What I Think of More Than Words Bible Curriculum by Master Books

More Than Words is a brand new Bible curriculum that I have been excitedly awaiting the release of. It is called a Living Faith Bible Curriculum. It is written directly to your child and filled with stories, fun activities, art and drawing pages, poetry, hymns, character studies, picture and word studies and so much more!

Disclaimer: I was provided with a free product in return for my honest review. I was not financially compensated for this post. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own and not influenced by the developing company and/or its affiliates in any way. 

I am so impressed with how beautiful this curriculum is. The pages just come alive with color and happiness. I am not joking when I say that I felt peace as soon as I opened the first book! Like many other Master Books curriculum,  it has a nice Charlotte Mason flair to it, with an open and go approach. The author even says that she wanted to create a book that was like a morning basket in a book to take the pressure off of the parent. I truly believe she hit the mark with this one. Everything is laid out for you and after reading the introduction to the teacher, you literally just open it and go.

The Layout of More than Words:

More Than Words includes a schedule in the very front of the workbook. It is broken down by week and even lists the page that week is on, in case you need to find it fast. There are checklists for each day so your student can check it off as they complete their lesson. This book is scheduled to be done 4 days a week, which works beautifully for our family as we have a co-op day that takes up much of our time, so it gives us one day off.

Right now there are two levels with a third and fourth in development. Each book has the same exact theme and topic but is geared towards different ages and challenges your child in that specific age group.

Each book is broken down into four units or quarters with these topics in each unit:

• Who is God?
• Who we are in God
• What it means to be a Christian
• How to walk out their faith in everyday life situations

I am using More Than Words Level 1 with my 8 year old daughter who is in third grade.

Level 1 is designed for grades K-3.

This is how Level 1 is laid out:

At the beginning of each week is a journal entry written from a child that helps introduce to the new topic for that week in a relatable way.

Day 1: Talk About it – after reading the journal entry you will talk about the topic that has been introduced for that week. I read this to my child and do it with her. At the end of the text is the Key Truth that they have learned throughout the journal entry that will be copied on the page.

Day 2: Art Study/Poetry or Hymn Study – these alternate each week and are very sweet and engaging. Along with the study, there is one page of Scripture Copywork – your student will read the verse outloud and copy it on the page.

Day 3: Character Study – your child will learn a new character study and also practice some grammar as they learn the antonym or synonym of that character trait while they are studying it. I do enjoy the extra grammar/vocabulary word study that is added to this page, but my daughter needs a little help from me to complete this section. There is also a separate coloring page that goes with that character trait to complete that day.

Day 4: Draw It and Journal Page – your child will have a chance to draw a story or picture that goes along with the character trait that they have learned that week. The last page of the week is a journaling page where they answer questions and get a chance to write about what they gained from the lesson that week on their own journal page.

There are appendices in the back of the book that include hymn study cards, with interpretations for some of the old language. This is wonderful because some of the old English language can be hard to understand. It really helps to give the hymns new life and understanding. You will also find key word cards that you can laminate and make into your own sturdy cards for your children. We will be laminating our cards and adding them onto a jump ring as they memorize/learn each one. You could also add these to a recipe box to store them.

I am using More Than Words Level 2 with my 12 year old who is in the 7^th grade. Level 2 is designed for grades 4-6.

This is how level 2 is laid out:

At the beginning of each week is the journal entry written to your student, covering what they will be learning that week.

Day 1: Talk About It: This is a short teaching with questions to help them apply what they have read, and to get them thinking about what it personally means to them. It includes scripture Memory Work and a prayer to write to God. There is also a fun More than Words mission activity. If you have a child that is into spy stories and adventures, they are going to love these weekly missions!

Day 2: Memory Verse Copywork/Scripture Study, Written Narration application and an update to their mission.

Day 3: Art Study/Poetry or Hymn Study that alternates with different studies each week. Your student also has a chance to create their own art work and there are scripture coloring included for fun.

Day 4: Character Study: This weekly character trait study digs deeper into word study with the use of a thesaurus. If you don’t have one, you can use the appendix in the back of the book. It covers the antonyms and synonyms and gives your child a chance to write out exactly what they think it means. There are also scriptures to back up what the Bible has to say about that particular character trait. The last day of the week is also when they recite their scripture to you.

The appendices in the back of Level 2 contain more than Level 1. It includes:

Dictionary/Thesaurus, Full Hymns with interpretations, Bible Verse Log, Optional Extended Memory Work, Who God Says I am Bible verse promises, Bible verse flashcards (which we also plan to laminate and store on a jump ring) and an answer key, which is good to have for the higher level.

Just like Level 1, this is a beautiful book. My 12 year old is in the 7^th grade and does not find it beneath her level at all. It is challenging enough to keep her occupied and engaged. She enjoyed how it was written directly to her and she could easily grasp the Biblical truths she is learning. She is really enjoying the missions and loves to have something that is just for her. I have seen a big difference in her attitude towards her siblings as she is going through this. She told me this is one of her favorite subjects and she does it first thing every single morning!

To wrap it up:

I am in love with this curriculum. It is beautiful, speaks truth and life, and takes only a few minutes each day. It is just the enrichment we needed to add to our mornings. Level 1  is a perfect fit for my 8 year old, though I think some of it (like the addition of the grammar word study) could be difficult for very young children in kindergarten and first grade. Level 2 fits my 12 year old nicely. If you have a 7th grader, and don’t want to wait for Level 3, they can easily use this book and enjoy it.

Since each book has the same theme, I am unsure if I would use the next level with the same child as it repeats itself with the exact same material, but at a higher level. I sure hope that there are different themes or topics in the works for the future because we would love to continue to use it for our Bible Curriculum each year.