The Story for Little Ones: Preschool Educators Kit

My world is changing. It seems slowly at times and then a rapid pace at others. AppleBlossom is about to turn three years old (at the time of my typing this...) and she is often asking for “school” work. We're dabbling a bit here and there trying to find things to learn, but also not overwhelm while at home. I stumbled across The Story for Little Ones Curriculum Kit (you can also just buy the storybook Bible) and I could not be more pleased. I was so excited to discover that someone put together a curriculum for a child my daughter's age range. After we had looked at The Jesus Storybook Bible Curriculum, which I still support, but it is for an older range and while she can appreciate the animated videos and the storybook Bible, the lessons were not for her. The Story for Little Ones is for her! (And I'm curious about the Story for Children and Kids, two other storybook Bible and curriculum options available for the next two sets of age ranges.) Now, back to what I was saying... My world is changing.

It all started one day after we had worked through two lessons (not on that particular day, but by that day). AppleBlossom was in the middle of some imaginary playtime (she does that a lot lately :) ) and then she stopped and looked at me and said, “Mama, I think we need to trust and obey God like Abraham.” I think my heart skipped a beat. I said that is exactly right and then we went and read the story again and talked some more. Totally unprompted she said a similar thing for my Enginerd husband. To see him just stop and the smile spread across his face as then he was able to stoop down and talk to her about it and encourage her was just wonderful. That's the type of thing where I say, this made my heart smile. But it doesn't end there.

We are not even completely through the program and I already love it and will recommend it whole-heartedly. To my understanding, and forgive me if I get something wrong, The Story for Little Ones is a storybook Bible for ages 2-5 years old that is based off of the program from Max Lucado and his book The Story. This storybook Bible and curriculum that I am reviewing is from the 2012 publication and not the original 2010.

“The Story is helping people in churches everywhere experience Scripture like never before. Carefully selected verses from the Bible are organized chronologically. From Genesis to Revelation, your church members will come to understand God's story and how their stories intersect with it.”

This is part of a large campaign that includes all ages. The Story for Children (early elementary), The Story for Kids (later elementary), The Story Teen Edition, God's Story Youth Edition, and then the adult books in The Story, God's Story Your Story, and a few more. The youngest three versions all include trading cards, which you can get in the curriculum kit or buy separately, and these help to reinforce visually what the child is being taught. I think from what I have seen (my copy of The Story for Little Ones, God's Story Your Story (reviewed) and a few digital ARCs of the other youngest versions) I'm excited. I'm really excited that everyone and every age can be touched. That I adore Max Lucado.

Now if you are not already captivated and on board with The Story for Little Ones, let me tell you some more about our experience. My two year old daughter (almost three, I'll admit) is able to tell me about Adam and Eve and how they should obey God, she can tell me about Abraham and Isaac and how he shows an example to trust God. Continuing on from there she can tell me about Joseph and his brothers and his dreams. She gets it. We've been reading storybook Bibles since before she could talk and this is the first time she has become really interactive with it. The information is being told and retained on her appropriate level and she gets it!

About the storybook Bible, it's awesome. The perfect length for a young child's attention span and there are gorgeous illustrations that I could easily stare at for a good duration of time. The way the stories are shortened are appropriate and a great foundation for a life of Bible learning. I am so delighted that I have found a way to really give these stories to her so that she can grow up knowing from the beginning what God has done for us.

Now about the curriculum. In the box I found a copy of The Story for Little Ones storybook Bible, it is hardcover and quite large. Not thick, as there are only 140 pages, but a great size for lap reading along the lines of a typical Richard Scarry book in my experience. Then there is a disc case (shaped like a DVD case) that has a CD-Rom inside. This is the curriculum part. On the CD-Rom there is a quick-start link for PC or Mac, I have been using mine on a mac. I can also go directly to file folders, but the program for Mac has an easy way to find just what you need. Either by individual lesson, or category I can find what I need. Lesson Plans, Parent Notes, Workbook Page, etc are all right where I need them and easily accessible to print. This program is designed for churches and as we are using it in a homeschool situation things are tweaked slightly for instance, we do not “get the kids to sit in a circle on the floor,” and so on, however all the conversations and discussion points we hit as well as the songs and most of the activities. Things are lined out very well in a scripted manner and I think that it would go over very well in a multiple child situation.

There are 31 chapters in all from creation to Jesus' Return in Revelation. It does not include a story about Adam and Even, however going from Creation to Abraham but I'm not opposed to that age this age knowing a couple things such as for me we come at the stories from all sorts of different storybook Bibles and this would not be exclusive. But also to know that we can come back to it as can anyone in the next age range where we will get a full chapter on Adam and Eve. After all, you can only tell so many stories in 31 chapters and these all focus on people of the Bible and how we can be like them, or how God will protect us like them, and on and on. It is an introduction and a brilliant one at that.

I love the look of the book. AppleBlossom loves the fun bit of the cards that are all for her. The one thing that I am in the process of doing is a I printed out all the lesson plans and I am going to take them to my parents' house to bind them into a book. It is much easier for me to have in a physical format. But I love that with the CD-Rom I can print off the worksheet pages as many times as we need and we can revisit lessons that way too. But what do I love the most?

What I love the absolute most is what happened yesterday. I was typing on my computer and my daughter, two years old comes up to me and says, “Mama you have to stop typing right now.” I ask her why's that and what can I do for her etc, all part of a normal exchange. She then tells me, “We're going to pray right now. You need to fold your hands and close your eyes and listen.” She then proceeded to say, “Dear God, Thank you for making mama and daddy and [OrangeBlossom] and [AppleBlossom] as well as Grandmama and Grandaddy. That and it's a beautiful day too. Thank you. Amen!” Totally unprompted! I have never even said that exact prayer with her! We have worked through little prayers that she listens to, but does not repeat (until after this!) about the theme of the lesson. I never said, bow and fold your hands, she just got that from watching me. I'm beyond words at this point I think. All I can tell you is my heart smiles and The Story for Little Ones has really helped us get that benefit and I would not hesitate to use it again and recommend it to the world.



Thanks to Zondervan for providing a copy for review.

posted: http://creativemadnessmama.com/blog/2012/07/28/the-story-for-little-ones/