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Homeschooling Language Arts from a Biblical Worldview

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letters

Thinking back to when I chose a curriculum for homeschooling language arts from a biblical worldview, I remember what I wanted my three young sons to learn most of all. Nothing was more important than them knowing the truth of the Bible—that God loves them, and that the greatest joy and purpose in life come from living in relationship with the God of the universe.

Of course teaching my boys these truths began way before the days of homeschooling. My husband and I began sharing a biblical worldview with our boys at home as we read our Bibles, prayed at bedtimes, explored the world God made, and celebrated holidays. Our church supported us as the kids learned in Sunday school, vacation Bible school, and worship. When the time came for the kids to begin school, my husband and I knew we wanted a homeschool curriculum that also supported our faith values. Since language is how humans learn all things, making sure our language arts curriculum was built on a biblical worldview was a priority.

Learn about language arts with a biblical worldview

Homeschool Bible: A Buyer’s Guide

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silhouette of a child reading the Bible with sunset in background

One of the greatest blessings of homeschooling is being able to make the Bible the foundation of our children’s education. Not only do we have the privilege of teaching our children God’s Word, we also get to teach every other subject through the lens of scripture. We can ensure our children are receiving an education taught from God’s perspective, not the world’s. The more they learn the Bible, the more they will be equipped to recognize, resist, and refute the lies of the world and Satan. It’s an enormous responsibility, one that can seem daunting in light of all the Bible curriculums, Bible studies, and devotionals out there. To help you choose for your homeschool, we’ve researched, compared, and contrasted different methods and resources. The main criteria is making sure that any resource you use lines up with scripture and doesn’t add to or take away from God’s Word.  

Learn about Homeschool Bible Programs

How to Homeschool Year-Round

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person writing in calendar

A few years ago, a friend introduced my family to the idea of a year-round homeschool. We had been homeschooling a couple of years on a traditional school schedule, and I was feeling very burned out. My friend shared how a year-round homeschooling schedule had helped her family, and, after some prayer and consideration, my husband and I decided to give year-round homeschooling a try. It was a complete game-changer for our homeschool, and we’ve been doing it now for four years. 

It’s hard to homeschool and keep up with all your other responsibilities such as laundry, housecleaning, cooking, medical appointments, etc. If you are struggling under the pressures of these and other obligations, you may want to consider year-round homeschooling too.

Learn more about year-round homeschooling

Snow Day Activities: Choosing Joy in the Winter

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snow flake for snow day activities
Snow fell for three days in a row, burying my yard in over two feet of dense slush. It was March, and I was ready for spring. But I had to dig out of more snow than I had seen in my lifetime! What an introduction to a Midwest winter. I grew up in the south, where snow days were too few. But I was not enjoying them as an adult. Maybe you have read this anonymous quote, “If you choose not to find joy in the snow, you will have less joy in your life but still the same amount of snow.”

Instead of letting winter weather get you down, find ways to keep learning. Enjoy God’s winter creation like you do the other seasons. It would be easy to let winter keep you from restarting school after the break. Ease into it, and choose joy in some of these winter weather learning opportunities. Every subject has winter learning potential.

[Read more…] about Snow Day Activities: Choosing Joy in the Winter

4 Ways to Complete Hymn Studies

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Hymn Studies

Have you ever thought about the origins of the hymns you sing? In addition to being songs of devotion and worship, hymns are works of literature. You can study their mechanics, structure, and artistic form just like you’d study any other poem. When doing hymn studies, you often will gain a deep blessing by the end of the hymn study. Explore four important ways that you and your kids can dive into the origins and design of familiar hymns.

Hymn Studies for the Writer’s Backstory

We don’t know the story behind every hymn, but thanks to the internet and other resources, you can usually find some facts about the writer and the events surrounding the hymn text’s creation. The stories of John Newton, Fanny Crosby, William Cowper, Frances Ridley Havergal, Charles Wesley, and others reveal the writers not as paragons of biblical virtue, but as real people whose struggles and tragedies drew them closer to God. You’ll find yourself inspired and encouraged by their stories, and no doubt your children will be fascinated as well! As you plan your hymn study schedule, consider including the stories and texts of more recent hymn writers, not just those from the Golden Age of Hymns.

The Historical Context

Context is important, whether you’re studying the Bible itself or other forms of literature and art. As you move through your hymn studies, explain to your children how people spoke during the time when the hymn was written. Perhaps they used more formal language, or pronounced certain words differently than we do today. Occasionally, with older hymns, you may encounter a word with a totally different modern meaning, and your hymn study can cover both definitions. Ask your children how and why they think that definition or pronunciation may have changed over time.

The Artistic Value

Depending on the age of your kids, you can keep this part simple or take a more literary approach. For younger kids, ask them to identify rhyming words at the ends of hymn lines. Your middle graders can point out the rhyme scheme, such as abab or abba; older kids can identify the hymn’s poetic structure (such as iambic vs. trochaic) and count the metric feet.

Ask your children to point out instances of alliteration or internal rhyme, and suggest that they circle words in the hymn that seem especially beautiful or poignant to them.

Hymn Studies for the Spiritual Benefit

One of the most rewarding parts of studying hymns is unwrapping the spiritual truths they contain. Your hymn study takes you through the process of appreciating the writer, the historical context, and the literary value, but ultimately the greatest blessing comes from the revelation of God’s timeless truth. To close your hymn study, have your kids each write down one special biblical truth they learned from exploring the hymn.

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Rebecca is a work-at-home freelance writer, novelist, wife, and mom of two bright-eyed little ones. She credits her success in writing and her love of books to her own mom, who homeschooled three kids from pre-K through high school.