Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew
Last year, my middle son and I enjoyed using and writing about Positive Action Bible Curriculum’s Building Life Castles Study for 4th Graders. So this year, I am happy to tell you about their Bible Curriculum, Wise Up. Wise Up is a an in depth look at wisdom from the Lord by studying Proverbs. This is such an important study for young teens and tweens to build a foundation in truth from the Lord. I am so glad that my 7th grade son is able to work through this study right now. Now is the time to learn and understand what true wisdom it is and how valuable it is.
Wise up: Wisdom in Proverbs
Positive Action Bible Curriculum’s Wise up: Wisdom in Proverbs includes a Student Book and a Teacher’s notebook. I love the look of this book and so does my son. The student workbook is a soft cover, paperback book. The cover is a dark brown with gold letters and an embossed design. The pages are a made with nice sturdy decorative light tan style printed paper. It has 264 pages with 35 lessons. Each lesson in the student material provides reading for the student, directs the student to read certain scripture, and questions for the student to answer. Many lessons provides charts to help the student visually organize and see the information in the scriptures they are reading. There is also a specific page with visuals and guidance for the student for each teachers lesson.
The Teacher Guide is a 3 ring binder with a matching cover. It includes 3 sections: teaching material, testing material, and an answer key. The beginning of the teachers book gives you suggestions for weekly schedules to help you fit the lessons within homeschool schedule for your family. You can easily complete 1 lesson each week with a 3-day, 4-day, or 5-day schedule option. Each lesson in the Teacher’s Manual provides clear target truths, teaching strategies and suggestions, and information for the teacher’s lesson. It then gives you answers to the student workbook activities. There is a quiz for each lesson and answer keys for them in the back of the teaching manual. At the beginning of the teachers manual there is also a Scripture Memorization Chart. This shows you a scripture for your child to memorize with each lesson.
The Curriculum
Lesson one of Wise Up begins with students understanding what wisdom truly is and why it is important or valuable. The study also teaches very clearly and concretely the difference between what the Bible says wisdom is versus what the world or humanism defines wisdom as. This lesson is very important and lays a foundation for the rest of the study.
The next few lessons go deeper into introducing wisdom by explaining what the Bible says is the difference between wisdom and foolishness. Students will use scripture to compare the differences between how a wise man and a foolish man react in various situations. It then gives specific examples of wise men in the Bible.
Throughout the rest of the study we see how to use Godly wisdom. It also teaches how we can apply Godly wisdom to all areas of our life. Students will study roles in the home and authority, responsibility, attitudes, friendship and what true friends are, love, recognizing sin, self-control, courage, obedience, knowing and staying in God’s will, money, and making decisions to name just a few. Each lesson is grounded in scripture and helps students understand what they are reading in God’s word. The questions and readings also help them understand how to practically apply these truths to their life as they grow and mature.
The writing in the book is definitely geared to kids that are around 12 and older. I would not attempt this study with kids younger than that. The text is well written and easily relatable for middle school aged students. The lessons are not overly long and hold the student’s attention well. Questions and scripture are mixed in throughout each reading in the lesson.
While a student could technically work through much of the student workbook independently, I do feel that this study is best completed by a student going through this study with a parent or teacher, as suggested by the teacher’s manual. Especially younger middle schoolers will need the instruction, guidance, and explanations provided in the teachers manual. Also, I think it would be very valuable for a young teen go through this study with a parent as is it such a crucial time in their lives for them to understand these truths and take them to heart.
How we used our Wise Up Bible Curriculum
This summer we have started Wise up going at a bit of a slower pace than we probably will when we start our school schedule again in August. Through May and June, we have completed about 1 lesson every 1-2 weeks. We have worked through the first 4 lessons and are enjoying the flexibility that Positive Action Bible Curriculum provides. Because of travel and other summer activities we have been following a 3 day a week schedule for the curriculum. I did not want to speed through the first few lessons. So we have taken our time making sure to fully complete each lesson before we move on. They provide a foundation for understanding what wisdom is. We will be applying these things they learn throughout the rest of the study.
My husband actually started working through this study with our son. They have both enjoyed this time. We have found that this is a perfect study for a father to work through with their son. My husband has been able to read with him and help impart these important truths to our son as he is in this crucial time of understanding and growing in his life. I know that this will be a key time for my son and that this will help him as he grows into a wise young man in the Lord. I am excited to see how this Bible study continues to help us teach, train, and guide our son into becoming a wise man of God.
More from Positive Action Bible Curriculum
I have loved the foundational Bible Studies that I have found for my family from Positive Action Bible Curriculum. If you are looking for Bible Curriculum for your children I highly recommend you check out all the different studies from Positive Action. I have told you about our experience with the Wise Up study for middle school students this summer. However, many other reviewers from the Homeschool Review Crew have also had to use this study and a 5th grade study, Possessing the Land. Click below to read more about these amazing foundational Bible curriculums for 5th through 8th students.