Today I “officially” started our hodge podge bible curriculum. I was shocked how much is sank in and how quickly (I just can’t resist sharing here). We did a coloring page about the creation story and read a page or two about the creation story out of a random toddler bible we have laying around the house (we have many random kids bible/christian books but no entire curriculum). We talked about everything in the pictures and and did a memory verse that I taped to the window and we’ll come back to it some more over the next couple of days. I wrote it out on a sentence strip and every time she went over to it to have me read it, I gave her a sticker to add to it. I know she is capable of reading it, but for some reason she was shy about it so I didn’t force her.
When we were reading her toddler bible, we looked at the pictures together and I said God made the trees, God made the grass, God made the rabbits, God made Adam, etc etc etc. and she repeated after me. And then it went something like this. I asked her…
Me: What about the clouds?
Her: “God made clouds.” (She “got it” if He made all that other stuff, He must have made the clouds too)
Me: “What about the flowers?”
Her: “God made flowers.”
Me: “What about Mommy?”
Her: “God made Mommy!” (big jump there!)
Me: “What about Lily?”
Her: “God made Lily!..God made Oh-Oh’s!??”(her nickname for her brother)
It was so sweet. She figured out so quickly, she was like, God made the trees, plants, animals, mommy, and me, then surely he must have made brother too, right mommy?? He did, right?
And then I put on the first two stories of the “Read and Share” bible dvd (about 3 minutes per story). She listened to the narrator describe the creation story as he explained that God separated the light from the dark, etc etc and she signed “where” and said “Where’s God? Where’s God?” three or four times looking at me expectantly because the narrator kept referring to him. Kind of caught me off guard.
When we got to the Garden of Eden scene, I explained that Eve was going to be naughty and disobey God…No, Eve, don’t do it, uh-oh. I could see the look on my daughters face when they said God was sad. She was uncomfortable that they disobeyed, she actually understood the storyline and came across the room and sat in my lap to be near me. She “got it.” I have been really intimidated about starting this and although we are starting small, it went a lot better than I thought it was going to. We pray once or twice a day together but have never really attempted anything beyond that. So, I just wanted to share here to get some ideas from other Christians on things I can do as well as encourage anyone else who might feel intimidated about starting this part of your child’s education.
Here’s what I have or have just ordered this week
An assortment of Christian board boards and board bibles
Read and Share Bible DVD boxed set (has coloring pages too)
Read and Share Toddler Bible (just ordered this, I think she will be able to read some/most of this with minimal help)
Read and Share Bible (Older kidsversion, just ordered this, for me to read aloud to her, more detailed but still concise)
I am going to use that series for the core of the curriculum I think and work our way through. I like that all of the illustrations “match” and she can see the continuity. She responds well to sets of things. I thought about ordering the actual preschool sunday-school kit, but it seemed geared for a class and you don’t get that much more so, we’ll just have to look up our own crafts and activities.
I just ordered Feed My Lambs for Scripture Memorization (audio) with a song book based on the reccomendation of a forum member here
A good friend of mine likes the “GT & the Halo Express” series for musical scripture memorization too, she says it’s straight NIV (which I have heard FML might not be exact, but I am that concerned at the moment). So I am thinking about getting that.
Anyone else have some great websites, dvds, toys, cd’s, crafts, etc, etc to share to help me teach my daughter about Christ?
. Should I not be concerned with that? Below that where the download is I can get that.
I wouldn’t make it my main Bible teaching, but it is a way to have fun centered around Bible memory.