What do you think of when you hear the term “education”? Reading, writing, and math?
Those are all important subjects, but I don’t think a true Christian education is complete without training in the Bible, theology (the study of God), and Christian history. For me, those are non-negotiable subjects. It’s the reason I wrote Bible Road Trip™ (a three-year Bible survey curriculum for preschool to high school).
When it comes to theology, I think we need to be more purposeful about it than just teaching “worldview”. We need to teach our children solid and biblical doctrine.
1 Timothy 1:12b-14 (ESV) says:
But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.
A catechism teaches theology and doctrine (or “a pattern of sound words“) through a series of questions and answers. Catechizing our kids can help guard the good deposit entrusted to us and also can help us convey sound doctrine to our children.
Westminster Catechism for Kids
The first catechisms were written by Martin Luther in 1529. Of the need for the Small Catechism for lay people, Luther said:
The deplorable, miserable condition which I discovered lately when I, too, was a visitor, has forced and urged me to prepare [publish] this Catechism, or Christian doctrine, in this small, plain, simple form. Mercy! …what manifold misery I beheld! The common people, especially in the villages, have no knowledge whatever of Christian doctrine, and, alas! many pastors are altogether incapable and incompetent to teach…
It was to teach the common man that he developed the catechism. John Calvin developed the Reformed Genevan Catechism (1541, 1545, 1560), the Heidelberg Catechism followed in 1563, and the Westminster Catechisms (Larger and Shorter) were written in 1647, a year before the end of the Reformation period. Catholics took a page from the Protestant book and developed the Roman Catechism in 1566. More recently in the Reformed camp, the New City Catechism has been developed in modern language.
Catechisms have enjoyed a long and productive history in the Protestant/Evangelical church. It’s important for kids to understand theology, and simple questions and answers can be a great way to teach it.
Sound Words | Theology for Kids
In Sound Words: A Protestant Westminster Catechism, Tauna Meyer brings back this important theological teaching tool and adapts it as a fun curriculum for kids aged preschool to second grade. I think you could use it for children up until about fourth grade.
Tauna has released the first seven units of the curriculum out of nine planned units. Each unit has 11 weeks of material, though the first one has a separate mini-unit on the attributes of God that will require about 12 days of study.
Each lesson (of 11 lessons per unit) focuses on one question and answer revolving around a particular topic.
The topics available so far are:
- Unit One: All About God
- Unit Two: All About Creation
- Unit Three: The Fall
- Unit Four: Salvation
- Unit Five: Christ and His Work
- Unit Six: God’s Word
- Unit Seven: Prayer
Each lesson includes:
- A memory verse poster/coloring sheet
- A list of Scriptures or Bible stories to read and focus on
- Discussion Questions
- A Devotion
- Craft and Activity Ideas
- Copywork (there are two styles of lines available)
- Notebooking Pages
The Sound Words lesson structure is simple and clear, and the narrative to read to your children is excellent.
I love the way Tauna writes for kids. She does a great job of relating abstract concepts to concrete images that kids can easily understand. Kids spend an entire week thinking about vital questions like “Who is God?” and “Are there more gods than one?”.
Through fun activities, writing, discussion, stories, and Scripture memory (and the coordinating music Tauna recommends–which is free for download right now), children will really absorb important truths of the Christian faith.
I highly recommend this curriculum for elementary school kids.
It’s simple and doesn’t take a ton of time, but the work you’ll do is important. Let us avoid the “deplorable, miserable condition” that Martin Luther found in the German towns of his time. Let us follow the pattern of sound words we’ve heard and guard the good deposit entrusted to us.
Purchase the Sound Words Theology Curriculum
Get your Sound Words curriculum here!
And, Grab your free Sound Words Sample Lesson!
Books Make Great Gifts!
Teach Your Kids the Bible with Bible Road Trip™
Bible Road Trip™ is a three-year Bible survey curriculum. Take your family through the Bible five times from preschool to high school.
To help you get the most out of your studies, Bible Road Trip™ has an array of coordinating weekly activities:
- Researching the section of the Bible you’re studying
- Reading and discussing the Bible
- Memorizing Scripture
- Notebooking about your studies
- Praying for the nations
- Suggestions for further study
- Crafting about what you’ve learned
- For your older students: A project to share what they’ve learned
- Bible Road Trip™ also has some great tools you can use along with it, such as:
- Notebooking Journals for grades 1-9. Want a structured notebooking journal for high school? Don’t hesitate to use the Dialectic journal (grades 7-9).
- Bible Memory Card Sets for all five levels of study, preschool to high school. These are available in both ESV and KJV.
Grab your Bible Road Trip™ Year One Sample Pack. You’ll get:
- The Bible Road Trip™ Parent / Teacher Guide.
- The first three weeks of the curriculum for all five learning levels. Week Three is where we really dive into the Bible and begin to our systematic study. Week Three will give you a good feel for the rest of the curriculum.
- The first three weeks of the Bible Memory Card sets for all five levels, in ESV and KJV.
- The first three weeks of each of the three leveled Notebooking Journals.
Grab the Sample Pack for FREE:
Disciple your kids by taking your family through the Bible together in a meaningful way!
Bible Road Trip™ Curriculum
Take a look inside the Bible Road Trip™ curriculum! Let me show you around:
Bible Resources for Your Kids
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