Grapevine Studies Product Review

Posted by Lorren on August 28, 2009

I recently had the opportunity to review the Level 1 New Testament overview by Grapevine Studies. Although we won’t officially start school until next Wednesday, we started Bible class a little early so we could try it out. The only other Bible curriculum that I have used was Bob Jones Bible Truths, and this program is a little different. I think that this program would make a great fit to many homeschool families.

The Grapevine Studies premise is fairly simple. Most of your teaching involves drawing stick figures as you explain the Bible characters and stories that go along with it. You start with a broad timeline covering the entire period, so that your child has a good framework to build on, and then you get more in-depth with your teachings.

Grapevine studies seems to be a lot less formal than Bob Jones. While teaching this book to my daughter, we have been working on the couch together. I have a mini dry erase board, where I draw the stick figures and explain the story, while my daughter copies the figures and listens. My daughter has her own drawing style, and doesn’t always go along with the stick figures that I put on the board, but that’s okay.

Although my son is currently 2 1/2 and is not quite old enough for this program, I can see how this curriculum would work well for kids of varying ages. As I teach these lessons to my daughter, I ask her if she remembers anything about the topic that I’m teaching, such as John the Baptist, or Jesus’ birth. Older children would probably be able to recall more. For older children, you could require them to memorize more scripture or keep a journal.

The curriculum does come with memory verses to memorize, and review questions. There are eight sections. There is a schedule in the back that says how to use it in a 52 week year, or in a 175 day school year, but it is easily adaptable to whatever school schedule you have.

The book does not teach any specific doctrines, which can be good, because you know that the curriculum will not be advocating any views that you disagree with. Because the format of this curriculum is very informal, there is plenty of room for you to explain things the way that your church teaches about a particular subject. In the elementary grades, this isn’t really a problem, but in the older grades, it is definitely important to find a curriculum that you can use with your particular beliefs.

The main negative that I see with this curriculum is that it lacks color. Also, if your child does not like to draw, they might not enjoy this curriculum much. My daughter is doing fine with it this year, but when she was younger, she did not enjoy coloring or drawing, so it wouldn’t have been a good fit with her then. On the other hand, if your child loves to draw, they will have a great time with this curriculum.

Special Offer!

If Grapevine Studies sounds like a good fit for your family, you’re in luck! Hop on over to Grapevine Studies, find the curriculum that you’re interested in (there are Old Testament Studies available as well as New, and the ages range from 5 to adult), use the code crew9 when you order, and you can get 30% off your order! This offer expires on September 30th, so don’t wait! Whether you are looking for a Bible curriculum for your homeschool, Sunday School, or for next year, you don’t always get this chance.