Prayers & Devotionals
When I was deciding options for schooling I knew that classical Christian education was at the top of my list from a time when I was a long-term substitute in a cottage/private Classical Christian School. Yes I love the classics, but the best part is being able to include and combine Christian education into all the rest. It is a part of our lives and definitely something we want to teach our children in their school and education. So of course, the next thing I want to tell you about is the Prayers & Devotionals. It is my understanding that Memoria Press is working on adding Bible stories to the curriculum as well, but as of yet for Junior Kindergarten that has not been added. There are however 26 verses, one for each letter of the alphabet to learn and possibly memorize with your child included in the lesson plan appendix.
Morning Prayer
Now before I run to play,
Let me not forget to pray
To God who kept me through the night
And wakes me with his morning light.
Help me, Lord, to love Thee more
Than I have ever loved before,
In my work and in my play,
Be Thou with me through the day.
Amen
Prayers for Children, illustrated by Eloise Wilkin, p. 2
Each day in the lesson plans it starts with a prayer and ends with a prayer as well. These prayers come from the Prayers for Children book illustrated by Eloise Wilkin. This is just a small Little Golden Book, but it is packed with beautifully illustrated prayers that are perfect for memorization. This is actually one of the things that first surprised me so much, because we were reading the Morning Prayer, day after day and then one day AppleBlossom was just there reciting it on her own. It was an amazing parenting experience, because I wasn’t even trying to make her memorize it or quote it, I was just reading it to her day after day and she got it and kept it to heart. From this it has merged over into other daily parts of our lives and she is interested in learning different meal prayers and a bedtime prayer.
The beautiful Prayers for Children book offers the classic prayers memorized by children for generations. The opening and closing prayers are memorized first and recited throughout the year. Additional prayers are introduced and memorized periodically. Prayer time should be an exercise in devotion, memorization and formal recitation daily.
Our enjoyment of Eloise Wilkin’s Prayers for Children has branched over into loving the Eloise Wilkin’s Stories Collection as well as A Child’s Garden of Verses, both also Little Golden Books (although the collection is a special high quality hardcover) which has “The Shadow” in it one of our poetry options for during the year. Another treasure for us was found in this artist because of the recommendation from Memoria Press in their curriculum.
In a typical school day following the opening prayer suggestion is the devotional. The devotion time is taken from a really great book, Big Thoughts for Little People: ABCs to Grow On by Kenneth N. Taylor.
Big Thoughts for Little People is a deceptively rich book offering Scripture, instructional moral adages, introductory phonics work, observation exercises, and ear training. be sure to read the preface by Kenneth Taylor in the front of the book to put it to its fullest use.
At first I was not sure what I would think about this one, because I have the Family-Time Bible in Pictures by this same author and I’m not overly impressed with it in comparison to others we have seen. However, I was greatly impressed with Big Thoughts for Little People. This is a wide book with colorful and fun illustrations with plenty to look at and discuss beyond just the text. Each page has a letter and a verse and little devotional lesson to go with that letter. For instance, “A is for asking. We ask when we pray. God is happy to answer. And help us each day.” And this is followed by a lesson and verse and then about three discussion questions that brings focus to what the meaning is as well as the illustrations. A fun detail about this book is the ladybugs that you will find on every page. Once AppleBlossom caught on to this she absolutely delights in picking them out.
In the lesson plans, most weeks are one letter on both days. However on review days, there are a handful to go back through and visit again. Personally in our family, this is a book we visit often even outside of school time or relevance. While we do not just sit down and read this book cover to cover, it is well loved here.
At the end of each day of lesson plans we close with another prayer, again from the Prayers for Children book. So far every day it is the same prayer, and such a good one to endorse.
I thank Thee, Lord for quiet rest,
And for Thy care of me;
O let me through this day be blest
And kept from harm by Thee.
--- Mary L. Duncan
Prayers for Children, illustrated by Eloise Wilkin, p. 3
Through these two books, my young preschooler daughter is getting a heart of prayer and a foundation of devotion time fairly regularly. She loves to memorize and recite prayers and this is such a precious time and set of memories for me that was helped to form and be created from the organization and recommendations of the Memoria Press Junior Kindergarten Curriculum. I doubt I would have discovered these gems without them. I purchased these for our own purposes, but I fully give credit to Memoria Press for the recommendation and pass it on.
Part I – Lesson Plans
Part II – Phonics
Part III – Math
Part IV - Poetry
Part V - Prayer & Devotion
This post is scheduled: http://creativemadnessmama.com/blog/2013/05/03/memoria-press-junior-kindergarten-review-part-v-prayer/