If you read my intro to homeschooling post, you’ll know that we are on the starting line! Our first child, with his first year of “school”. I shared my hesitations with starting heavy thorough school while so little, but also saw that little guy would thrive with the doors opened to self accessed literature. We have a reader on our hands. Our goal is to have those hands full of wonderful biblical resources, early and life and early in the day.
Morning Basket
The one thing I absolutely look forward to growing in together is the concept of a “morning basket”. The idea may have shown up on your own curated Pinterest page, or a beautifully Montessori aesthetic Instagram post. A hearty breakfast, a read aloud, liturgies, memorization and song… Some of you cringing and some of you are leaning in – I see you.
The bottom line is that these early years are critical. They are the foundational pieces of belief, security, self-image, “home” and “family”. Who are we? Why do we make the decisions we make? What do we stand for? Where did everything come from? Who is God? A toddler mind may not fully grasp that these are the questions we are out to answer. But, the rhythm of daily approaching our worldview – the way we see the world – seems so key with these early years. In our house, these are the books in our basket.
In our home, it didn’t require a level of maturity or understanding. It began with the songs we sang. At one year, they can hardly pronounce words correctly but they can sing and match the hand motions! Once songs were memorized, it became evident that we could memorize other things, namely Bible verses. Mom made up random hand motions or put the verse to a nursery rhyme and voila, it stuck. Our distracted eater munched happily when books were being read, so mealtimes came with a blend of fables and well written Bible stories. It can begin at any age.
If you’re looking for new ways to engage your kids, at any age, these are some of our favorite resources:
Biblical Book Suggestions:
There are many books out there for kids that simply address behavior. But these resources tell the story of the Gospel, and God’s big story, while stirring up the heart. They use tangible and relatable interactions or subjects to get the mind thinking. I’ve included other titles here as examples of other books in the series, or by the author as well.
“My Big Book of Five Minute Devotions for Children” by Pamela & Douglas Kennedy
— “More 5-minute Devotions for Children”
“The Little Man Whose Heart Grew Big” by Steph Williams
- “Never Too Little”
- “The Dad Who Never Gave Up”
- “The Best Thing To Do”
“Courageous & Bold Bible Heroes: 50 True stories of daring men & women of God” by Shirley Raye Redmond
“Otter B: Taking Turns” by Pamela Kennedy & Anne Kennedy Brady
- “Honest”
- “Helpful”
- “Kind”
“The Garden, the Curtain and the Cross” by Carl Laferton
- Part of “Tales that Tell the Truth”
- “God’s Very Good Idea”
- “The Friend That Forgives”
- “The God Contest”
“The Jesus Storybook Bible” by Sally Lloyd-Jones
Biblical Liturgy Suggestions
For this category, I am referring to liturgy as a repeated ritual, or a book that is useful for repeating for the sake of memorization. “I Am”, for example, does not have particular phrase every chapter, but does have liturgical approach to knowing the names of God and a concluding prayer.
“The New City Catechism” for Kids
“The Ology: Ancient Truths Ever True” by Marty Machowski
“I Am: 40 Reasons to Trust God” by Diane Stortz
Biblical Audio Suggestions
For the mornings we are on the go, or as supplement to our time together, we often sing along with Ellie Holcomb’s melodies “burying some truth in light in our hearts by singing scripture.” Some mornings, mom doesn’t have it all together and needs a minute to finish breakfast while Mrs. Julie from the Village Church leads us.
The Village Church Preschool playlist
“God’s Big Story” Podcast
Ellie Holcomb reels + “Sing” album
“Songs for Saplings”
“Slugs and Bugs”
Biblical Interactives
If you have a kiddo that likes to move while they listen, these may be a better fit for you! We also find them to be excellent for car rides.
“Highlights: Noah’s Ark; A Hidden Pictures Storybook” by Teresa Bateman
“Seek and Find: New Testament Stories” by Sarah Parker
- “Old Testament Stories”
- “The First Christmas”
“My Bible Story Coloring Book”
The Peaceful Press “The Good Gospel”
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