Star Light/Star Ways Bible Curriculum

Praise Hymn, Inc.

Although written for Christian day schools, this curriculum can be adapted easily for home school. Lessons are presented from the teacher’s manual and students complete activities in student workbooks. Teacher’s manuals are clearly laid out with daily lesson plans that require some advance preparation. Some object lessons and activities are suggested for which you will need to gather materials, but you can choose which of these to use.

Study at each level is a survey course of the Bible in chronological sequence. This means you repeat or review some of the same material from year to year. However, the authors have wisely selected different sections of the Bible to focus upon each time around. For example, in first grade students study a great deal about Moses and the entry into Canaan while in second grade the focus shifts to Joshua and the conquests. By the end of the series, students will have studied every major Old Testament story and all books in the New Testament.

The Star Light series covers grades 1 through 3, while Star Ways covers grades 4 through 6. KJV, NKJV, NAS, or NIV Bible will all work with the Star Light series, but it is easier to work through Star Ways using either KJV or NIV. You will want to also purchase the set of stickers that goes along with each of the books for levels 4 through 6.

Student books are printed in black-and-white, but they are still very appealing. Excellent, sometimes humorous, illustrations coupled with fun (and for the most part worthwhile) workbook activities offer more variety than we find in most Bible curricula.

Teaching centers around Bible storytelling, some Scripture reading, and practical applications, all of which should take about 15 to 20 minutes per day. This is not as challenging as some studies, but it might be an especially good choice for those with children who need a “lighter touch.”

As with any Bible curriculum, you need to adapt lessons that present doctrinal positions or interpretation with which you might disagree (e.g., earth was created in an “old” state.) Quite a bit of personal interpretation and application is included in the teacher’s manuals, so you will probably need to occasionally substitute your own thoughts and interpretations.

It is not necessary to stick with the right grade level book for each student, although they are designed to reflect grade level abilities. Each level might stretch for children a year or so older and younger, but not much more than that. So if you have more than one child to teach you might have trouble using this if they are very far apart. Otherwise, select one level and adapt lessons as much as possible to suit all of your children. Purchase additional student workbooks (and sticker sets)for each child who needs one.