In our family we do not use a specific Bible Curriculum.  Instead, we have found that the best way we have found to teach our kids the Bible is the Bible.

I read this incredible story called: Ten P’s in a Pod. It was by a man who required his children to read the Bible every day for an hour before breakfast. They also had family Bible reading and discussions after meals. They had one child who was a struggling reader and his dad had him read Jonah over and over. One day he came to his dad and said he did not need the Bible to read Jonah, he had it memorized. The family was incredulous, but he did recite the entire book of Jonah from memory. This sparked a desire from all the other children to begin memorizing the Bible.

Since I read that book and was inspired by their amazing story, I require my children to read an hour of Bible per day. Anne Mary (7) can listen to the Bible on CD if she desires, but she often uses her print Bible as well. She chooses to read it about half the time and listen the other half. When she listens she is allowed to color or do other similar activities.  In additon, Anne Mary is required to memorize several verses each week for her AWANA program.  She is working to earn her Sparks plaque this year.

I went ahead and purchased a “Comic” style Bible for Sarah (9) called: Good and Evil from No Great Joy ministries, you can also get it on Amazon. The pictures are very detailed and from reading that she has an amazing overview of the entire Bible.  She also has a regular Bible that she uses for church and daily reading.  She often enjoys listening to the Bible on CD, and will often listen with Anne Mary even if she has completed her reading for the day.

For Christina (17), We use the Life Application Study Bible. I would not waste the money on a Teen Study Bible again. By the time they really are teens they want to have “adult” Bibles. She only used her teen Bible for about a year and a half before she wanted a Life Application Bible. As expensive as they are, I do not think it was a wise use of our money.  She recently purchased for herself this Archeological Bible.

Finally, our entire family is reading the Bible in a Year and discussing it nightly.

All this to say that our children have learned a lot this way. They often put together Old and New Testament prophesies and understand the whole underlying themes in the OT that I often have not noticed. I think our children often crave the “real thing” and by giving them simple substitues we are robbing them from some of the best reading and learning of their lives.

A great book you can use with your kids as a sort of introduction to applied theology is: Pilgrim’s Progress. It is hard reading in the original language, but there are some modern translations that are easier. If you want to use the original language (we do) we purchased this in Audio CD form. You can also get in on tape from Amazon. The second part of this, called Christiana is very good, and one we would not skip. Be careful, though, If you do not listen to it with them, you will not understand your own children when they declare they are in the “pool of despond” and other such sayings. It is a work of fiction, but one of the best applied theology books for children. I learned quite a bit myself listening to it.

I have looked quite a bit to try to find a good text book or devotional book but everything I found was very light. I asked around a bit and a few people noted that Kay Arthur has some studies for children. You may need to do it one on one with them, but I think they will learn a lot about using the Bible to interpret the Bible.

As far as our goal of an hour a day, I know asking for an hour a day may be a bit much right for your family, but it may be good to get the Bible on CD or MP3 for your commuting time. Then you can discuss what you have heard.

What is your favorite Bible Curriculum? Do you use one?