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Biblical Foundations

Encyclopedia of Bible Truths: Fine Arts/Health By Ruth C. Haycock / Assoc. Of Christian Schools Infuse your teaching with the timeless messages of God's Word! Highlight how the creation reflects the Creator in music, the fine arts, crafts, health, and physical education. Designed to stimulate the study of all truth as God's truth, this supplemental resource helps you integrate scriptural perspectives throughout standard subjects. Includes research projects for most chapters. 116 pages, softcover from Purposeful Design.

Hymn Study

The study of Hymns conveys to us not only the individual's view of God and man, but also, if Biblically accurate, they teach us in a powerful way about our God and our relationship to Him. The Mr. Pipes series is our favorite 'real book' resource for hymn study. We've also used 101 Hymn stories and hope to get the Hymns for a Kid's Heart series.

Recently I found a website, Songs and Hymns.org, that we will use to supplement these books. And now a few more sites. They are listed in the blog entry linked below.

Read more about our Hymn Studies in this blog entry.

Mr. Pipes and the British Hymn Makers By Douglas Bond / Christian Liberty Press Young teenagers who love adventure and the Christian faith will enjoy reading this fictional account of two young Americans who are on vacation in England. These young people wind up learning a great deal about famous British hymn writers as they are befriended by an elderly gentleman called Mr. Pipes. They also learn a lot about the value of traditional worship and praise. (Includes hymn texts and music notation).

Mr. Pipes and Psalms and Hymns of the Reformation By Douglas Bond / Christian Liberty Press Follow Mr. Pipes throughout Europe as he accompanies his two young American friends on a tour of the famous hymn writers. Examining the significance of worship and the godly traditions they're built upon, this book aims to rekindle a genuine interest in the traditional hymns of the faith. 240 pages, softcover. Grades 7-10.

Mr. Pipes Comes to America By Douglas Bond / Christian Liberty Press Cultivate a love of traditional hymns in your young believers as they follow Mr. Pipes from his cozy English cottage to America! From Plymouth to Amesbury, Princeton to Boston, Mr. Pipes leads Annie and Drew on a delightful historical adventure, teaching them about the lives and music of John Eliot, Phillips Brooks, John Greenleaf Whittier, and other great hymn writers. Includes music and lyrics. 194 pages, softcover.

The Accidental Voyage: Discovering Hymns of the Early Centuries By Douglas Bond / P & R Publishing Get ready for a great story about two American teens traveling in Europe with David McCallum, an English organist known in his parish as Mr. Pipes. During a series of hair-raising adventures across Europe, Mr. Pipes introduces Annie and Drew to sixteen hymns from the early centuries, and to hymnists Ambrose of Milan, Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Francis of Asissi, St. Patrick, and more.

See the complete Mr. Pipes series here.

 

101 Hymn Stories By Kenneth W. Osbeck / Kregel Publications 101 Hymns Stories is a thrilling collection of the stories behind your favorite hymns. The exciting events which produced these classic expressions of praise are brought to life in vivid, inspiring detail. Both classical and contemporary hymns are presented and each story includes a copy of the hymn itself. This book will revitalize your worship through song and can be used for personal or family devotional reading, sermon illustrations, bulletin inserts, and introducing congregational hymns. Paperback.

101 More Hymn Stories By Kenneth W. Osbeck / Kregel Publications 101 More Hymn Stories by Osbeck is a companion volume to 101 Hymn Stories, and is a thrilling collection of the stories behind your favorite hymns. The exciting events which produced these classic expressions of praise are brought to life in vivid detail. Each story includes a copy of the hymn itself. This book will revitalize your worship through song and can be used for personal devotional reading, sermon illustrations, bulletin inserts, and more.

Mr. Osbeck has several other books about Hymns, too.

Hymns for a Kid's Heart, Volume 1, Hardcover with CD By Bobbie Wolgemuth & Joni Eareckson Tada / Crossway Books & Bibles Share a rich heritage of God-honoring music with the next generation! Wolgemuth and Eareckson Tada help you introduce your children to 12 of your favorite hymns. Featuring verses, simple guitar/piano music, Scriptures, prayers, and inspirational accounts about the hymn-writer, it also includes a CD so the whole family can sing along. 96 pages, hardcover from Crossway Books.

Hymns for a Kid's Heart, Volume 2, Book and CD By Bobbie Wolgemuth & Joni Eareckson Tada / Crossway Books & Bibles Bestow a rich heritage of God-honoring music upon the next generation! Introduce your children to 12 beloved hymns, including "Fairest Lord Jesus" and "To God Be the Glory." Featuring verses, simple guitar/piano music, Scriptures, prayers, and inspirational accounts about the hymn-writers, it also includes a CD so the whole family can sing along! 96 pages, hardcover from Crossway Books.

Christmas Carols for a Kid's Heart: Hymns for a Kid's Heart, Volume 3 By Bobbie Wolgemuth / Crossway Books & Bibles In this third volume of Hymns for a Kid's Heart, Joni Eareckson Tada and Bobbie Wolgemuth offer 12 of their favorite Christmas carols for children to cherish. This treasure book will give your children a special vision of the true meaning of Christmas. With music, true stories, prayers, and Scripture, Christmas Carols for a Kid's Heart will feed your child's soul during the Christmas season. This book includes a fully orchestrated CD with children's voices singing along with Joni and Bobbie and simple piano music with guitar cords. Recommended for ages 5 and up.

Passion Hymns for a Kid's Heart with CD By Joni Eareckson Tada / Crossway Books & Bibles In this fourth volume of Hymns for a Kid's Heart, you have everything you need to help you teach 12 classic Passion hymns and the meaning of the cross of Christ to the children you love. These God-honoring hymns about Jesus' death and resurrection, include "Nothing but the Blood," "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today," and "Crown Him with Many Crowns." With richly orchestrated music, true stories, prayers, and Scripture, Passion Hymns for a Kid's Heart will feed your child's soul. Includes a fully orchestrated CD with children's voices singing along with Joni and Bobbie, and simple piano music with guitar chords, lyrics, and inspirational accounts about the writers. This hardcover book has 96 pages, and is recommended for ages 3 to 13.

Hymns For A Kids Heart, Volumes 1 and 2 By Bobbie Wolgemuth / Crossway Books & Bibles Share the rich heritage of Christian hymnody with the next generation! Bobbie Wolgemuth and Joni Eareckson Tada introduce your children to 24 God-honoring songs---including "Amazing Grace," "Trust and Obey," and "God of Our Fathers"---and the men and women who composed them. Include historical accounts, music, Scriptures, sing-along CDs, and more. Approx. 95 pages each, two hardcovers from Crossway Books.

Hymns for a Kid's Heart, 3 Volumes By Crossway Books & Bibles Bestow a rich heritage of God-honoring music upon the next generation! Introduce your children to 36 beloved hymns with these three books with CDs. Each book features verses, simple guitar/piano music, Scriptures, prayers, and inspirational accounts about the hymn-writers, and a CD so the whole family can sing along!

Hymns for a Kid's Heart Series, 4 sets By Crossway Books & Bibles

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Music Study

The foundation for this study is the book, The Gift of Music. And foundational to that is probably Francis Schaeffer's How Should We Then Live? (See our Christian Worldview page.) There are several other resources we are using, but I have not put together a complete course or decided definitively which ones we will post here as our top picks. David Quine has a music appreciation curriculum (outside link) based on these books. We don't have it, so aren't necessarily recommending it, but I respect his work.

The Gift of Music: Great Composers & Their Influence By Jane Stuart Smith & Betty Carlson / Crossway Books & Bibles "The arts are not extraneous . . . but a vital and essential part of our existence," write the authors. This stimulating overview integrates the biographies, beliefs, and music of 45 composers from Schutz to Shostakovich; and suggests recommended reading and listening to expand your students' understanding and appreciation of great music. Joyously written from a Christian viewpoint. 317 pages, softcover from Crossway Books.

Meet the Great Composers Kit #1 By June Montgomery & Maurice Hinson / Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. Meet 17 renowned composers of the Baroque through Contemporary periods! Designed to be completed in 20--30 minutes, each unit study features a picture, short biography, and brief overview of the music of a composer, as well as a question-and-answer page. Kit includes a 72-page book, 17 reproducible activity sheets, and a CD that presents works by each composer. An excellent introduction to classical music!

Meet the Great Composers Kit #2 By June Montgomery & Maurice Hinson / Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. From Francois Couperin to Amy Beach, Franz Schubert to George Gershwin---kids meet 17 famous (and lesser-known) composers from the Baroque to the Contemporary periods. Listen to the companion CD while reading the bios that relate the times and events of the day to each composer's life and work. Includes timeline and a folder of reproducible activity sheets. Ages 8 to 12. 72 pages, softcover.

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Art Study

Our daughter is going through Barry Stebbing's God and the History of Art, which combines art history and art instruction. We are also using some of Stebbing's other art instruction books with our other children. This too is an area where I have not put together a complete course. Mostly we study art history and artists through the Art section in Homeschooling Today magazine. This series of articles was begun by David Quine, who has also published an art appreciation curriculum (outside link) based upon the work of Francis Schaeffer. The series in Homeschooling Today is now done by Stebbing. The F.A.C.E. has an Art Curriculum Guide that I will be using when I put together our complete course.

StoneBridge Art Guide By F.a.c.e. Including an art course in your curriculum contributes to educating the whole child and nurtures the learning of other subjects. This foundational primer systematically teaches God's elements of design through the scope and sequence of an 8-year program. Features the study of the great masters and their work; model lessons and methodology; timelines; student examples; and more. Grades K to 8. 124 pages, softcover.

God & the History of Art Revised By Barry Stebbing / How Great Thou Art Art historian Sister Wendy Beckett once said, "Looking at art is one way of listening to God." As your children journey through this 5-year curriculum, they're sure to hear God's voice along the way. More than 250 lessons blend art history with hands-on instruction in drawing and painting---and feature illustrations by homeschoolers. Includes 35 paint cards. Ages 10 and up. 454 reproducible pages, softcover.