In the introduction to Delight in the Word Bible Stories Workbook, author Karen H. Gouede states that the workbook will nurture not only learners’ faith but also their reading and writing skills. The book can be used with learners of various ages in a group setting or alone, but it seems especially appropriate for homeschool learners at the upper elementary or middle school level, as well as for older English learners (ESL/EFL) and adult literacy learners in Christian settings.
Gouede has the credentials to reach these groups, having spent 30 years teaching English-language learners, serving as an ELL Assistant Principal, and teaching at the college level to prepare future teachers to serve multilingual learners. She has also taught Sunday school.
Delight in the Word has 12 lessons, six based on the Old Testament and six based on the New Testament. There are two colorful full-page illustrations for each story, which will help to reinforce the lesson for visual learners. Lessons begin with selected scripture and some discussion questions. This is followed by a retelling of the story in simple language, with more challenging vocabulary words highlighted. Exercises reinforce these words, as well as other grammatical concepts.
There are questions to answer to check learners’ understanding of the story as well as more creative writing exercises. As an example of a creative writing exercise, in the lesson on Noah’s Ark, learners are asked to imagine they are one of the animals on the ark and to write 7–10 sentences about their first day on the ark. There are also a variety of other activities in some of the lessons, including a crossword puzzle and word searches.
There is enough variety in the lessons to keep learners engaged, and many of the exercises are thought-provoking, encouraging reflection as learners connect the Bible stories to their own lives.
The workbook can be purchased on Amazon or through the author’s website. The website also includes free resources such as downloadable vocabulary cards for one of the lessons and a PDF of a prayer journal.
