Early on, my first homeschooled daughter enjoyed Christian Light Education's workbook Bible program. Every time we would ever from that program, it would fail. I could add stuff occasionally, but the depth of this Bible program made other programs seem shallow and watery. In fact, my son-in-law, a pastor, looked over the program and stated that he hadn't seen some of the material until he was in a Bible college... and he had used a Bible program all through his homeschooling years!
The irony was that the level I was using with my high schoolers was actually a junior high level. I haven't used the high school levels yet, and I am uncertain if I will. The younger levels are incredible! Called Lightunits, these little workbooks work in conjunction with Bible reading. The early levels are more closely related to Bible story books with questions and activities thrown in. However, once the student hits the grade five level, the studies get very serious. The fifth and sixth grade levels go through the Old Testament. The seventh grade level goes through the Life of Christ. The eighth grade level covers Acts through Revelation.
When I began homeschooling my step-daughter, I prayed and asked God what he would want me to teach her in the few short years I would have her in my home. I felt He wanted me to help her have a solid foundation in the Word. I looked at the high school Bible programs available and they either weren't very solid or they moved so quickly that I feared she wouldn't get much out of it. I decided on the Grade Five level of Christian Light's Bible, figuring I could been it up for high school if needed. I liked the fact that we would spend two years going through the Old Testament. I put my younger daughter, then in eighth grade, into the same Bible program. Every morning we would gather around the table and go through a lesson a day. I would read the lessons to them and we would discuss them and answer the questions and have an enjoyable time. My girls recieved that foundation I desired for them to have.
My now 11th grader is currently doing the grade 8 program with me in the mornings. Once again, I thought we would try a different Bible program. It came with the curriculum package I purchased and was cheaper to use that than to purchase a separate program. BIG MISTAKE! We both hated the program and ditched it after a couple weeks.
The Christian Light Bible program is a Mennonite program. I was worried that theological differences would be apparent and cause issues. But, with the exception of occasional reference to Non-resistance, I haven't encountered much strictly Mennonite doctrinal issues. The reference to non-resistance are often presented in such a way as to make my daughter's and I think about what the Bible says and what we believe.
I was surprised that a workbook program could hold such an outstanding, incremental Bible program. Over the last few years we have delved into the Old Testament and the Life of Christ, using maps and a concordance. We have researched Hebrew and Greek word meanings, supplemented occasionally with a model of the tablernacle or a study on Psalm 23. I learned things about the Life of Christ that I didn't learn when I took a college-level class covering the same material.
I totally recommend Christian Light's Bible Units. Delve into the work with your children! It is totally worth it!
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