Book Review: The Most Important Thing You'll Ever Study by Starr Meade

Homeschoolers have lots of choices when it comes to good curricula. Sonlight, Abeka, My Father's World, Bob Jones Press, Alpha Omega, and so on. Our family has had very limited exposure to the Bible portion of these same curricula and still believe the foundation to teaching the Bible to our children is direct reading of the text, one-on-one discussion, prayer, and making personal application.

This workbook series by Starr Meade will meet a need for incorporating Bible exposition into home school study plans.

• Five workbooks targeted for middle school to early high school, providing a survey of the entire Bible
• Volumes 1-2, Old Testament
• Volumes 3-4, New Testament
• Volume 5, Answer key
• "Students can either use the text as a supplementary companion to their own reading of Scripture, or they can simply use the study guide to move through the Bible from beginning to end."
• These workbooks are very word intensive. You won't find a lot of fancy graphics, color schemes, charts, timelines, basic maps, internet links, etc. 
• The studies are designed to be read along with chapters of the Bible, about 3 chapters per study section.
• They are arranged in chronological order.
• Tests and assessments provided are typically short answer, fill in the blank, and matching.
• Not much commentary is provided. This is not a Bible handbook and does not seem to be geared toward life application although it would be difficult NOT to get life lessons by simply reading the Bible. However, students of this age may need a bit of help to cross the bridge to application.
• It is designed to be done at the student's own pace and can easily fit a 1-year or 2-year plan.
• Future editions could prove helpful if they include key doctrinal words, highlighted and defined for appropriately for this age level.

I have two sons who are ages 13 and 11, and while we haven't used it with them personally, I am eager to find some time to do so. For more information on this workbook series, visit this link:

http://www.crossway.org/books/the-most-important-thing-youll-ever-study-tpb/