In past years, I've approached Bible study with Lauren by reading Bible stories and then answering discussion questions. It worked somewhat, but Lauren never seemed very interested in discussing what we read. As I looked around at Lauren's other schoolwork, I noticed that she does well with workbook-style curriculum choices. She likes to see that there is a clear ending point to each assignment. I also think that she sees my thoughts during a discussion as just extra fluff. If, however, I find a published curriculum that has the same thoughts as I'd like to teach, she's very willing to learn from those materials.
I have struggled to find a Bible curriculum that met my high standards for Biblical instruction and also fit well with Lauren's independent learning style.
Kid Niche Christian Books has a Bible and Prayer curriculum that fits both of us perfectly.
Weave Your Word in Me -- Part 1 has thirty-six lessons that "help young people discover the great God-truths Jesus has woven within the Lord's Prayer." Lauren can work through the materials independently, and I can see that she's building strong Bible study habits.
The Weave Your Word in Me curriculum came as a packet of 72 workbook pages that were ready for me to slip into a three-ring binder, read a few introductory pages, and then hand over to Lauren. The lessons are a combination of Bible study materials and prayer guides. It walks students through a rhythmical prayer that was modeled after the Lord's Prayer found in Matthew. At the same time, it also teaches Biblical truths such as "God loves and cares for all people" and "Obeying is about doing, not just about hearing or knowing."
Each lesson is between one and four pages in length, and Lauren generally spent around ten minutes completing the activities. There is always one Bible verse for the student to look up and usually several verses per lesson. The materials are designed to work with any of the most popular Bible translations, including KJV, ESV, NKJV, NIV, NASB, and NABRE. If we are at home, I encourage Lauren to practice looking up the scripture references in her actual Bible, but she uses a Bible app when we're doing school on the road.
Along with questions about the Scriptures, there are questions that lead children to discover what God's Word means to them and to their lives. For instance, one of the first lessons asked Lauren to describe what a potter does and then to tell how God is like a potter.
After finishing the day's Scripture readings and questions, the student moves into a prayer time. The last section of each lesson has a section with a skeleton prayer written with a few fill-in-the-blank spaces. Sometimes the blanks are supposed to be filled in according to the prayer pattern the child is learning and other times there are opportunities for adding in original thoughts. The curriculum suggests that the student complete the sentences first and then say the whole thing as a prayer to God.
Lauren says one thing she learned recently is that Isaiah was able to peak up into heaven and saw seraphim saying, "Holy, Holy, Holy." This story tells us about the greatness of God. That's why the Lord's Prayer begins, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name." (Matthew 6:9) She generally enjoys doing these Bible study materials, but she objects to their suggestion to write the prayer first and then say it aloud to God as a prayer. (I told her it was okay to just write out her prayer to God without going back to say it out loud.)
I'm impressed with the Weave Your Word in Me curriculum. It provides a sturdy framework for Lauren to read Scripture, think about how it applies to her life, and then pray. The rhythmic prayer helps to build strong prayer habits that involve more than just asking God for blessings. It's a perfect stepping stone for a tween that is transitioning from hearing Bible stories from a parent to doing Bible study on their own.
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