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. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.
If you're like me, it's hard to find quality home school Bible lessons for upper elementrary students that aren't too babyish or too advanced. So when I heard about the Bible Study Guide For All Ages that encompassed bible reading, historical timelines, art and theological thinking, I knew I might have found a winner!
I was able to be able to check out the upper elementary level of the Bible Study Set For All Ages, known as the Advanced (5th & 6th grade) Set (which is made up of the Advanced Student Pages, Advanced Teacher Key, and Bible Book Summary Cards), this past month with Miss Grace. It came at a great time, as she was doing review work, leading up to her end of year testing, and then finished her testing and was on a 3 week break. But this is such a great curriculum, it let her keep her history and art skills going!
Kids using this Advanced Set are challenged to think for themselves and apply what they are learning to their lives, via interactive, illustrated Bible study, application activities, Bible and memory drills, time line, maps and more are all designed to help them dig into the Bible and be transformed by it. The 4 unit set covers the entire Bible in 416 lessons, studying Old Testament and new Testament, and is perfect for a one or two year long approach (for both grade levels). We were sent the first unit to check out:
The first unit covers Genisus, Moses, Jesus and more. The Student Page sets include 26 one-page lessons (front and back), and are lightly glue-bound on one side so you can VERY easily tear off each page for your student, so you don't have to hand over the entire unit, just the page they need each week! These are larger pages, with each being legal size (8.5” x 14” ), so make sure your child has room to work on them! Each student would need their own unit, as each page is like a workbook sheet to itself.
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The front of each page includes the bible chapter at the top left, then Bible Study on the left column- which includes, things to remember, memory workout (using Bible Book Summary Cards), singing songs (if you got the additional cd), an interesting tidbit about the book in question, or bible passages to read. Then on the top of the page, you have the timeline map, which lets your student know where they are at with the current reading, and what pieces will get to be added during the lesson! The rest of the page includes the Time Line questions, a Get Active activity, which may include Art, Drama, or other activities to enforce the lesson learned, and then an Apply It! section, which asks your student questions about their own life, and how the current lesson relates to it.
The back page has your student discover the bible by remembering their bible verses and completing the cartoons, or by re-reading the bible verses and then completing. Miss Grace liked that section a LOT! She said it was easier to add dialogue, than to have to draw it all out!
For Miss Grace's unit, we read the bible chapter in question together, then she completed the first page by herself, adding items to our timeline and maps, and then we would discuss the Apply It! questions together. Then the next day, she would we would work over the cartoon second page together. Generally she was able to complete the page with minimum reminders from the bible verses. Then I would pull out the bible study card for the book, and I would ask her the study questions.
For us this worked well, as Miss Grace likes independent learning, and I was able to use the materials in the Advanced Teacher Key (shown above) to direct her with the time line and reading, and then when we were together for discussion, to give her the Helpful Information from the Teacher's Guide, and direct her to the additional readings, to give her a bigger picture of the book in question. Plus having the answers, meant I could quickly check her answers on what she had completed during her class time, which was helpful when I had worked a 12 hour day!
I was pleasantly surprised at how much Miss Grace knew about the different bible books we went over during the review period. She actually quite liked going over the Bible Book Summary Cards!
Each flash card has one or more pictures on the front, that represent the main content or message of a Bible book. Miss Grace had used similar cards in her private school for YEARS, so she was happy to see such cards again!
On the back, a brief description explains the pictures. The back side also includes questions (and answers!) that the teacher can ask when reviewing the cards. Miss Grace thought of these like trivia questions, and wanted to go through the all, to test her knowledge, LOL. We may end up actually using the cards at VBS later this month, as a trivia game for the older kids to join in on!
The included timeline is NOT for the feint of heart, or walls, LOL! It is BIG! You get 5 posters, and the timeline itself measures 76" x 25", whereas the sizes of the three maps are 38" x 25", 19" x 25" and 19" x 25". We ended up using painters tape for its strength, as the sticky dots we had just weren't strong enough for the length and width of the posters.
The timeline map covers from creation (the question mark) up through Jesus's birth and to present day, and on to our judgemet day (purple). As you can see you set some basic markers in place, like Creation, Moses, Jesus' birth, and your child, and then as your child progresses through the Beginner Wall Maps and Timeline set, they add different characters and pictures. Miss Grace immediately said "OOOO I can add my history figures too, so I have it ALL in one place". Which I was quite happy about, as I love her wanting to see the whole picture!
The set also comes with 3 maps. 2 are the same as the one on the left, and feature the biblical area of the bible, and the one on the right shows the greater-continental area. Having the 2 maps of the same area was a bit confusing for Miss Grace, so we went back to 1 for the moment, but as she progresses through the lessons, I think she will want the second map. She also has decided she wants to make the country markers much bigger. Apparently all that cartography last year, has left her OCD wanting to make things different. But that IS the beauty of this timeline- you CAN personalize it, if it works for your student(s) that way!
With your timeline set, you also get the small binder book, which includes all the names, places and pictures, you need to complete the different lessons from the Units, as well as the starter pages to set up your timeline.
Additionally, you get map pages, that show you where the different landmarks and cities are located on the maps, so you can help your student place them correctly. You also get a chronological timeline, so you know where you can add in different historical points.
I loved how the set shows you on the left hand side which Unit Lesson and which map the different names/markers go onto, so there is less confusion, especially since there are 3 maps! FYI, we used sticky dots to put the markers on, so it was easier to see them.
If you don't have this long of a wall (and yes, 1 of our maps led over onto the door, as somehow we meausred wrong (sigh), but we positioned it, so it could be folded over when not in use, so the door can be opened and closed), you could attach each one to an individual foam board or cardboard, and make them portable instead (which we might end up doing, to allow for taking them to coop classes next year). This is also helpful if your homeschool area is all over the house, and not in one room, as you could pull it out as needed, and then slide he boards behind a cabinet, when not in use. I personally like them on the wall, as that way every time Miss Grace goes by them, she'll be looking at them and re-enforcing the images into her long-term memory!
Overall, this has been a fun bible study for Miss Grace and I! It allows for different types of activities, which really works well with her dyslexia and ADHD, giving her 'mind breaks' as she moves from activity to activity. The activity discussions have led to many interesting talks, and I'm quite impressed with how much kids really get out of the lessons! I think by attracting them, at a fun level, they eagerly jump in, and don't realize how much they are retaining! And because you can use the entire set for different ages (3 to adult!), it's practical for those with large families too! For more on those usages, be sure to check out what my fellow reviewers with multiple ages think:
Be sure to follow Bible Study Guide For All Ages on Social Media, on
Facebook and Twitter for specials and more eucaitonal links, you can use in your bible studies!
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