Friday, May 28, 2010

Homeschooling from a Biblical Worldview


Israel Wayne, marketing director for Wisdom's Gate, writer for Homeschool Digest, and a homeschool graduate; did an excellent job with Homeschooling from a Biblical Worldview. This book is all about "learning how to think biblically, and transmitting a Biblical World-view to your children. The book is divided up into 10 chapters covering things such as a Biblical Education, teaching core subjects biblically, socialization, common excuses to keep from homeschooling and more.
I must say I felt that Mr. Wayne more than proved his mothers ability to home educate her children(although this more than likely was not his goal). I felt he was very intellectual in his thought process in putting this book together, and he on more than one occasion thoroughly did his homework in research. Some of my favorite things he added where the quotes from famous and sometimes not so famous people in history and Biblical arenas.
I would recommend this book to anyone considering homeschooling and if you have homeschooled for years. I personally have homeschooled for over 6 years and was able to draw alot out of this book. Needless to say, I was definitely humbled and convicted by some of the things Mr. Wayne included in the keeping eternal perspective and the parent's right chapters. I had alot to think about after each paragraph and enjoyed sharing it with my husband and best friend who also homeschools.
The only negative thing would be the fact that Mr. Wayne could be so technical in his explanations, especially about philosophy, that at times, I had to reread a passage to truly understand what he meant. I am not saying he should have "dumbed" it down. But maybe could have explained it more in layman's terms or maybe not describe something at such a wordy length.
Overall, this book was a great read and I will leave you with one of my favorite passages.
"Christian parents should teach their children how to learn, and help them to take unbiased facts and develop heartfelt convictions from those facts. They should help their children know what to believe, why to believe it, and how to articulate those beliefs to their peers and society. That is a true education. Anything less is a waste of time."

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

God's Promises for Boys


Jack Countryman and Amy Parker did a fantastic job putting this book together. This book is 127 pages long, but is broken down into short two page devotions for kids. Each devotion has a 4 line rhyming poem about the thought being presented. In my experience this is perfect for kids to remember a biblical truth and fun to say over and over again. In addition each devotion has 3 scripture verses printed out that support the biblical truth being presented. This book has wonderful illustrations that appeal to young boys and also has a gift page in the front so you can present this as a gift to your favorite little boy.
My boys really enjoyed this book and we repeated the rhymes several times. I also loved the fact that the verses were written out; so I could just read them directly instead of taking the time to look them up. I also liked that the book was small and could fit into a bag or purse so we could take it along with us. This book would be great for kids ages 2-8. Since the lessons were short my son with special needs was able to pay attention and glean from the Bible in a fun and meaningful way.
The only thing that could be a negative for some, is the fact that the verses were from the International Children's Bible. So, depending on what version you prefer could alter your decision in purchasing this book.
Overall, a great book to read as a biblical devotion to your kids and teach them Godly principles through a rhyme, bible verses and time spent together.