Aaah, the Psalms. This unit has taken 30 of them and leads your child through a pre-inductive Bible study. What's a pre-inductive study? It's a simpler version of reading a passage and then following directions to find key things in the passage. Meant for children who are able to read on their own but are not quite ready for an in-depth independent study, the study is suggested for grades 3-5.

Your child is expected to go through the study independently, with your guidance in making sure they are keeping up and understanding the content. Each week they are to focus on one Psalm. The text of the Psalm, in NIV, is at the top of a one-page spread, followed by six or seven simple questions or directions. The last task is always a journal prompt that encourages the child to relate the Psalm to his or her life in some way.

A copy of the entire comb-bound workbook is needed for each child completing the study. Allowing them to write directly in the book will make for a nice finished product that they can refer back to often. At the beginning of the book, there is a handy chart to help your child keep up with their tasks. For each Psalm, they check off when read the Psalm, completed the questions, and completed the journal entry.

You may choose to keep a separate notebook for the journal entries, as there are no lined pages within the unit booklet. If you would rather keep the journal entries in the booklet, the back page of each week's Psalm study is blank. Your child could journal directly on that page, or you could paste a lined page in yourself. Colored pencils and a dictionary are necessary to the study as well.

Since each Psalm is intended to be worked on for a week, this Bible study could last for almost an entire school year, 30 weeks. If your child is more motivated, though, two or three Psalm studies could be completed in a week's time. As with all unit studies, this one can be used in a way that best suits your family.

Even with no frills such as pictures or colored text, my daughter has enjoyed this study very much. She feels like it's a "serious" study, which she as a fifth grader has been asking about for a while now. I've been very pleased to see her delve into God's Word with both feet and enjoy it at the same time!

Product review by Cindy West, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, March 2008