C.S. Lewis is one of our favorite authors. We have many of his books, and his titles are a big part of our Christian homeschool education. That's why I was happy to have the chance to review C.S. Lewis: Master Storyteller from the Christian Heroes: Then and Now by YWAM Publishing, including both the book and the Unit Study Curriculum Guide.
First, we read the book every day. I liked to read it together as a family (usually I read aloud) while the kids were eating a meal. We read one complete chapter a day, and my family really enjoyed learning about C.S. Lewis -- especially during his youngest years.
The first thing my kids and I noticed was that he had a hard childhood. He also struggled with his faith. This was a good lesson for my kids, who often think that people of faith have always had it good. The book itself really discussed all the people in his life who influenced him and contributed to his personality. Throughout his life, you could see where his future stories would come from, as well, especially those stories that would include animals (like the Narnia stories.)
As we got into the book a few chapters, we started to implement the use of the Unit Study Curriculum Guide with the older kids. This became part of their literary study each week, and we used it to both test their understanding of the story, and to help them explore additional topics around the life and works of C.S. Lewis.
On weeks where we were very busy, we just covered the discussion and comprehension questions. On weeks where we had more time, there were dozens of activities to facilitate from the guide. In addition to Bible verses to learn and memorize, there were formal instruction opportunities in each of various subjects, including social studies (such as geography terms and social concepts) and literature (diagramming and elements of a story),
I like that early on in the guide, the authors discussed how to use the guide with different families; whether you have one child or several across grade levels, there is an appropriate way to use the curriculum guide to get the most out of the C.S. Lewis Christian Heroes Book. They also acknowledge learning styles, which will vary from child to child, but shouldn't stand in the way of them enjoying this Unit Study.
My kids really enjoyed this story -- their first exposure to the YWAM Publishing series. We will for certain be reading the others, and we will likely get curriculum guides for one or two a year to expand upon their studies in a fun and enriching way.
Other famous Christians in the series include:
First, we read the book every day. I liked to read it together as a family (usually I read aloud) while the kids were eating a meal. We read one complete chapter a day, and my family really enjoyed learning about C.S. Lewis -- especially during his youngest years.
The first thing my kids and I noticed was that he had a hard childhood. He also struggled with his faith. This was a good lesson for my kids, who often think that people of faith have always had it good. The book itself really discussed all the people in his life who influenced him and contributed to his personality. Throughout his life, you could see where his future stories would come from, as well, especially those stories that would include animals (like the Narnia stories.)
On weeks where we were very busy, we just covered the discussion and comprehension questions. On weeks where we had more time, there were dozens of activities to facilitate from the guide. In addition to Bible verses to learn and memorize, there were formal instruction opportunities in each of various subjects, including social studies (such as geography terms and social concepts) and literature (diagramming and elements of a story),
I like that early on in the guide, the authors discussed how to use the guide with different families; whether you have one child or several across grade levels, there is an appropriate way to use the curriculum guide to get the most out of the C.S. Lewis Christian Heroes Book. They also acknowledge learning styles, which will vary from child to child, but shouldn't stand in the way of them enjoying this Unit Study.
My kids really enjoyed this story -- their first exposure to the YWAM Publishing series. We will for certain be reading the others, and we will likely get curriculum guides for one or two a year to expand upon their studies in a fun and enriching way.
Other famous Christians in the series include:
- Corrie Ten Boom
- D.L. Moody
- Deitrich Bonhoeffer
- Jim Elliot
- Lottie Moon
- and many, many more!
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