When I first began homeschooling, I never gave much thought to a formal Bible curriculum. I just figured we’d open the Bible, do a bit of reading and prayer and move on with our day. Simple, right? As my kids are growing older I have discovered three disadvantages with this approach:
1. We aren’t consistent with it, it’s too easy to push it aside
2. My kids are asking more in-depth questions
3. I am noticing gaps in their overall Bible knowledge, especially between the older and younger children.
When someone asked my kids what their favorite Bible verse was they couldn’t answer (oh AWANA, how I miss you). When they were asked about a certain story they had never heard and my kids looked at me with a blank stare, I had had enough. Clearly on my own I wasn’t managing the different ages and stages, and we just weren’t sticking to any sort of a regular progression through the Bible. It was hit and miss and not what I wanted for our family.
PIN ME!
Our search for a Bible curriculum that worked for us.
I spent a LOT of time searching online for curriculum that was suit our family. I wasn’t interested in just a simple devotional. I wanted something in-depth, but still age appropriate. Because of the different age ranges and grade levels I am working with, I needed something that I could use to teach to multiple kids at the same time. Because I have three different learning styles in my homeschool, I also needed a Bible curriculum that was multi-sensory and would touch on each of the different approaches to learning (take the learning style quiz here if you aren’t sure).
As you can imagine, it wasn’t an easy search. While I found a lot of different curriculums, many of them were stand-alone and meant for a single grade level. I simply don’t have the time to spend 30-60 minutes on yet another subject x 3 children. Not to mention the fact that I really wanted something we could do together as a family, time restraints aside. When I stumbled upon Grapevine Studies, I knew I had a winner from the get go. I first found out about them with one of their free e-lessons (you can download a free lesson HERE or by clicking on the image below).
Grapevine Studies still offers different age and grade-level options that allow families to teach the same Bible material to multiple children at once. Current levels include PreK–K, Early Elementary for grades 1–3, Elementary for grades 4–6, and Middle School for grades 7–8, with traceable options available for younger students.
When we originally used the program, my preschooler worked in the Traceable version, my grade 2 and 3 children used Level 1, and my grade 4 son used Level 2. The different levels made it possible for us to study the same material together while each child worked at an age-appropriate level.
Our Bible Curriculum with everything we use in a day’s lessons.
The benefits of using a formal Bible curriculum in our homeschool
I have seen so many benefits since I started using Grapevine Studies in our homeschool. Our kids are beginning in Genesis with creation and we are working through the Old and New Testament in order. We are able to work together at all our various levels and yet all be in the same place in the story, no one get’s left behind. Because of the unique levelled approach, as my kids get older, we can repeat the same cycle of lessons, but this time in a harder level. This constant re-enforcement of the lessons will help my children remember the stories and build a strong foundation each year.
For me, I don’t have to plan a Bible time, I can open up a program and go with it. It is something I know my kids enjoy, it doesn’t take a lot of time, and it keeps me motivated so that it doesn’t get pushed aside. It is easy to teach and I quite enjoy drawing through the Bible alongside my kids if I’m being completely honest! I give my little toddler a pen and paper and she draws right alongside us, I have given my kids a lot of creative freedom, where they are not forced to follow my drawings and can add to it or do their own interpretation of the story and it is so much fun to see what they come up with. Because my kids get to take ownership of their lessons, because they are built on a foundational approach, where every lesson builds on the one before it. Because the lessons are fluid and include built in memory work and review questions, we don’t have to think about it at all, and my kids are actually remembering what we are doing!
There is rhyme and reason to our Bible time now, and I have been so impressed with the results!
Learn More About Grapevine Studies
Grapevine Studies is still available today with Bible studies and curriculum options for a range of ages. Visit Grapevine Studies to explore the current programs, bundles, pricing, and any available promotions. You can also visit our Gather ’Round Homeschool page for more curriculum reviews, resources, and information about Gather ’Round.
