Tentative Homeschooling Plan

Here is my current tentative homeschooling plan for augmenting Bible class with Lutheran books and topics. We use Memoria Press‘s Christian Studies series, which covers things like biblical literacy & vocabulary, biblical geography, memory work, timeline stuff, but I want to be talking about other stuff, too, even at young ages, using books with real Lutheran substance when I can.

For long lists of books recommended by age level, see Religious Reading Recommendations for Students by Age. That page includes pleasure reading. This page is a tentative list of my own goals for intentionally supplementing my children’s education with Lutheran material.

Please let me you know if I’m over-emphasizing something. I know that going through biblical history over and over again may be counter-productive. I certainly don’t want my kids to get sick of Christian studies, but I’m optimistic that different authors will draw out different aspects and fill in different details.

Do I adequately cover worship? Ethics? What should my emphases be? (I expect the church fathers will be included in their regular religion curriculum.)

Do you have a tentative homeschooling plan for supplemental books like this? Any chance this could work with my kiddos? 🙂

Anyway, here it is in PDF (Religious Reading by Grade Level) and here it is below for easy perusal.

Tentative Homeschooling Plan

Religious Reading by Academic Level

These are not devotional or catechetical books, but introductions and discussion aids. I have not even included specific Bible stories, although I mention a few children’s Bibles. For youngsters, I plan to introduce roughly one book (or section of a book) per week as a read aloud.

Automatically presumed are Scripture, a regular text of the Small Catechism, liturgy, and hymnody, since these are the content and language they are growing into.

 

Toddlers/Preschoolers

For Bible stories in devotions, we like The Story Bible.

For Bible story references and play, we like the Lift the Flap Bible. Visual details aren’t perfect as I doubt a volcano was erupting in perfection. Still, a general resource.)

Another admittedly not Lutheran book my children have responded well to is Big Thoughts for Little People. It has 26 little lessons built around the alphabet.

Song/hymn books:

• I am Jesus’ Little Lamb
• A Mighty Fortress is our God
• Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word
• We All Believe in One True God
• God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It

Introduce and discuss vocation with How Can I Help? God’s Calling for Kids

Discuss the Divine Service with Whisper, Whisper: Learning about Church

Explore worship and the liturgy more  with

• My Little ABC Liturgy Book
• Our Faith From A to Z (large text)

Introduce and explore the Small Catechism with the Follow and Do Series (Six small books for the six chief parts)

Explore creation with God Made It For You!

Explore the Gospel with God Loves Me Such that He Would Give

 

(FYI, Arch Books are geared for children from kindergarten through third grade. The jumbo set of 125 is often on sale during CPH Warehouse Sales. Also, don’t forget to check CPH’s Not Quite Perfect section for books in general!)

 

Additional Teaching Tools for Preschool and Older

My First Hymnal

Sing the Faith: The Small Catechism set to Music

Songs of the Church Year

 

First Grade

The Story Bible

My First Catechism

 

Second Grade

The Story Bible

Ordering Our Days in His Peace

Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed the World

 

Third Grade

The Story Bible (Anyone know about the CPH’S NEW BIBLE?!)

Our Faith From A to Z (Large and small text with discussion once a week)

Behold the Lamb: An Introduction to Christian Symbolism (One or two symbols a week)

 

Fourth Grade

Luther: Echoes of the Hammer, Katie Luther, Timeless Bible Truths: The Illustrated Small Catechism (Graphic Novels) or

Heroes of Faith series

Worshiping with Angels and Archangels

Complete Bible Discovery Guide?

 

Fifth Grade:

Know the Bible Now (Read about 2-pages a school day)

 

Sixth Grade:

Concordia’s Bible History Workbook & Student Book (Read about 3-pages of text a school day)

 

Seventh Grade:

Concordia’s Complete Bible Handbook

Inside the Reformation

A Small Catechism on Human Life (No longer available?!)

 

Eighth Grade:

(Treasury of Daily Prayer)

Praying Luther’s Small Catechism

The Large Catechism

One God, Many Gods? (Bible Study on various world religions)

One Truth, Many Lies? (Bible Study on historic and ongoing heresies)

One Christ, May Creeds? (Bible Study on denominations)

They Will See His Face: Worship and Healing

 

Ninth:

Augsburg Confession

Reading the Psalms with Luther

Bo Giertz’ Romans: A Devotional Commentary

God at Work

 

Tenth:

Spirituality of the Cross

The Defense Never Rests

In the Beginning

Apology to the Augsburg Confession

Hammer of God

 

Eleventh Grade:

Christian Freedom: Faith Working through Love

Bondage of the Will

Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope

Family Vocation: God’s Calling in Marriage, Parenting, and Childhood

 

Twelfth Grade:

The Church from Age to Age

Epitome or Thorough Declaration of the Formula of Concord

Great Galatians or Martin Luther’s Basic Exegetical Writings

 

Additional Aids/Books

Evening & Morning: Music of Lutheran Daily Prayer

A Simple Way to Pray

Grace Upon Grace by John Kleing