans disagreed about.

In the story about Jesus clearing the Temple, she writes, "Jewish men needed to offer animals and coins to the priests in the Temple. Money-changers traded with people to help them get the animals and coins they needed. But sometimes the money-changers were greedy and dishonest, taking more than they should and keeping the extras for themselves."

I also love the illustrations in this storybook! They are very detailed and aesthetically pleasing. My seven year old loved looking at the pictures. The illustrations almost tell the story on their own! And she includes a question or two under the story to ask your children to keep them thinking. In the story "Lord of the Sabbath", she asks, "Why did Jesus heal people on the Sabbath?" This helps your child (and you!) to think a little harder about the story and opens the door for more dialogue and conversations with your child.

The Easter Storybook (priced at less than $14 on Amazon right now) is the perfect prelude to Resurrection Day. There are 40 stories which would be perfect to read aloud during family devotions or before bedtime. The stories are geared toward children ages 4-8, but my older children also enjoyed listening to the stories and taking turns reading them aloud. I promise that you and your older children will learn something new from this storybook!

I noticed Laura Richie also has The Advent Storybook which I will keep on my Christmas wish list!

To see what other reviews have to say about The Easter Storybook, click the banner below!