Incorporating Christianity Into Homeschool Education

Welcome back, reader! Today, I want to look at a topic that is at the forefront of many homeschool parents' choice to educate their children at home: faith, specifically Christianity. Homeschooling offers parents a unique opportunity to integrate faith into their child's education. By incorporating Christianity into your homeschool curriculum, you can nurture both intellectual growth and spiritual development. Here are some ways to weave faith into your homeschooling journey:

1. Bible Study: Make Bible study a core part of your homeschool routine. Use resources like the True Girl or Born to be Brave subscription boxes to engage children - boys & girls - in age-appropriate Bible studies that encourage mother-daughter and father-son bonding through shared activities. My daughter, Maureen is still too young for Bible study, but as soon as she's old enough, I intend to make it a regular part of our homeschool routine.
2. Prayer Time: Set aside time each day for prayer. For my family, we make prayer a priority around meals and after our evening Family Bible Time. Prayer can be a great way to start and end each day while encouraging your child to grow in their connection with God. If you have younger kiddos like me, try this prayer: "Thank you God as this day begins/ends, for my family and my friends. Taking time to sit and pray; thank you God for this great day." It's short, sweet, and even rhymes, which makes it easy for kids to memorize. It comes from the show Boz on RightNow Media.
3. Faith-Based Curriculum: When picking a curriculum for your homeschool, choosing one that emphasizes a Biblical worldview helps with integrating Christianity into your child's education. Programs such as Basic Christian Education and Apologia, offer a complete academic program permeated with the Word of God.
4. Bible-Based Games & Activities: Incorporating educational games and activities can help reinforce biblical teachings, and make learning fun. Games like Children's Bible Trivia, Holy Quest Bible Trivia Cards, and Bible Story Flashcards -Old Testament + New Testament- will make learning about the Bible enjoyable and interactive.
5. Subscription Boxes: Subscription boxes like Hello Bible provide monthly boxes filled with Bible stories, crafts, and activities designed to help children learn the stories of the Bible. Boxes like these are engaging and fun for kids, making it easy to incorporate faith into their education. Note for my fellow homeschool mamas: Everyday Faith -the company that makes the Hello Bible boxes- also has a subscription box for mamas. Check out Faithbox, linked here.
6. Family Devotions: Set aside time each week for family devotions. This can be a great time to read the Bible together, discuss it's teaching, and pray together. It's a fantastic way to strengthen your family's faith & bond. In my home, we call our devotions Family Bible Time. Every evening, after dinner, we sit down and read a Bible story of the week. Your family's Bible Time might look different if you have older kids, but I've found that just reading the Bible consistently has helped Maureen (age 2) learn various Bible characters and stories well enough to be able to retell some version of them on her own. As stated above, we also prioritize prayer as part of our Bible Time each evening. If it's easier for your family, there are also kids' devotionals available via Amazon. I highly recommend The Bible Recap for Kids. I'm going through the adult version, and I absolutely love it! I fully intend to use the kids' version with Maureen when she's old enough. 😄
7. Field Trips & Outings: Plan field trips and outings that have a Christian focus as part of your homeschool curriculum each year. Visit historical Christian sites, attend church events, or participate in community service projects. These kinds of hands-on experiences will help bring practical application to your kids' faith, and model what Christian behavior looks like out in the world. Our church's Children's Ministries does an amazing job providing a plethora of opportunities for kids to learn about, and live out their faith through community service projects, V.B.S (i.e., Vacation Bible School), and even a sports ministry! If you haven't looked into participating in kid-friendly church outreach programs, I'd encourage you to contact your church's director of Children's Ministries.
8. Biblical Worldview Discussions: Perfect for the family dinner table or after a devotional, biblical worldview discussions encourage kids to apply their knowledge of the Bible to various subjects and real-life situations. Having such discussions will help your children develop a stronger understanding of their faith and how it influences their daily lives.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading! I hope this post has provided you with some inspiration for incorporating the Christian faith into your child's homeschool experience, providing them with a rich, faith-filled education that will help guide their decisions long into the future. I sincerely believe that kids in the Christian church today need a strong foundation for their faith more than ever. If you're new here and liked what you read, please consider subscribing so that all new posts will be delivered to your email. I post weekly on Mondays at 9 AM. If, however, this post wasn't your cup of tea, please check back next week. I try to cover a new topic each week. Most importantly though, remember that our goal as homeschool parents should always be to nurture the hearts and minds of our kids, guiding them as they grow to become the well-rounded adults our world so needs.