An impression is made not only on the paper but in the mind and heart as well!
The concept of The Picture-Smart Bible as a teaching methodology was birthed during a 15-year teaching/administrative assignment for Dan Peters at Hillcrest Christian School in Thousand Oaks, California. With his former training and experience as a graphic designer, love of the Scriptures, and two years of continued research and development, The Picture-Smart Bible became a “new concept” in Bible study.
The “see, hear, do” methodology which TPSB incorporates, has long been recognized as an effective way to increase comprehension and retention in both children and adults. TPSB illustrations consist of simple symbols with a basic Bible narrative resulting in a wide age-range application and multicultural acceptance.
Cathy Duffy in "Cathy Duffy Reviews"
“The Picture Smart Bible is a unique tool for teaching the Bible to students from about fourth-grade level through adults. In spite of the title, this is not a Bible but two books for learning about the Bible, one for the Old Testament and one for the New Testament.
Each lesson teaches the entire story of one book of the Bible, or sometimes a group of books such as the minor prophets Hosea, Joel, Amos, and Obadiah. The New Testament book begins with an extra lesson, “The Bridge,” covering the intertestamental period after Nehemiah. (Note that the deuterocanonical books of Maccabees cover some of this time period.)
Carol Barnier
Delightful Speaker, Entertaining Author, Adequate Wife, Pitiful Housekeeper Author of… How to Get Your Child Off the Refrigerator and On To Learning If I’m Diapering A Watermelon, Then Where’d I Leave the Baby? The Big WHAT NOW Book of Learning Styles
“Here’s how it works: The student is given this page of faintly lined symbols. You, as the teacher, then direct the student to outline and color in one specific symbol while you proceed through the teacher’s section, reading the information and Bible verses that illuminate the meaning of that symbol. Pretty basic. And very easy to execute. Two things surprised me in the process of using this material.
- First – my child loved it. And she is not a kid who likes to color! Nor have I ever before found an honest to goodness Bible study that would really hold her interest.
- Second – and this was the unexpected benefit – the format of the program allowed us to progress through the material in an unhurried, even relaxing manner. I worked through my own worksheet alongside my child and found there’s something about taking the time to color that actually slows the world down a bit. There was an unrushed sense of pondering a single symbol while taking the time to fill in the margins, that was so satisfying to me. There were moments of meaningful silence. Much of our schooling seems tense and pressed. But this was a mental break in our typical frenzy that we both came to look forward to. It fed us on several levels.
I know that not all approaches work with all children, but this method is truly different from much of what is available. If you haven’t found success in typically presented Bible material, this is definitely worth trying. And as with all great materials, you get to learn right along with your kids.”
Each book unit includes:
- A “SCRIPT” or synopsis of each Bible book includes easy-to-follow instructions regarding when and what to draw and read. No commentaries needed; the prep is done for you. The small drawings on the left are progressive.
- The MASTER DRAWINGS, which provide a visual guide for the teacher, illustrate key concepts of each book of the Bible, Genesis to Revelation.
- STUDENT SHEETS (located in the resource section) are copied and handed out to all students. As the teacher reads through the script, student (and the teacher) complete the dotted line drawing, then add color
- OTHER FEATURES:
- An overview of the book
- Complete instructions what to say, draw, write and read, plus Scripture references
- Can be read verbatim or explained in your own words
- Discussion questions with each lesson
- Thumbnail Progressive Drawings
- Shows teacher how the art is to develop on tracing
- Blank space for your personal notes
- RESOURCES INCLUDE:
- Maps: Show where the action occurred.
- Timelines: Show when events took place.
- How to Teach: Useful tips from the field.
- A special “Intertestament Bridge” giving light to the 400 “Silent” years.
- Memorization help with Learning the Word for Life books to internalize truths learned.
