AK_Mom4
- Reviewed on Sunday, May 10, 2009
- Grades Used: 3rd, 6th, 7th
- Dates used: 2007-2009
We used Lifepac Bible last year for 6th and this year for 3rd and 7th. Each Lifepac set is composed of 10 black-and-white workbooks and comes with a TM.
DD7 really liked Lifepac 3. She enjoyed reading the stories and then answering the questions or other activity. She had retained much of the material - more than I expected!
DS13 enjoyed the 6th grade Bible and found it quite easy. 7th grade was another matter. The questions in the 7th grade workbooks actually challenged him to THINK about what he had just read. He is a very concrete thinker and wanted each question to have a single answer. It was a stretch for him to consider religious questions that don't have an easy right-wrong answer. 7th grade Bible is more challenging than the elementary levels!
The only problem we had with the Lifepacs is that they used a different version of the Bible from the ones we normally use. Sometimes the student would be asked to look up a verse in the bible and fill in missing words in the workbook. Without the matching Bible version, this became very difficult. I would recommend buying whichever version it is that Lifepac uses (we never did figure out which one!) to have on hand as a reference.
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Carolyn Harrison
- Reviewed on Monday, March 16, 2009
- Grades Used: 3rd - 8th so far
- Dates used: 2005 - present
Though AOP is at times frustrating for my kids, it's mostly a matter of them being too, um, "unmotivated" to look up the answers that are right there in the text!
The content is not simply a reiteration of Bible stories (although they're there); it also gives historical background and relevant information (such as missionary stories) that you won't find in a straight read-through of the Bible. There are also LifePacs in the various grades that are specifically devoted to a particular Bible book or division (such as the Gospels). In higher grades, the LifePacs get more into the aspects of Christian living and defending your faith.
I do like that AOP makes the kids think; although many exercises are your typical fill-in-the-blank or matching, etc., there are some discussion/in-your-own-words exercises as well, plus Scripture memorization related to the lessons. It's not overly difficult, although I often must consult the TM to ensure the correct answer according to AOP (it's not always straightforward). Self-tests and end-of-workbook tests are included in the student worktexts, but I often skip the self-tests and just use the comprehensive ending tests for a good review of the material.
You can order via the AOP website (and it's nice that you can pick and choose worktexts instead of ordering the whole set), but shipping costs are atrocious - you'd be better off finding a vendor at a conference. I'm planning to continue using them because I haven't found any better.
Update (8/24/10): We also tried AOP's SOS Bible software for 8th grade; once you (as the teacher) have the hang of it, it's not too difficult to administer. Student however, didn't like the format (it's quite basic, no bells and whistles here) and sometimes the answers are obscure. It's nice that the teacher can block lessons for which the child may not be ready. I also had the software completely lock up before the last two lessons, so we gave up. I'm now looking at other publishers, because the worktext format (even in software form), for us, is no longer a viable learning method.
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Snipet
- Reviewed on Saturday, August 23, 2008
- Grades Used: 5th Grade
- Dates used: 2008
I initially wanted a different publisher, but found that it is currently unavailable and was offered Alpha Omega in its place. I had purchased Alpha Omegas Math and my child is thoroughly enjoying it thus far, however, the Bible is a completely different story. The math is direct and to the point, easy to follow. The Bible on the other hand wants you to read 3 or 4 pages in their book, then read 3 or 4 chapters from the bible. I did the reading for the first lesson and it took me 20 to 25 minutes just to read. My daughter was bored to tears and couldn't understand half of the scriptures. If she had read it, it would have taken her probably 40 minutes or more, just to do the reading part. Too complex. Too much to read at this grade level. Very dissapointed. This is our 1st year to homeschool, therefore our 1st year to have Bible as a subject. We do attend church regularly, so not completely foreign. We have switched to ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International) Bible Grade 5 (Christ and My Choices). Much more age appropriate and fun for my daughter. No more "hating the bible".
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Esther
- Reviewed on Thursday, July 17, 2008
- Grades Used: 4
- Dates used: 2008
Wow! The last review on this curriculum is several years old, so I thought I would add my opinion about it.
I bought this set in hopes that my daughter could study it on her own after we read the day's Bible passage together. But what I found was that I like it too!
There are daily scripture sections to read. It has parts written from the perspective of a child in Jesus' day. And then there is an activity. Sometimes the activity will be some language arts type stuff, like adding suffixes. But mostly it is fun puzzles or question and answer.
The teacher guide is very useful! It gives lots of suggested discussion questions. It also has alternate tests, answer keys, self test keys, test keys, and alternate test keys. It is 146 pages in length.
I wish I could give a more detailed review, but perhaps when we have gotten a few more lifepacs into it I can come back and add more.
In my opinion, it is an excellent Bible curriculum, lots of fun, and my daughter's Bible knowledge is increasing. As of now, I plan on using AO Bible in future years as well.
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