Rooted And Grounded: A Guide For Spiritual Growth

Description

Written for a high school through adult level audience, this is a topical Bible study course that should take a full year. Topics cover selected areas of theology, relationship with God, and Christian living. Each week also includes a two-page introduction of an unreached people group accompanied by beautiful artwork by Julie Bosacker. This makes it easy to integrate prayer for each of these groups with regular lessons-sort of like incorporating the same ideas presented in the book Operation World into your studies and prayer life.

The study is non-denominationally Protestant. Introductions to each lesson, aside from the unreached peoples' information, are brief, so the focus is primarily upon Scripture itself. The student is directed to read directly from Scripture, then answer comprehension, analysis, and application questions. Frequently, lessons cross reference additional Scripture verses. Scripture verses are purposely not included in the student book so that students become more familiar with the Bible itself by looking up the verses. However, the teacher's guide does include an appendix with all the Scripture verses-46 pages worth! Memory verses are included along with a suggested review calendar for optimum retention. Student books are consumable, so you'll need one for each student.

The teacher's guide is quite useful. It includes all the student material, the Bible verses, sample lesson plans, teaching strategies, and notes/answers for questions students address in each lesson. Other features are weekly "prayer suggestions" relating to the lesson, weekly review "quizzes," and some wonderful illustrations.

In addition, there is a Test & Answer Keys booklet. The eight tests in the booklet include a mixture of short answer, vocabulary, matching, and essay questions.

This is serious Bible study that would ideally be used by parent and child(ren) together. Although the publisher suggests using it only with upper level high school students, I believe that many homeschoolers in ninth and tenth grades would have no trouble with either the level of presentation or the ideas. ~ Reprinted from Christian Home Educators Curriculum Manuals with permission of Cathy Duffy, Grove Publishing.

Teaching Method
Traditional
Teacher-centered curriculum commonly used in classrooms that may include a text, teacher manual, tests, etc.
Charlotte Mason
A methodology based on the work of a 19th century educator who maintained that children learn best from literature (Living Books), not textbooks.
Classical
A methodology based on the Latin Trivium (three stages of learning), including the grammar stage (memorization and facts), logic stage (critical thinking), and rhetoric stage (developing/defending ideas).
Unit Study
A thematic or topical approach centered around one topic that integrates multiple subject areas.
Montessori (Discovery)
A methodology based on the work of a 20th century educator that emphasizes student and sensory-driven discovery learning and real-life applications.
Religious Content
Christian/Religious
Faith-based or including instructional religious content.
Neutral
Avoids religious or theoretical topics or presents multiple viewpoints without preference.
Secular
Contains content contrary to common Christian beliefs (i.e. evolution).
Learning Modality
Auditory
Learns through listening, talking out loud or reading out loud.
Visual
Learns through seeing, prefers written instructions and visual materials.
Kinesthetic/Tactile (Hands-On)
Learns through moving, doing and touching.
Multi-Sensory
Curriculum that employ a variety of activities/components.
Presentation
Sequential
Curriculum progresses through well-defined learning objectives. Emphasizes mastery before moving to the next topic.
Spiral
Topics and concepts are repeated from level to level, adding more depth at each pass and connecting with review.
Conceptual/Topical
Focus is on the “why,” often with a unifying concept as well as specific skills; coverage may be broader.
Teacher Involvement
Low Teacher Involvement
Student-led materials; parent acts as a facilitator.
Medium Teacher Involvement
A mix of teacher-led time and independent student work.
High Teacher Involvement
Teacher-led lessons; may utilize discussions, hands-on activities and working together.
Additional Materials Required
No other materials needed
Everything you need is included.
Other Materials Required
There are additional required resources that are a separate purchase.
Other Materials Optional
There are additional resources mentioned or recommended but are not absolutely necessary.
Consumable
Consumable
Designed to be written in; not reusable.
Non-Consumable
Not designed to be written in; reusable.