Customer Reviews

 
Tammy B. from Houston TX Metroplex wrote the following on 07/27/2006:
I've used this product off and on again for various years. At first I copied the visual pages from the teacher manuals and made little flip books to cover the lessons with my oldest (4 yog). We would read the story and then do the worksheet the next day. We stopped after a year as she had problems with her fine motor skills and we wanted to concentrate on something else. Her Bible knowledge at this point was impressive! The CD with the songs really helped as she knew the sons of Jacob and many adults don't know them. We later started again - without making those books (less work for Mom!) and just read from the Bible and discussed. My oldest (8 yo now) does the worksheets herself (we now use the new sheets-not the classic) independently. She does use a Bible Atlas as a resource. I summarize/paraphrase the story for my youngest (5 yo) and then we do the sheet together (again she knows the 12 sons of Jacob). We stopped using these sheets over the summer while we were moving and both girls asked to do them again. I now do not use the teacher guide. The new sheets have the review questions on them which is what I used the teacher's guide for. The Teacher's guide does have supplemental information - which is very nice, but I just don't have time unless there is a question. Time for us to use this is limited to reading the Bible story for the oldest (Scripture reference is listed on each worksheet), find the Bible Atlas and the oldest works alone. The youngest (on the same story) - I spend probably 10-15 minutes retelling the story and doing the worksheet with her (she can't read well enough to do it independently). I think this is easy to use for us. We want just plain Bible teaching - not doctrines of men. If you want that and are willing to encourage your children to read the Bible and actually do the worksheets (and sing some of the knowledge songs (sons of Jacob, kings of Israel), they will have a good factual Bible knowledge. I don't do any teacher prep work (anymore) and the kids seem to be doing fine. We started using this in our Bible classes for church and it is working well. The kids < 5yo especially seem to be remembering more of the lessons. Be aware this series isn't chronological. It switches back and forth between the OT and NT. My kids haven't had a problem with that though. On occasion, one of the review questions on the sheet hasn't been covered yet. Another item to consider is that they don't have an answer guide - so your Bible knowledge either needs to be very good - or you need to do a sheet with your child! The answers for the review questions are Scripture references.

 
Julie M. from CA wrote the following on 06/15/2007:
We came across these guides nine years ago and I highly recommend them. I believe they were originally intended to be used twice a week in Bible classes. There are 104 lessons in each guide, so if you do two a week, you will finish each one in a year. Each lesson takes us about an hour to complete. We do the review questions, read the text, answer questions, timeline work, map work, and discuss what we've learned. I can't stress enough the value of using the review questions in each and every lesson. Everywhere we've been, I've been praised for how much Bible my older children know. There are even more components to each lesson that we choose not to do... mostly because of time restraints. I have used these guides to teach my children, teen Bible classes, and ladies Bible classes. I personally have learned a lot by using the maps and timelines. Other women and teens have also commented on how much those aides have helped them. The answers are not given in the manuals, so I write in the answers as we study each lesson. Eventually we started using what are called the classic pages. (Those will soon be done away with as they have made newer and more cartoony looking pages). When they got too old for those pages, I started typing the questions out for them to answer along with a "what did you learn and how can you apply it to your life" question. I find my 16 and 17 year olds retain more when they have to write their answers down. Our younger children are now ages 3, 5, and 7. I am getting ready to get them started on the series. I know that Donald and Mary Baker say that these studies can be started with 3 year olds, but I personally believe these lessons are very rich in Bible teaching and I decided to work on introducing Old and New Testament people and events to my younger children until they were ready for this more in depth study.

 
Sharon S. from Goodyear, Arizona wrote the following on 03/07/2008:
I just found this resource perusing the catalog and have been so pleased. I was wanting a serious Bible knowledge program and this is it, but in a gentle and fun format that also includes plenty of prompts for spiritual growth and application. My 7yo daughter asks to do Bible study first each day! The lessons are thorough but hold her attention. We do the review questions, I read the passage, ask the given questions from the teacher's manual and then we do the worksheet. She enjoys following the directives for coloring in the pages. We label the timeline and maps as guided by the TM. We close with the application section and prayer. Our lessons last 45 minutes. The worksheet books are only bound with an adhesive kind of spine, which caused the pages to come out (which could be ok if you wanted to use them that way), but since I wanted to keep them together,which is excellent for when we review, I took them to Kinko's and had them spiral bound for $3.50 each. Well worth it. The only prep work I have done for using this curriculum is at the beginning, laminating and cutting the items for the timeline and maps, getting the books bound and mounting the timeline and maps. I stapled the timeline and maps to foam core boards since I don't have wall space, so that way we can slide them behind the piano when we are not using them. The Instructor's Manual is straightforward and easy to use, I just open it up to the lesson for the day and begin. It includes lots of game and activity ideas as well as some activity sheets, they would take some extra prep time, although I've gotten an idea or two to use just waiting for my daughter to find her crayons. I didn't even notice that the answers weren't given because they are all right there in the Bible text for the lesson and due to her age I am participating fully. We have only used the CD occasionally, but the few songs we've incorporated have been wonderful. The songs are very short, so I put the CD player on repeat which is helpful. I don't write many reviews, but this resource was one I couldn't help tellling others about!