Picture Smart Bible

Picture Smart Bible
Created by Dan and Juanene Peters
http://www.bibledraw.com

About the Product

Pictures work in these Bible lessons because they honor the picture-smart intelligence that all children and adults are created with. This is one of eight smarts we can use when teaching and learning.

Children with picture-smart or spatial strengths naturally think in pictures with their eyes. Because our young generation has been raised with visually engaging digital technology, many of them have this strength. That’s why the Bible activities using this approach are perfect for them.

Even if it’s not one of their strengths, all children do have the ability to think in pictures. The Picture Smart Bible will help these children use an intelligence they normally wouldn’t rely on. Therefore, it’s ideal for these kids, too.

Comprehension, retention, application, and enjoyment all improve when your picture intelligence is used.

Using pictures is refreshing for me even though I’m not very picture smart. My comprehension of how details fit together and how Bible heroes relate improves. My ability to remember details and history is enhanced. I always see something new in a book that I thought I knew because the pictures bring things to life in new ways.

The Picture-Smart Bible is a perfect stand-alone curriculum or supplement to something else you’re using. Learning with pictures works!

Who are Dan and Juanene Peters?

Dan and Juanene have a passion for the word of God. Having advanced in the field of graphics and marketing, in a rather surprising move, God impressed them to start a Christian school. Dan, who is an ordained minister, served as associate pastor and school administrator for 20 years, teaching Bible to both children and adults.

My Thoughts

When I discovered this product, I was quite curious about it because not only it was teaching the Bible from cover to cover but it was incorporating art at the same time.   So I asked if I could review the product and I got a positive answer.   I had the choice of reviewing the books which were getting re-printed (so a delay was expected) or the CD which would allow me to print as many copies as I needed for our homeschool.   With four kids and myself, I figure the CD would be more appropriate for our family.

When I got the CD, I immediately printed the section concerning the Bible as a whole.   In that section we learned that the Bible is God’s inspired, that it was written over 1600 years, that over 40 authors recorded God’s Word, that three languages were involved and that the theme of salvation is found over and over again in the Bible.   The Bible is also a bestseller throughout the World.    This lesson also covered the fact that it is a lamp to our feet, it is a sword, that it is known as the bread of life, that reading and meditating on the word will help us growth our mind and much more.   It also gave a summary of all the books in the Bible and divided them into the two testaments and the different types of books (Law, History, Poetry, Prophets for the Old Testament and Gospels, Letters, History and Prophecy for the New Testaments).

When I embarked in this adventure, I had high hopes in the receptivity of my kids.   I had read that it was more appropriate for grade 4 and up kids but part of me was hoping my kids would be different.   I got quickly reminded that I shouldn’t expect perfection from the younger ones.    I know Jasmine wouldn’t be able to trace so I had printed the full page for her so she can color while we go through the lesson.   We had to do the lesson in two days but I think in the future I will spread it in three or four days.    Jérémy, age 4, had no problem to trace the page but when came the time to color it, he had lost his interest.   I think that next time, I will print the full page for him and ask him to color the parts as we go through the study.   Dominic, age 6, had a bit of lack of motivation at one point due to the fact that I was trying too much.  In the end, he said he enjoyed learning more about the Bible and wanted to do more of the lessons.   Alexandre, age 9, was eager to learn and discover more about the Bible.   He had the most facility with the lesson and look forward to do more as well.    He really enjoyed it.   He was also able to remember the scriptures learned from Awana last year when we came upon some of the ones he had learned.    He was very happy to be able to recite them without problem.

Below, are the pages we have done during our lesson on the Bible as a whole.   You will be able to see the differences between the kids.    Mind you, now that I know the attention span of my younger ones, I will adapt the future lessons accordingly.

Mom	Alexandre - age 9
Dominic - age 6	Jérémy - age 4
Jasmine - age 2 1/2

Would I recommend this product? Absolutely.  Not only is it a wonderful way to learn the Bible for children in an homeschool environment, but it can also be a fantastic tool for Sunday School, Christian Schools, and whole congregations as well.    The kids are not the only ones who can learn from this product, adults will benefit from it as well.

The Picture-Smart Bible is available directly from the website - http://www.bibledraw.com.   Other products can be purchased but the Picture-Smart Bible prices are as follow:

• Old Testament Manual for  $59
• New Testament Manual for $51
• Both OT and NT Manuals for $99
• CD of OT and NT Manuals (PC and Mac) for  $75
• OT and NT Manuals and CD for $130
• OT and NT download  Introductory offer for $59

This review was possible because I received a copy of the CD of OT and NT Manuals of the Picture-Smart Bible from the creators of the product.