I have searched high and low for a bible curriculum to add to our homeschool that would appeal to both of my younger kids. We have been totally blessed the last few weeks to be able to use the New Testament Overview Part 1 from Grapevine Studies. I am using the New Testament 1: Level 3 Birth of John to Jesus' Ministry for Gavin, and I am using Level 4 for Edyn. I wasn't sure what to expect with this bible study curriculum because we have never used it, but let me tell you it hasn't disappointed us at all. In fact, my kids ASK to use it because they have so much fun doing it. If you noticed the picture above, it says "Stick Figure Through the Bible." This is exactly how it's done. The kids learn, and remember by drawing stick figures of the different people in the bible. Even if you aren't an artist, it doesn't matter! If I can draw a stick figure, so can you!
What we received for the New Testament Overview:
Level 3/4 Teacher's Manual Ebook
Student Ebook Level 3 (recommended for ages 10-12)
Student Ebook Level 4 (recommended for ages 13 and up)
Student Ebook Level 4 (recommended for ages 13 and up)
There are physical sets also available. I honestly believe that there are some pros to getting the ebook. With the ebook, you can make copies for other children and it never expires. This is definitely great for anyone homeschooling on a budget! The ebooks come in PDF format so it makes it quick and easy to download, print, and get started right away.
The teacher book includes level 3 and 4 which worked really well for us considering I was using both. It has everything you need from the timelines to the stick figure drawings to be able to successfully teach the material to your students. It's super easy to follow because it's even laid out for you verbatim on what to say if you choose to use it that way.
The student books are laid out just like the teacher manual so again everything is easy to follow.
How we used the New Testament Overview Part 1 in our homeschool:
At first, I wasn't sure exactly how to go about the study. One of the great things about Grapevine is that it's so easy to adjust it to fit your needs. You can use it 1 day a week up to 5 days a week, just do what fits into your week. It's set up to cover 12 weekly lessons or 45 daily lessons. We chose to do it 2 days a week. I was actually going to do it everyday, but we didn't want to fly through it. By doing the studies on 2 days, it gives us a chance to review and go over what we've learned the rest of the week. It gives the kids plenty of time to work on their memory verse and talk about what they have read in their bible that week.
The way we set everything up so that we were nice and organized is with good old 3 ring binders. After getting everything printed off, it's just easier to be able to flip through and get to the right page. I haven't tried it personally, but I have heard that a lot of people just use their tablet or ipad for the teacher's manual. This would definitely cut down on printing ink!
This study covers the first part of the New Testament from the birth of John to Jesus praying. It starts out with a timeline of the events, and then goes into lessons that break down each event.
As you can see in the example of Gavin's timeline, the stick figures are basically symbols that help them remember who that person is and what they have done. We did the entire timeline in one day. That way they had an overview of that they were going to be learning and could go back and look at it throughout the lesson. Again, there is a lot of grace with this bible study. Feel free to do it however it best suits your school.
After we finished the timeline, we started on the daily lessons. This is where we kind of break it up into 2 days. There are normally (at least the parts that we have covered so far) 2 pages of story blocks. We do one page a day. This gives us time to go over our memory verse, and then cover the bible reading and stick figure drawings for the day.
You start out with reading out of the bible the verses that your stick figure drawings are going to cover. This is on both Levels 3 and 4. I will go up to the white board and draw the stick figures first so that they can see what they are supposed to look like. Again, you don't have to be an artist.
The kids then follow by drawing their own stick figures.
Sometimes there may be a little extra work for each level on a certain day. Level 3 may have some mapwork, while Level 4 may be looking up words in the Bible Dictionary, Concordance, or Topical Bible. The good thing is, even though they aren't exactly the same with Level 4 being a bit more challenging than Level 3, it still works so well together that you wouldn't even know they are on different levels.
They have so much fun drawing their stick figures, learning, and remembering these great events in the bible. It's such a precious but brilliant way to learn the bible.
In addition to Level 3 and Level 4 of the New Testament Overview Part 1, there are also other levels available.
New Testament 1: Level 1 Birth of John to Jesus' Ministry
New Testament 1: Level 2 Birth of John to Jesus' Ministry
Here is a great visual breakdown of the levels in case you're wondering which level will be best for your children.
If you are looking for an interactive bible study to add into your homeschool or even your children's church, then Grapevine Studies will not disappoint!
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Great review!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!
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