This past summer at a homeschool convention, I was introduced to the Bible Study Guide for All Ages. Immediately, the title of the program jumped out at me. I like to study the Bible with my children, and we really do have all ages in our home.

Many homeschoolers are educating more than one child, and it can be tricky at times to cater to the needs of several ages. Bible Study Guide for All Ages sets out to bridge the gaps, and it succeeds.

First of all, the program covers the entire Bible, in depth, in four years. Both the Old and the New Testaments are covered each year, allowing the student to study part of Jesus' life yearly. The 461 lessons are broken down into the following units, or years:

Unit One (Lessons 1-104) covers Joseph, Daniel, Jesus' early life and 1st year of ministry, Adam, Noah, Job, Moses to Exodus 20, Joshua, and Jesus' last week.

Unit Two (Lessons 105-208) covers Jesus' crucifixion, burial, resurrection, and ascension, Peter, The Early Church, Acts 1-8, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David (2 Samuel, 1 Chronicles, Psalms), Solomon to the end of 1 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1, 2, & 3 John, Jude (non-Pauline letters), and Revelation.

Unit Three (Lessons 209-312) covers Moses (Exodus 21 through Leviticus), Numbers, Deuteronomy, Hebrews, Jesus' 2nd year of ministry, Paul's conversion, Paul's 1st and 2nd journeys (Acts 9:18-22), 1 and 2Thessalonians, Judges, Ruth, Samuel and Saul, 1 Samuel.

Unit Four (Lessons 313-416) covers Jesus' 3rd year of ministry, Paul's 3rd journey, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Joel, Jonah, Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah, Zephaniah, Nahum, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Habakkuk, Obadiah, Ezekiel, Ezra, Haggai, Zechariah, Esther, Nehemiah, and Malachi.

Bible Study Guide for All Ages is divided into three levels: Beginner (Ages 3- Kindergarten), Intermediate (Grades 1-3), and Advanced (Grades 4-6). There are several extras available for each level, enhancing the student pages:

• Non-readers have a picture timeline that includes 28 full-color, 8½" x 11" pictures with one question about each picture. The picture timeline teaches young students one simple fact about major Bible people and events.
  
• Unlabeled wall maps and timeline attach to the wall and allow older students to add the full-color, removable pictures and names, helping students to put the current lesson in the context of the overall story of the Bible. Students can remove and reapply the pictures and names over and over.
  
• Bible Book Summary Cards are 11" x 14" posters with one or more pictures on the front that represent the main content or message of a Bible book. On the back, a brief description explains each picture. The back side also includes questions that the teacher can ask when reviewing the cards. The Bible Book Summary Cards can also be colored.
  
• A 2-CD set contains 91 a cappella songs including memory work songs and every children's song suggested in the Teacher's Guide for each lesson.

All of the above products are wonderful extras created to enhance your study of the Bible using the Bible Study Guide for All Ages, but they are not necessary to utilize the program. What you will need are the student pages (sold for 5.95 per lesson set--there are four lesson sets per unit, or year) and the teacher's guide (sold for 29.95). The student pages include an interactive Bible lesson, long and short-term review drills, memory work, maps, a timeline, and engaging application activities. The teachers guide (you'll only need one unit per year) contains the 104 lessons with story visuals, drills, memory work visuals, study helps, and teaching suggestions.

The possibilities for utilizing the Bible Study Guide for All Ages are exciting. Not only can it be used during the homeschool day, it would also fit quite nicely in a family worship or devotional setting, as a Sunday School curriculum, or in an age-integrated Bible class. However you choose to use the Bible Study Guide for All Ages, you will be giving your children an incredible gift that will take them far into the future as they grow to study and love God's Word for themselves.