I've been asked a handful of times about what curriculum I've been using, so I remembered that I needed to write it down so I can share that information better.
Ladybug (age 6) is studying 1st grade (and some above) this year, and SugarBee's (almost 5) is studying along with her, except for reading, language, and spelling lists.
I have more resources for Bible than anything else, so I'll post about it today and the rest another time.
We start every day with prayer and then do Bible study. We have a four-day school week (not including the fifth day we spend with our homeschool group learning), so we do a different Bible-directed study a day.
For prayer, I have them sometimes write in Gratitude Journals so they'll have something special to pray about. Also, we prayed for a different country every day last school year, but this year, I am going to do more than just help them find the country on the globe. I ordered "Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation" by Jason Mandryk, and we'll use it to read up on what each country's specific needs are - so we can be more effective in our prayer time.
Then we jump into our studies, beginning with the Bible.
BIBLE
1. Pearl S. Buck's "The Story of the Bible"
2."God and Me! - Devotions for Girls (Ages 6-9)"
3. We Choose Virtues& a) Child Training Bible & Virtue Training Bible & b) "Kids of Character Bible Study" by Marilyn Boyer
4. Positive Action Bible Curriculum's "Exploring God's Love"& "Then Sings My Soul: 150 of the World's Greatest Hymn Stories" by Robert J. Morgan
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1. We're continuing to read Pearl S. Buck's "The Story of the Bible." We finished 225 pages, almost half, of the book last school year by reading one story a week. After I read a story, the girls draw the story and then narrate the story to me. I write their words on their picture and file it away in their "Bible" story book. I plan to have a finished Bible that each of them has helped to illustrate and write. How fun! They are so stinking adorable already! And I plan to do this activity on a day that we have more time...because it usually takes 30-45 minutes.
2. We graduated from "God and Me!" for ages 2-5, and we will begin the ages 6-9 version this year. I love doing a devotion with the girls. There is a different topic every week with a corresponding story that illustrates the topic. After I read the story, I read the questions related to the story for the girls to answer. Then there is a prayer that we repeat together. There is also a mini-activity that follows (sometimes I do it, sometimes I don't). Getting the kids to think and apply the principle to themselves is my goal. And they love hearing stories about other kids (made-up or not).
3. We loved using the We Choose Virtues curriculum last year. They memorized the 12 character virtues, their fun character, and what that virtue means. NOW, I'm going to take it a step further. I'm going to spend 2 weeks on each virtue.
The first week we're going to review the virtue to make sure they have it memorized, and then we're going to look up the verses about or relating to that virtue in our Child Training/Virtue Training Bible. All the verses are already marked for me and color-coded, so I'm gonna use this resource since I spent the time and effort to make it! And the girls will help me read the verses that go along with the virtue.
The second week we'll review the virtue again, and then I'm going to use the "Kids of Character..." book to continue to dig deeper and think about what it means, from a Biblical perspective, to have that virtue. We'll read a couple verses and answer questions about them, and then, we'll do the application section together. I'm really excited about trying this out. It's the "IFs" questions that my kids will love and really get them thinking. For example, "If xx happened, what would you do?" The questions are very specific and applicable to the virtue we're studying. This should be fun & helpful!!!!
4. We use the "Exploring God's Love" (EGL) book in correlation with Pearl S. Buck's "The Story of the Bible." If the EGL book has activity pages that go along with the story we read that week, then we'll do those pages. They are cut and paste or coloring activities, usually. The kids loved this book last year. I use it on days where we have a lot of other things that will take a lot of time, since it's a quick activity. They treat it like a reward - "Do we get to do the EGL book this week?!"
When we don't have an EGL page to correspond for that week's Bible story, or if I just feel like it, I'm going to use the "...Greatest Hymn Stories" to teach the girls a hymn and the story behind the hymn. Have you ever heard any? A couple months ago, the worship minister told the story behind the hymn "It is Well With My Soul," and I will ever more sing that song differently - with more heart. I want the girls to connect with some of the old songs AND have a heart connection AND be ready for when we sing them in church. I want them to feel like a part of the worship experience and be excited when they can sing a song they know.
--
So that's our BIBLE curriculum! On top of that, we've given Ladybug her own NIrV Bible and have encouraged her to start reading on her own daily. And I'm trying to get back in the habit, too. Last school year, our first with Classical Conversations, left me running like crazy, but I don't want that to be repeated this year. I need Thee every hour - and I need to be in His Word.
MY Bible curriculum is as follows:
"The Names of God Bible" (I want to be more familiar with the names of God. It was important to Him and the people to know His names, so I want to know them, too.)
"Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes" by Kenneth E. Bailey
"Celebrating Jesus in the Biblical Feasts" by Dr. Richard Booker
"Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus" by Lois Tverberg
Ladybug (age 6) is studying 1st grade (and some above) this year, and SugarBee's (almost 5) is studying along with her, except for reading, language, and spelling lists.
I have more resources for Bible than anything else, so I'll post about it today and the rest another time.
We start every day with prayer and then do Bible study. We have a four-day school week (not including the fifth day we spend with our homeschool group learning), so we do a different Bible-directed study a day.
For prayer, I have them sometimes write in Gratitude Journals so they'll have something special to pray about. Also, we prayed for a different country every day last school year, but this year, I am going to do more than just help them find the country on the globe. I ordered "Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation" by Jason Mandryk, and we'll use it to read up on what each country's specific needs are - so we can be more effective in our prayer time.
Then we jump into our studies, beginning with the Bible.
BIBLE
1. Pearl S. Buck's "The Story of the Bible"
2."God and Me! - Devotions for Girls (Ages 6-9)"
3. We Choose Virtues& a) Child Training Bible & Virtue Training Bible & b) "Kids of Character Bible Study" by Marilyn Boyer
4. Positive Action Bible Curriculum's "Exploring God's Love"& "Then Sings My Soul: 150 of the World's Greatest Hymn Stories" by Robert J. Morgan
1. We're continuing to read Pearl S. Buck's "The Story of the Bible." We finished 225 pages, almost half, of the book last school year by reading one story a week. After I read a story, the girls draw the story and then narrate the story to me. I write their words on their picture and file it away in their "Bible" story book. I plan to have a finished Bible that each of them has helped to illustrate and write. How fun! They are so stinking adorable already! And I plan to do this activity on a day that we have more time...because it usually takes 30-45 minutes.
2. We graduated from "God and Me!" for ages 2-5, and we will begin the ages 6-9 version this year. I love doing a devotion with the girls. There is a different topic every week with a corresponding story that illustrates the topic. After I read the story, I read the questions related to the story for the girls to answer. Then there is a prayer that we repeat together. There is also a mini-activity that follows (sometimes I do it, sometimes I don't). Getting the kids to think and apply the principle to themselves is my goal. And they love hearing stories about other kids (made-up or not).
3. We loved using the We Choose Virtues curriculum last year. They memorized the 12 character virtues, their fun character, and what that virtue means. NOW, I'm going to take it a step further. I'm going to spend 2 weeks on each virtue.
The first week we're going to review the virtue to make sure they have it memorized, and then we're going to look up the verses about or relating to that virtue in our Child Training/Virtue Training Bible. All the verses are already marked for me and color-coded, so I'm gonna use this resource since I spent the time and effort to make it! And the girls will help me read the verses that go along with the virtue.
The second week we'll review the virtue again, and then I'm going to use the "Kids of Character..." book to continue to dig deeper and think about what it means, from a Biblical perspective, to have that virtue. We'll read a couple verses and answer questions about them, and then, we'll do the application section together. I'm really excited about trying this out. It's the "IFs" questions that my kids will love and really get them thinking. For example, "If xx happened, what would you do?" The questions are very specific and applicable to the virtue we're studying. This should be fun & helpful!!!!
4. We use the "Exploring God's Love" (EGL) book in correlation with Pearl S. Buck's "The Story of the Bible." If the EGL book has activity pages that go along with the story we read that week, then we'll do those pages. They are cut and paste or coloring activities, usually. The kids loved this book last year. I use it on days where we have a lot of other things that will take a lot of time, since it's a quick activity. They treat it like a reward - "Do we get to do the EGL book this week?!"
When we don't have an EGL page to correspond for that week's Bible story, or if I just feel like it, I'm going to use the "...Greatest Hymn Stories" to teach the girls a hymn and the story behind the hymn. Have you ever heard any? A couple months ago, the worship minister told the story behind the hymn "It is Well With My Soul," and I will ever more sing that song differently - with more heart. I want the girls to connect with some of the old songs AND have a heart connection AND be ready for when we sing them in church. I want them to feel like a part of the worship experience and be excited when they can sing a song they know.
--
So that's our BIBLE curriculum! On top of that, we've given Ladybug her own NIrV Bible and have encouraged her to start reading on her own daily. And I'm trying to get back in the habit, too. Last school year, our first with Classical Conversations, left me running like crazy, but I don't want that to be repeated this year. I need Thee every hour - and I need to be in His Word.
MY Bible curriculum is as follows:
"The Names of God Bible" (I want to be more familiar with the names of God. It was important to Him and the people to know His names, so I want to know them, too.)
"Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes" by Kenneth E. Bailey
"Celebrating Jesus in the Biblical Feasts" by Dr. Richard Booker
"Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus" by Lois Tverberg