Schoolhouse Review: God's Great Covenant OT 1

We started the new year with a new bible curriculum from Classical Academic Press - God's Great Covenant, Old Testament 1: A Bible Course for Children.  You might recall that last year I reviewed God's Great Covenant NT 1 so I was already prepared to love this just as much.  I was, however, even more excited to get this one because Gess' Sunday School class is going through the Bible chronologically so this will give us an opportunity to really build upon some of the lessons she has been introduced to. For the purpose of our review we received the following:

 God's Great Covenant OT 1 Texbook

God's Great Covenant OT 1 Teacher's Edition

God's Great Covenant OT 1 Audio Files (MP3 Format)

God's Great Covenant OT 1 is a bible course for children starting at about a third grade level but I believe it would be good for students anywhere from third through sixth grade, depending on the child. It covers material from Genesis to Ruth including Job.  There are thirty two chapters divided into five units, each of which focuses on a certain theme which are: God's Power, God's Promises, God's Redemption, God's Provision and God's Faithfulness. In each weekly lesson you will have a memory verse, key facts, and vocabulary to learn.  You will also answer the question "Who Is God?" focusing on a different characteristic and perspective of God's nature so you can begin to personally apply the lesson to your life.  Each chapter has worksheets and a quiz.  There is also a review at the end of each unit.

As a parent of a child with special needs I am thrilled about the quality and format of the God's Great Covenant OT 1 Texbook.  Each page, while not in color, is visually appealing, beautifully illustrated and presented in a very neat and non-cluttered fashion.  The font is large, though not overbearing, which makes it very clear and easy for Gess to read with her vision problems.

The worksheets leave plenty of space to write the answers and offer a large variety of inventive ways of making the work fun.  You will fill in the blank, match, true or false, circle, number, draw a picture and sometimes they even have puzzles.  Gess really enjoys them! They certainly seem to help her retain the information for she is doing rather well on the quizzes.  There is a sample packet of the textbook on their website that lets you view the entire table of contents and a complete copy of the first few lessons. 

The God's Great Covenant OT 1 Teacher's Book offers an answer key for each page and additional information to help enhance the lesson. The information there is much more in depth and great for the teacher to study too, especially if they are not as versed in the Scriptures as they would like to be. It also lets you know what catechism for children questions are being addressed in the lesson in case this is something you use, though we do not.  There is plenty of room for the teacher to take notes too.  My favorite part of the Teacher's Book are the maps.  While there are only a few they are so great!  I took a picture and wish it turned out better, but you can see how twelve tribes are displayed.  It looks 3D!  These will certainly be helpful and has me thinking I will buy the companion Timeline and Map set they offer.  To see what the book really looks like you can check out the sample Teacher's Edition too.

I personally did not use the Teacher's Book much other than to check Gess' answers quickly.  For instance one time she filled in the blank God is ________ with powerful when they wanted merciful.  Both were true, but only one was part of the lesson.  The one thing I looked for that I found missing was an actual lesson plan.  In a Teacher's Book I figure that is standard, however I did find that they do have a suggested weekly schedule on their website but it will adapt to fit your own schedule as well.

Another great addition for me were the Audio Files.  The files, which are in MP3 format, are downloaded on to your computer and then you can have each lesson read to you.  This is a wonderful way to review, especially for kids who need to read the story more than once.  I generally have Gess read the lesson on her own the first day, but for the next couple of days she reads along with the audio before beginning her worksheet.  She actually loves doing that.  It is a nice way to keep the stories reviewed.  Whenever Gess needs some quiet time I will play a lesson while she is coloring, playing with legos or some other activity.  I also intend to put them on her MP3 player so she can take them wherever she goes.  They offer a sample of that too if you want to listen to it.  These are certainly an excellent deal for the price!

You can purchase this curriculum through the Classical Academic Press website.  

God's Great Covenant OT 1 Texbook is $22.95
God's Great Covenant OT 1 Teacher's Edition is $24.95
God's Great Covenant OT 1 Audio Files (MP3 Format) is $9.95
They also offer a God's Great Covenant OT 1 Bundle which includes all of these plus the maps I did not receive but am considering purchasing. 

If you want to know more about God's Great Covenant OT 1, OT 2 or their Song School Spanish check out their website or see what other members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew thought about them by clicking on the banner below.

Disclaimer in accordance with FTC Regulations: As a member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew I received the God's Great Covenant OT 1 Textbook, Teacher's Edition and Audio Files for giving my honest opinion and assessment of these products in my review. It was not required to be a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
Note: All pricing is current at the time of posting and is subject to change