Apologia ~ Who is God? And can I really know Him?

Our family was blessed to be chosen to review the book Who is God? And can I really know Him? from Apologia Press. I can honestly say that this has been one of  my favorite reviews so far this year. We have been truly blessed by the contents of this book, and when we are done with it, we will be ordering the next book in the series. There are also two more books planned in this series that will be available in 2011 and 2012, respectively.

We like to have our bible time first thing in the morning, before we get out of bed actually. In the mornings the kids gravitate to my bed one by one as they wake up. They hear my 2 year old giggling and squealing and come to play with her. After our wigglefest, we settle back under the covers again to snuggle and read. Now honestly this doesn't happen every single morning, but at least a couple of times a week this is how we start our day.

Who is God? And can I really know Him? is broken down into sections, so you can use the three days per week, 2 weeks per lesson schedule suggested in the book, or whatever works best for your family. We spent a little more time on some lessons, and stayed on track for others. I would read until the kids lost interest and then pick up where we left off the next time. The way the lessons are divided it is easy to do this.

Each lesson has a story to give kids real life examples of  living a life with a "worldview"  in place. If you are asking yourself, "What is a worldview? Why would I want to teach my children worldview?" then read this FAQ page from Apologia.

Each lesson isn't just reading and discussing, although both of those have been really enjoyable. The kids have come up with some great questions at the breakfast table since we began this book! There are also recipes, activities like optical illusions and making a mobius strip, and notebooking. Starting at the end of chapter 2, there is an activity for building a House of Truth.  As you go through the lessons you add parts to this house. For instance, chapter two introduces the FOUNDATION OF WISDOM. After lesson 4 you add biblical truth. This activity will go all the way through the 4th book in the series, and then your house will be complete.  A printable version is available at the Apologia website, or you can build your own version. My son started one from Legos, but the baby got to it before I could get a picture. He decided it was going to take too long to build it after that.

Here are the titles of the 10 chapters in book 1-

1. Where Am I Building My Life?


2. How Can  I Know What is True?


3. What is God Like? (part 1)


4. What is God Like? (part 2)


5. Who Are The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit?


6. If God Created The World Why Isn’t it Perfect?


7. Why Did God Create Me?


8. Will God Meet All My Needs?


9. Why Does Sin Keep Me From Knowing God?


10. Is Jesus the Only Way to God?

One other thing I have really liked is that you get more than just the book, there is also a course website with LOTS of extra resources! (Like the House of Truth mentioned above.) The link to the website, and the password, is listed in the book's  introduction pages. This has been a big help to me! I appreciate all the help I can get, because some of the teaching in this book is new to me as well. I did not grow up in an environment that taught me about God, in fact most of the time it was the complete opposite. I, as well as the kids, was able to relate to the stories in the book. One group of stories are about two boys who spent the summer together. One boy was taught about the big bang theory in school and believed it because it was what he was taught. The other boy was able to dispel that teaching and defend his own beliefs in God and creation because of what he was taught. I want my kids to be able to do that too!

If you have been looking for a way to teach worldview and sound biblical creation, you will not be disappointed in this book! We haven't even finished the first book yet, and I already feel like I know God in a more personal way. Would you like to see more? You can preview the entire first lesson HERE!

Who is God? And can I really know Him? is available from Apologia Press for $39.00. It is a beautiful 252 page hardbound book, with full color pictures and a large easy to read print. Written for ages 6-14.

Read what other bloggers thought about this book at The Homeschool Crew Blog  :0)

 



Disclaimer ~ Our family received this book at no cost in exchange for an honest review after using it in our homeschool. No other compensation was given. All opinions expressed are my own and may differ from that of others.