Explorer's Bible Study ??'s inside

[KIN]

Where is the best place to purchase this? Also, in the Discovery series are they all equally as good? We've done a lot of Old Testament Bible, and ds is studying Jesus' life this year. I was thinking of either the Job, Psalms and Proverbs or the Promises Fulfilled - Luke and Acts. Would these work for a 3rd grader who reads very well? Reviews please! :)

[Alana in Canada]

If you go to http://www.explorerbiblestudy.org/study.php

and sign in, you'll be taken to a page that allows you to download the lessons for free each week. At the very least, you'll be able to print off the first lesson right away and take a look at it. Get all the levels you think you'll need, though--you only get one chance at each set of lessons each week--and after 30 weeks you are locked out. (Though you can re-register with a different e-mail and user name and start the cycle again!)

HTH.

[strider]

We have been using Job, Psalms, and Proverbs this year in the Quest series.

Job was well done. The Psalms are more of an overview (which is fine) rather than a minute, detailed study. We have not yet gotten to Proverbs.

My dd has done fine with the work involved but has struggled a little with the switch from previous years' study of historical narrative to biblical poetry. It's just not as interesting to her. (She is 11yo.)

I would probably save Job/Psalms/Proverbs for an older child (logic stage) not because of the Explorer's study but rather because poetic writing is a little more challenging, especially in the New King James Version. YMMV.

[KIN]

Do I need the teacher's manuel? I forgot to ask that! Thanks for the advice on the Job/Psalms/Proverbs - that is what I was afraid of with that one.

[Kayaking Mom]

Can I add an extra question here - My DD is 6, DS is 5 - both are very strong readers - should I go with Beginners 1 or 2? We've been doing R&S reading 2 this year - lots of OT stories and questions. I am confident the could read the Beg 2 stuff without problems. TIA!!!

[strider]

Can I add an extra question here - My DD is 6, DS is 5 - both are very strong readers - should I go with Beginners 1 or 2? We've been doing R&S reading 2 this year - lots of OT stories and questions. I am confident the could read the Beg 2 stuff without problems. TIA!!!

Definitely 2. If they are strong readers they may be ready for Discovery next year.

My own daughter is in 5th grade and comfortably doing Quest. I have found with most Bible curriculums that kids can work one level ahead of where the curriculum says. While Explorer's comes closer to hitting the mark (developmentally) than many I have seen, it still seems to be a trend among religious publishers that the curriculum does not seem to grow at the same rate the child does. I find there is a BIG jump in ability when a child is reading fluently. In the programs I direct and classes I teach I tend to recommend working one level higher than the curriculum recommends, and I typically have high schoolers doing "adult" level stuff.

[strider]

Do I need the teacher's manuel? I forgot to ask that! Thanks for the advice on the Job/Psalms/Proverbs - that is what I was afraid of with that one.

I did buy the answer guide--it's inexpensive so I thought I might as well. I find it helpful when we are not sure exactly what a question is asking for. With inductive study, the nice thing is that all the answers can be discovered directly IN the Bible text.

I did consider buying the corresponding adult study for myself, both to give *me* a more in-depth study, but also to have the commentary/notes to augment my own teaching. I did not purchase it (though I still think my reasoning has merit) because it is kinda pricey, and because my focus this year is more on the PROCESS of inductive study and less on the CONTENT of the passage (although naturally we study both). My point is that I did not want to spend the extra cash on the adult study because whatever extra time I have in class is not spent on more content, but rather on having the girls practice various methods of inductive analysis.

I teach a small group of 5th/6th grade girls. We typically go over the homework together, during which I interject whatever additional information relevant to the text. We also discuss the notes, and then I have the girls practice a little more intensively on a selected passage.

If I were teaching just my own daughter I probably would do much the same thing. She would do her homework independently throughout the week, and we would have a longer, in-depth discussion once a week on what was studied.

Hope this helps--feel free to ask any further questions.