Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible

First sentence: Erik’s tone from the backseat was serious. “Why does the Bible call Jonah a prophet and not a missionary?” “I don’t know.” I’m seriously not up for this today. “Buddy, you’re three. Hey, look at that train! Doesn’t it have a lot of cars?”

I recently finished reading Danika Cooley's Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible. It was written with parents in mind; parents with children of all ages in mind. Her background, from what I can determine, is she's a homeschooling mom with a (large) blended family. She also writes Christian curriculum.

She advocates that the whole family should be spending time in the Word of God. There is no one too young--no one too old. Older ones may get "extra" time in the Word so that they can be discipled further. But no child is to be left out or left behind.

She acknowledges that there are ages and stages. That is that there are stages of brain development, and that not all ages will interact/relate/approach the Bible in the same way. A teen will read, study, memorize, pray the Word differently than a kindergartner. But all ages and stages can be learning something.

She also acknowledges that there are different kinds of learners. That is that not every person learns (processes, absorbs, picks up) information (knowledge) the same way. There are strengths and weaknesses to all types of learning styles. You can use multiple techniques to round out the learning.

She tends towards the dramatic. She recommends a LOT of dramas, re-enacting, skits, arts and crafts. Puppets. Lots and lots of puppets.

She addresses concerns, common questions, and myths about the Bible, about teaching the Bible, about raising children, etc.

The book is practical and full of advice, tips, and general information about the Bible.

Super ideas, very informative, great Bible study book suggestions! If you're serious about bringing up your children in God's word, this book is for you!! Very practical. I'd not heard of Danika Cooley before, but she did a great job on this book!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance e-copy. All opinions are mine.

Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible by Danika Cooley aims to help parents do just that— learn and love the Bible. I think this a great resource for parents. Instilling a love for God’s Word can feel overwhelming to parents and this book does an excellent job and simplifying everything. This book is filled with great ideas for a variety of ages. It is an invaluable resource. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

As a new to learning the bible mom with a preschooler this book was an amazing help.

I am so happy that I found this book, how Danika Cooley explains the different stages/ ages for learning the bible and how every stage children will learn differently. I highlighted so many different passages throughout the book to help me at this stage. I will be going back and re reading/ highlighting as my daughter gets older. This book is great at any age and stage, but this book will also grow with you and will be a reference for years to come.

I have long been a fan of Danika Cooley's Bible studies and tools for kids. This is no exception. Although much of the book are things that I have already implemented into my family life, I did take away several new ideas, and as my children continue to grow I believe a book of this nature would be beneficial to have on hand to re-read over and over again. If I want to make the Bible a priority in our family and in the hearts of my children, than I need to be intentional. This book was a great read about finding ways to be intentional on directing and helping lead my children toward the truth and the great power of God's Holy Word.

This book is an excellent resource for parents/guardians and those who work with kids! Concise and thought provoking.

The Christian faith has become increasingly under attack in America, while sadly, Biblical literacy has been in decline. Danika Cooley's book, Help Your Kids Learn & Love the Bible offers a valuable tool in equipping parents to not only teach Biblical truth to their children but to help them love it. The Word is life to our souls and yet we often treat it as some optional activity. Something relegated to Sunday mornings or midweek church programs.

Cooley asserts, "The impact we have on our families lasts not just through the lifetimes of our children, but through the lifetimes of their kids, and perhaps the generations to follow." Spending time with your kids in the Word is one of the most valuable investments you can make!

Whether or not your family is in the habit of daily reading the Bible together, Cooley's wisdom will motivate and instruct both new and seasoned parents. She offers insights into how children learn at different ages as well as strategies for helping families squeeze the Word into existing daily routines. She even tackles some common excuses for why you may think you don't have time.

Her explanation of the classical educational model really helped me see the stages of Bible instruction in a new way. The earliest stage is the Grammar stage when children are mainly learning through rote memorization. This represents the knowledge phase. The second level is called the Logic stage and that is when children are learning to reason and think critically. This is when knowledge turns into understanding. The final stage of learning is Rhetoric and this is when the classical learner is equipped to persuade. This stage is when understanding turns into wisdom. And wisdom is the ultimate goal we should have for each of our children. Wisdom derived from Scripture--not from the world, their peers, or from teachers.

Cooley then spends a great deal of time explaining the method for beginning a time of Bible instruction. She includes a number of very practical suggestions for parents to use depending on the age of their children. She tackles sticky questions, like how to handle sensitive topics. She emphasizes the importance of accurately handling the Word by considering the genre of a book and its historical context. The goal for instruction should be exegesis (discovering the meaning that God intended), and not eisegesis--reading one's own ideas into the text.

Cooley explains the importance of helping children see the main points of a Bible passage, how it fits into overarching themes of the Bible, and then determining how the passage applies to them personally. Which nicely fits into the 3-stage model of learning--going from knowledge about a passage to understanding (how it fits into the Bible as a whole) and finally becoming wisdom to see how Scripture applies to our lives.

One of the most helpful sections of the book deals with mistakes people make when reading the Bible. It is imperative that we carefully handle the Word of God and not unknowingly model erroneous thinking. We must make sure to avoid the following:
"Allegorizing" Scripture: looking for "hidden meanings" and reading things into the text that were not intended
Decontextualizing: taking verses out of context
Selective reading: cherry-picking verses to focus on
Moralizing Bible Stories: trying to apply a "moral" to every story in the Bible
Cooley concludes the book with a dose of encouragement for parents to run the race, make the effort, to not become weary in leading their children to the Lord. I highly recommend this book for new parents as well as seasoned parents or even grandparents. Believers, we must take seriously the task of equipping the next generation to love and serve the Lord. And that begins with helping them move from knowledge to understanding and finally to wisdom so that they in turn can continue this cycle with their own children.

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of Help Your Kids Learn & Love the Bible from NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received.