Early Readers NKJV

We bought Peter his first real Bible on Monday. We had a good look through the different real Bibles for children and were really impressed with the Early Readers NKJV. The content is all really-solid, orthodox and edifying. We couldn't find anything we disagreed with apart from a few small pictures of Christ in a Bible chronology that we hadn't noticed in the shop.

Of course, the main reason for going for this Bible was the larger text and more durable cover that makes it more suitable for younger readers. The other pages are a bonus. I was tempted to get an ESV, given Trinity's move on this score, but apart from my misgivings about the underlying text and the more awkward readability, my mind was made up when I saw their version of a children's Bible. I thought Crossway would do a better job.

The cover shown is what is on the hardback and is on cardboard slip of the "leatherette" versions. We got a blue leatherette cover, which doesn't have the gaudy graphics. The leatherette cover seems more durable than my own bonded-leather cover, which is dilapidating quite badly.

Peter is 6½ years old and can read most of the Bible himself. Home-schooling and the freedom to use the best teaching methods has made him really fly! We expect our younger children to progress even faster and intend to start some basic Greek and Hebrew soon, i.e. teaching the alphabets.

Contrast this with quite a few parents we know who are concerned about the lack of teachingtheir kids are getting in the early years of school ,(esp. reading and writing) due to the domination of structured play. Teachers are even chastising children for progressing too fast (even though they would have been behind in my day)! Some are home-schooling their kids because of this, others are considering it and still others have seen their bright children demoralised and ruined by this liberal philosophy! (We've even had unbelievers we've only just met asking us to give their children extra tuition!)

I'm sure this will/ would shock my primary school teachers. It seems that many kids today are way behind where we would have been in my day. Any wonder that children are doing so badly in the basics today?

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